I’ve had this tention in my neck/head area for 1 1/2 years now and just found it that it is chronic tension headaches..related to stress. I also experience popping/clicking in my neck area and the doc. says its because my neck is stiff and tight and when i hear the popping its a way to release the pressure. What I experience is not a pain but more of a pressure. They recommend lots of exercise as a way to release stress — any other suggestions?!?!
I also go for massage therapy, chiropractic and acupuncture treatments on a regular basis, which seems to help a bit

I just finished a brutal year of internship (I work in mental health), I moved, and I am finishing my dissertation in the next few weeks.

I have always had a bit of runner’s knee, for which I’ve had acupuncture, PT, and chiropractic. During my internship year, I started to have severe knee pain and some other assorted pains: a bit of inflammation in my wrist, more frequent stiff necks.

I am going through the typical channels now, getting PT for my knee. I have been using Traumeel for pain, and it worked initially but is now less effective. I also quit sugar, alcohol, and wheat for a month, which didn’t make much difference. I am currently taking fish oil and a multi. My stress level is wayyy lower now, but my body is still telling me it needs attention. Rest makes the knee a bit better, but I wish I could exercise because I put on some weight this year too.

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At first glance, you would think that the term “chronic fatigue” says it all. In medicine, any disease, disorder or illness that has the word “chronic” attached to it means that they persist for more than 6 months, either recurring or not. However, chronic fatigue means more than that.

While it seems pretty straightforward, there is actually so much more to this disorder (or disorders) than what its name suggests. It could mean anywhere from persistent headaches, flu-like symptoms or fatigue that goes on for weeks and months. Some even have to suffer for over a few years. Some never really fully recovered.

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Patients of CFS or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome respond differently to various treatments. Some of them recover after drastic changes in lifestyle, some of them are more responsive to pharmacological treatments. Here are the most common treatment modalities to which CFS patients are subjected and to which most of them respond well.

Self-Care/Management Techniques

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Doctors refer to some chronic back disorders as “nonspecific low back pain” if the discomfort felt is not due to a cancerous growth, a slipped disk, a fracture or a compression due to fracture. The more persistent types of back pain disorders are being distinguished from their root causes, since there are other chronic back pain relief available in treating them aside from surgery.

Professors at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland disclosed that other treatment options are as good as any medication because where back pain is concerned, there is no perfect treatment for everybody. Hence, you can consider some of the four most popular relief methods being sought by people suffering from persistent “nonspecific low back pain” disorders:

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Depression and anxiety are a normal part of the experience of anyone who experiences chronic pain. But that’s just the beginning. There are so many other aspects of your life that start getting affected. It’s the terrible triangle of pain, lack of sleep, and sadness. Depression and irritability lead to fatigue and bone weariness.  You are so sleepy all the time but you can’t get a good night’s sleep. You want to stop the pain and you want to get to sleep. All this trouble tends to lead to alcoholism, drug abuse, getting surgeries which are unnecessary, and family misery.

Your appetite may be gone or you may eat yourself silly with the pain and depression. It’s almost impossible for you to have any kind of social life because you have to be medicated to do much of anything.  As a result, you are no longer a part of your former world. You are less active and perhaps you start to gain weight.  You can’t exercise like you used to because it hurts too much. Then your clothes don’t fit.  Your life cannot be planned because you don’t know when your pain will flare up into a situation where you can’t know if you will feel up to going somewhere. That’s when you start to feel that there’s nothingbetter to look forward to. You are tired, irritable, and isolated.

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Chronic fatigue, or also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis is a special type of illness that is characterized by severe exhaustion of the patient. The symptoms of the disease is almost similar to ordinary exhaustion other than it does not easily fade out even after taking enough rest.

Chronic fatigue is a post-viral syndrome that affects people that just came from viral diseases like colds, cough and flu. Studies indicate that chronic fatigue occurs more often in women than in men. Researchers note that women are more prone to the disease because of the hormonal imbalances that often persist in them.

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When people are unable to think properly and look straight, chances are the person has a headache. Cases such as these may be mild to severe which is why doctors say, “its only in the head.”

There are two kinds of headaches. The first is called the tension headache, which may happen for a few minutes to a few hours. It usually goes away by drinking some water or taking a break from whatever the person is doing. Those who are experiencing this for more than 15 days in a given month has something worse which is the second kind called a chronic headache. Research shows that there are very few people that have this problem. This often occurs to women than men perhaps because of hormones and other chemicals in the body.

Scientists do not yet know the real cause of a chronic headache. Some attribute it to stress or not getting enough nutrients in the diet. Believe it not, the type of medicine being taken may also be the cause of this problem. Should this occur for more than two days, it is best to consult with a doctor immediately for proper treatment. Doctors will not be able to tell that the patient has a chronic headache. This can only be done after answering some questions such as how long the headaches have happened including one’s medical history.

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A HOMEOPATHIC APPROACH TO THYROID PROBLEMS

Much has been written by homeopaths about not treating symptoms; rather we look to the causal chain.  So it is with the thyroid; we would look at the thyroid’s function in conjunction with the ovaries or testes and pituitary gland – the endocrine system as a whole.  An imbalance in the endocrine system also requires an evaluation of the pancreas, liver and adrenal functions.  It is then we can begin to improve:

• Energy  levels
• Muscle  and joint pain
• Bone health
• Immune system function
• Sleep quality
• Thyroid functions
• Fertility
• Menopausal symptoms

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Fatigue is a condition wherein a person experiences exhaustion and lack of energy possibly due to sleep deficiency, infection or overexertion. Since this is a fairly normal and common condition, most adults have experienced fatigue at least once in their lifetime. However, a person who continues to suffer from severe fatigue for an extended period of time of at least six months maybe affected by a more serious condition known as chronic fatigue.

Most people who are afflicted with chronic fatigue usually suffer from a more serious condition, which includes fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue immunodeficiency syndrome, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

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