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Can Pain Doctors actually do anything outside of opioids to help you?

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Psynaught

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Sep 12, 2023
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The pain in my feet is getting so bad I am thinking of seeing a pain doctor. I have seen a podiatrist and he recommended insoles, which helped but I am way beyond that. Relatedly, I have no cartilage in my left shoulder (still bodybuilding 5-6 days a week) and arthritis in my hip, but the pain from those two areas is not that bad. Docs who scanned my shoulder said they can't believe I can even brush my teeth, but low dosage Growth Hormone has relieved me completely.

My feet on the other hand have become unbearable. It shooting/stabbing when I walk is so bad I limp. It is advanced plantar fasciitis. I am also well over 60.

I am going to specifically state that I want to avoid opiates. The pain is the worst when I am at the gym working out or training a client (which I rarely do anymore) but I do not want to be on any type of narcotic when I am at the gym. I take 4 grams of Kratom a night, but there is absolutely no way I am going to take it twice a day. I have been researching what pain docs do outside of prescribing real pain meds, and it seems mostly nonsense/witchcraft like acupuncture.

Is there anything that pain docs can actually do to relive pain that is non opiod based?
 
Can you get the surgery to release the plantar fasciitis? I know when I worked in the operating room we did that. It's about 10 minutes tops but then you have the recovery time. And you'd only be able to do one at a time. But it sounds like you'd be a likely candidate for that.
Pain docs can also do injections.
 
They can administer steroid injections, although those are usually given for joint pain.

I also wouldn't entirely write off acupuncture for the reason that I've seen it used on horses, and a horse can't experience a placebo effect. All you see is whether it seems to move better / with less discomfort after a treatment.
Obviously the whole woo explanation about it 're-aligning your energy' is absolute nonsense (but by no means all practitioners believe the esoteric BS.)
 
rentedbythehour said:
Can you get the surgery to release the plantar fasciitis? I know when I worked in the operating room we did that. It's about 10 minutes tops but then you have the recovery time. And you'd only be able to do one at a time. But it sounds like you'd be a likely candidate for that.
Pain docs can also do injections.
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Thanks, I did not know they could do surgery for Plantar Fasciitis. I saw a Podiatrist nearly 18 years ago, should I see one again, or just go directly to the pain doc?
 
May as well see the pain doc, you could get a brilliant one with many suggestions of possibilities, or it could be a dud.

Point being try many and varied approaches and don't rush to write things off that may only have a little impact. A 3% decrease in suffering could make life worth living when it seemed otherwise in some cases for

I had a spectaular effect from acupuncture for example. I had no hope it being in any way effective and went after a friend gifted me a session. Massively helped with something I have no doubt about that whatsoever. With the added bonus of floating down the street post-session an inch or two off the floor, reminiscent of the greatest batch of saffrole-based mdma in the 90's. So that was quite woo, very woo in fact @TheUltimateFixx nobody was as suprised as me!

Learning to change our relationship to pain can be quite something too, really effective

Apols OP I'm a little lifted, so will bring more clarity after a coffee maybe - am definitely noticing your struggle is real though

Rotating meds / excercise / mediatation / serious look at diet / sleep health / fulfillment levels etc etc
 
@ageingpartyfiend , I can think of several ways that it might be effective.

Needling could simply encourage blood flow to an affected area, thereby aiding the healing process. It might stimulate nerve endings that transfer pain signals in a way that cuts down on the signal. It might cause permanently cramped -up muscle fibres to relax. Etc. I'm absolutely sure that however it does work, has absolutely NOTHING to do with 'energy manipulation', whatever tf that is even supposed to mean. 🤷🏻
 
TheUltimateFixx said:
I'm absolutely sure that however it does work, has absolutely NOTHING to do with 'energy manipulation', whatever tf that is even supposed to mean. 🤷🏻
Click to expand...

quote ↓

The chakra system has been described by Western clairvoyants and Eastern Yogis over the centuries. More recently, medical doctors and other researchers have begun to explore its existence and function. In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama, director of the Institute for Religion and Psychology, a Yoga expert and scientist who is considered by many to be one of the leading researchers in the area of chakras, did some important work documenting the physical reality of chakras.1 He constructed a light-proof room that was shielded from outside electrical emissions. In this room he placed what he called his Chakra Instrument, designed to detect minute emissions of physical energy from the human body in the form of light, electrical, or electromagnetic energy.

In his experiments, he placed the detectors 12 to 20 centimeters in front of the particular chakra area that the subject was trying to activate. The Chakra Instrument was able to detect a quantifiable difference when subjects concentrated directly on a particular chakra, but only when a chakra was chosen on which the subject had previously practiced mental activation. When a chakra was tested on which the subject had not previously practiced, no change was noted before or during the test. These results suggest the existence of a scientifically measurable chakra location.

