Sky, I think we can use our minds to help us define the pain in a manageable way IF we have good pain support so we do in fact know that no matter what it is manageable. I love my tens unit. I am stuck in the whole place regarding dependence. It brings terror into my very soul. For all of the reasons already mentioned. I do not, in fact feel my pain all of the time. I have gotten wonderful breaks and when I was aware of the hip, bum, leg thing tonight I was not freaking or getting tight, Just remembering stretches to help. I could have used the moist heat too and i didn't even need to.

We have in fact retrained our brains to interpret pain as something else, at least CedarS and myself. I did not feel pain or illness as a child. I stepped outside and watched. I have so many memories of this. Falling from a rope swing and getting rope burn along my thigh, inside by my pelvis, and of course my hands. I lay beneath the plum trees for a few hours. I believe I passed out since I do not remember much but laying and waking from the sound of an engine. My female parent's mother and step father was there and I was called a ***** if I spoke with him, played the silly penny games he played, oh my, sat on his lap. So on Sundays when they came I hid. I did not want another reason she would call me a slut or *****. I was 7ish, When I came down and told the female parent (why did I tell when I knew it would make me vulnerable?) She made a sound in her mouth and told me to put penut butter salve on it. Now if anyone has ever had a rope burn, try and imagine it down there. I lived with weeping open wounds for about 24 hours and then heavy scabbing in that most sensitive spot, scab on thigh rubbing scab on privates as I walked. I could hardly walk. I have had rope burns, or friction burns since them and learned how painful they are but thankfully I was removed from that initial pain by loss of consciousness. I think leaving my body helped with the healing pain as well. It's what we did to survive. Maybe as perna's research indicates, there is a trauma stored with the breaking of my back. I honestly don't know since I am unsure when it ocured. the ways that I have remembered falling on my head or being pushed through a door with my head etc are all painful. So I would have left my body and all of these memories have trauma. I guess EMDR would be helpful with this. i should at least try. It could simplify the pain to just be pain and nothing else.

Sky, I know that you too have fought hard for adequate pain control. No fun.

Here is my menu of resources. I alone can take meds, use pressure point release techniques, stretches, resting, moist heat, tens and any of these combined. With help I have body work-Chiropractic, massage, and will try a different type of body work this week, as well as acupuncture. ( I am trying a new person), This whole thing is about trusting that someone will believe me and give me pain meds because like it or not this is part of what I need. i take, once again, 3600 of nuerontin daily. I take herbal remedies, and I take otc meds. When it's not going away I add tylenol to my cocktail.

ASKING FOR HELP IS THE TRIGGER.