1. Motoyama, Hiroshi. Theories of the Chakras: Bridge to Higher Consciousness. Madras, India/London, England: The Theosophical Publishing House, 1985. Download PDF

Source: Spiritual Nutrition. Gabriel Cousens. 1987, 2009.
 
Hi,
Yeah, I'm currently suffering with plantar fasciitis in both feet. Not as bad of a case as I had 5 years ago, that was awful and took a year to get over. Forget about prescription pain meds, covering it up will do no lasting good, and you run the risk of tricking yourself into thinking it's doing better and instead aggravating worse as I did.
I first went to a podiatrist, who sent me to PT. Quality footwear and good inserts are important, but I was already doing that. The main things I did were. (1) daily stretching of the calves (2) calf lift exercises but DON'T overdo them. You might already be doing the as part of your weight lifting routine, you might even need to scale back if so. (3) finally, I had to give up hiking for a month and stick to biking. That really helped give those fucking painful feet a break. That stuff can get chronic
I'm leery about the surgery, it sounds kind of last resort but I'd be curious to hear anyone's experience. I'd do it if I had to.
One other thing I'm thinking of trying this time around is a TENS unit. That might work in the way that needling would, I'm not sure.
 
Have you tried rolling a tennis ball under your foot? I know it sounds basic, but I worked with someone who swore by it. You could also use a frozen water bottle to help with pain. Also wear good shoes. Even at home. Have several pairs and change them throughout the day. Avoid standing on hard surfaces. High impact activities can do more damage than good. Get a good memory foam mat if you have to stand for a while, even in the kitchen. I don't know if a tens unit would help. I always thought those were more for muscle pain. Plantar fasciitis is a thick fibrous tissue, think tendons. There's not a lot of blood flow so healing can take longer. Try starting with the basics, good footwear, stretching, icing, supporting your arches, calf exercises. If you get no relief see the podiatrist.
 
chippermonk said:
Hi,
Yeah, I'm currently suffering with plantar fasciitis in both feet. Not as bad of a case as I had 5 years ago, that was awful and took a year to get over. Forget about prescription pain meds, covering it up will do no lasting good, and you run the risk of tricking yourself into thinking it's doing better and instead aggravating worse as I did.
I first went to a podiatrist, who sent me to PT. Quality footwear and good inserts are important, but I was already doing that. The main things I did were. (1) daily stretching of the calves (2) calf lift exercises but DON'T overdo them. You might already be doing the as part of your weight lifting routine, you might even need to scale back if so. (3) finally, I had to give up hiking for a month and stick to biking. That really helped give those fucking painful feet a break. That stuff can get chronic
I'm leery about the surgery, it sounds kind of last resort but I'd be curious to hear anyone's experience. I'd do it if I had to.
One other thing I'm thinking of trying this time around is a TENS unit. That might work in the way that needling would, I'm not sure.
Click to expand...
I stretch and work them out hard. I use much less weight than I did when younger (I could actually use 800 lbs 30 years ago). Now I do higher reps and drop sets. My ankles go "pop, pop, pop" when I train. I switch back and forth from the treadmill to the stair master when doing cardio, to manage the pain.
 
rentedbythehour said:
Have you tried rolling a tennis ball under your foot? I know it sounds basic, but I worked with someone who swore by it. You could also use a frozen water bottle to help with pain. Also wear good shoes. Even at home. Have several pairs and change them throughout the day. Avoid standing on hard surfaces. High impact activities can do more damage than good. Get a good memory foam mat if you have to stand for a while, even in the kitchen. I don't know if a tens unit would help. I always thought those were more for muscle pain. Plantar fasciitis is a thick fibrous tissue, think tendons. There's not a lot of blood flow so healing can take longer. Try starting with the basics, good footwear, stretching, icing, supporting your arches, calf exercises. If you get no relief see the podiatrist.
Click to expand...
I try and stay off my feet when I can. I have tennis shoes w/ expensive insoles. Well, expensive for non custom. I also have lots of Cowboy boots. They are excellent because they put most weight on my heels, but I only wear them about once a week. I might try a tennis ball.
 
Psynaught said:
The pain in my feet is getting so bad I am thinking of seeing a pain doctor. I have seen a podiatrist and he recommended insoles, which helped but I am way beyond that. Relatedly, I have no cartilage in my left shoulder (still bodybuilding 5-6 days a week) and arthritis in my hip, but the pain from those two areas is not that bad. Docs who scanned my shoulder said they can't believe I can even brush my teeth, but low dosage Growth Hormone has relieved me completely.

My feet on the other hand have become unbearable. It shooting/stabbing when I walk is so bad I limp. It is advanced plantar fasciitis. I am also well over 60.

I am going to specifically state that I want to avoid opiates. The pain is the worst when I am at the gym working out or training a client (which I rarely do anymore) but I do not want to be on any type of narcotic when I am at the gym. I take 4 grams of Kratom a night, but there is absolutely no way I am going to take it twice a day. I have been researching what pain docs do outside of prescribing real pain meds, and it seems mostly nonsense/witchcraft like acupuncture.

Is there anything that pain docs can actually do to relive pain that is non opiod based?
Click to expand...

More than likely the first thing they’ll do is hand you a prescription for Gabapentin. Next they’ll suggest physical therapy. Good luck, you just might end up finding a decent doctor.
 
I live in Italy so things are a bit different, here the docs tend to prescribe lot less of potent opioids.
Anyway, If your pain has neurophatic origin they gave you gabapentin or pregabalin. Other stuff medical marijuana with or without or 50/50 CBD, ketolorac (the NSAID more potent out there), ketamine or S-Ketamine if in a progressive country or well, bought elsewhere but I discourage this behaviour (still there's 2FDCK which is a legal analogue that can be purchased online on the clearweb but yet no medical control over it so I don't know if it's a good idea).
 
Psynaught said:
The pain in my feet is getting so bad I am thinking of seeing a pain doctor. I have seen a podiatrist and he recommended insoles, which helped but I am way beyond that. Relatedly, I have no cartilage in my left shoulder (still bodybuilding 5-6 days a week) and arthritis in my hip, but the pain from those two areas is not that bad. Docs who scanned my shoulder said they can't believe I can even brush my teeth, but low dosage Growth Hormone has relieved me completely.

My feet on the other hand have become unbearable. It shooting/stabbing when I walk is so bad I limp. It is advanced plantar fasciitis. I am also well over 60.

I am going to specifically state that I want to avoid opiates. The pain is the worst when I am at the gym working out or training a client (which I rarely do anymore) but I do not want to be on any type of narcotic when I am at the gym. I take 4 grams of Kratom a night, but there is absolutely no way I am going to take it twice a day. I have been researching what pain docs do outside of prescribing real pain meds, and it seems mostly nonsense/witchcraft like acupuncture.

Is there anything that pain docs can actually do to relive pain that is non opiod based?
Click to expand...
Do not get the surgery I know waaaaaayyyyy too many males who got it and it just made shit waaaaaay worse.
 
Yes, non-drug treatments, ozone therapy ( nasty) , a-2 adrenergic antagonists, gabapentin.
The strange thing Is, my pain doctor who had to earn that status by being anesthesiologist, and 2 other attestations before she could become algeziologist can't prescribe pregabaline, only gabapentine. Pregabaline is something that ONLY neurologist ( not even psychiatrists ) can prescribe in my country... So yes, there are options. I obtained script for opioid after telling her my stomach hurt if i take nsaids. Sometimes she prescribes me DHC Continus ( every month ) with metamizole or diclofenac combined with pantoprazole.
 
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Yea man, there are plenty of other options out there. Our medical culture has become heavily focused on pharmaceutical treatments. This can make it seem like any alternative is out of the mainstream/strange.

The problem is, this is a Harm Reduction forum. You're asking a question that specifically excludes Opioids as an option. This is really a question more suited for a community devoted to pain management/kinesiology. If you ask this question here, you're unlikely to get any kind of answer beyond what you would be able to reason out yourself.

There are innumerable different treatments man. There are too many treatments for pain to accurately list here. Treatment can range from meditation, to Opioids, to yoga, to dietary changes et cetera. Your only option is to do the research, then make an educated guess for yourself based upon what you think would work. This all should be done with the assistance of a team of specialists; kinesiology, traditional medicine and dietary are important to name a few.

We have a limited amount of space here on the Harm Reduction forums. We want questions to be related directly to the safety of the user. The front page is far more likely to get views, so please ask these questions in our Health section. You haven't done anything wrong, I'm just trying to keep everything organized. Good luck.
 
Have you looked into some of the more "healing specific" growth peptides? I've healed some messed up injuries with 2-3iu growth per day mixed with every other type of therapy- but there are some really potent healing peptides coming out. TB-500 and BPC-157 have been out for a while, tried and tested and I believe FDA approved now. But a quick search on reddit or a bodybuilding forum would undoubtedly highlight some of the newer research grade options too.

Also, if you're taking 4g of Kratom a day now, is the idea of being prescribed a painkiller really all that different, or worse? I've been full scale dopesick from Kratom. In hindsight, if I was in legit pain I'd almost rather just get a painkiller that treats the pain more effectively. Just throwing that out there.
 
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