Relieving Pain in Kansas City by Celeste Cooper

"Discontent is the first necessity of progress."

~Thomas A. Edison

What

On June 13^th the first meeting of the patient focus group “Relieving Pain in Kansas City” was held.

Who

Says poet William Cowper, “Variety is the Spice of Life,” and boy is he right.  This eclectic group from the greater KC metro includes local pain group leaders, and patients suffering with a variety of chronic pain conditions all came together for a collaborate effort.  To sweeten this eclectic pot, also present were concerned care givers, clinic representatives, a social worker, physician and nurse practitioner, a wealth of experience within the patient group, and other people interested in "transforming the way pain is perceived, judged and treated " fulfilling the mission of the Institute of Medicine report:

“Relieving  Pain in America: A Blueprint for Changing Pain Education, Care and Research." 

See the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report brief here.

Why

The IOM report states that pain patients, some 100 million Americans, have the right to moral and ethical treatment of their pain, and they have the right to treatments focused on improving patient outcomes, and treatments that fit within the individual’s framework of what works best for them.  Of particular importance to me, one of the reports states women, the poor, and African-Americans are discriminated against when it comes to having their pain treated, they are stereotyped.  This is no surprise; I have seen it happen in my own family.

That is one of many tough issues we face. Each of us has our own ideas based on our individual experiences, and for the first time, we will be able to use our voice to focus on research that will answer questions posed by pain patients collectively. It will be our voice that decides what research is done.

How

The Affordable Care Act makes provisions for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) in an effort to promote a new approach to research -- one that is patient directed.  If enough patients stand up, or sit up in some cases, and say YES, we could secure funding for a "Patient Powered Research Network (PPRN)."   At the June 11th meeting more than 30 people said unequivocally, “We want you to hear our voice.” 

We, as patients and other interested parties regarding the moral treatment of pain, are clamoring for this tremendous opportunity.

First, we had to have a meeting of interested people, check. Second, we have to apply for a grant, which is being prepared by Dr.  Kim Kimmineau, at the American Academy of Family Physicians, check. Three, we continue to meet and begin discussion on important concerns while we make our way through the first phase, check.

We may not be able to physically march, but if we are selected, we will march against pain as part of an unprecedented approach to “Relieving Pain in KC .” The group is salivating at the opportunity to be part of this monumental endeavor.

When

The next meeting will be Thursday July 11, 2013. The time and place will be announced later.   

At that meeting, Dr. Richard Payne, who is part of the steering committee for the Center of Bioethics initiative, the Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy (PAINS) that I also participate in, will be speaking.  Read more about PAINS here.

He, and our leader Myra Christopher, shared an important connection by serving on the IOM committee that published “Relieving Pain in America." Myra also serves on the National Institute of Health (NIH) Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC) in Washington DC, which is a committee that reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius.  

Myra misses no opportunity to fight for social justice. It should be a great meeting and one you won’t want to miss, stay tuned.

We don’t always know if we will be heard, but I can say for certain, we will not be heard if we don’t speak. THINK adversity? SEE opportunity.

In healing and hope to all who share this journey.  

Celeste Cooper, RN, author, health expert at Sharecare.com, advocate, participant in the Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy, and chronic pain patient.

Website: http://TheseThree.com

Virtual Book Tour, SUMMER DEVOTIONS - Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain Series

Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain Series

SUMMER DEVOTIONS – Virtual Book Tour

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Kindle version ranks #316, out of 750,000, on day 2 of the kick off...

and the Virtual Book Tour Begins

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Sneak peek #1

“The authors provide us with a tidbit a day to not only balance life and chronic illness, but to also maximize the potential of each day. Use the book as designed, allowing the daily entries to take you to unexpected places and knowledge. But keep your marker or your sticky notes handy so that you can easily return to the contributions that particularly inspire you and give you strength to live each day in the positive.”

~ Patricia Geraghty, RNC, MSN, FNP-BC, Sharecare Editorial Advisory Board.     Read more here

Celeste Cooper and Jeff Miller have provided an arsenal to fight this dragon that threatens energy, growth, and healing.  By focusing on each summer day, the authors send their readers on a personal journey of mindfulness and self awareness, allowing the reader to restructure personal experience on how pain is perceived.

Day Twenty

"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials."   

 ~Chinese Proverb

The most insidious effects of pain are the erosion and corruption of our sense of self identity.  Who we were and who we are become two different individuals.  The dreams and plans associated with the first self change, fade, warp and evaporate in the harsh light that pain brings.  Our self-narrative undergoes a metamorphosis we could not have predicted. It is not wholly negative although it appears so at first.  It was not totally unexpected; it has arrived decades earlier than expected. It brings companions, wisdom and a heightened appreciation for many facets of life.  Our narrative changes, it does not end.

Dr. Jeff Miller is a counseling psychologist in private practice.  Among other interests, Jeff values working with patients with chronic pain and illness.

Paperback discounted, now available here.
Kindle e-book available here.   (Don’t have Kindle? Get a free app here)

We hope you will help us out by going back to Amazon to say a few words, rate the book, and let us and our other readers know what you think.  Just scroll down the page just past “More About the Author” and click on the:

Write a Customer Review Button

Or click

HERE

The book will be available at all major online retailers soon.

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Other books by Celeste Cooper and Jeff Miller:

C. Cooper and J. Miller. Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain. [ Series]. (Blue Springs, MO, ImPress Media, 2012 – 2014). Read more about Fall Devotions here.

C. Cooper and J. Miller. Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Myofascial Pain: The Mind body Connection.  (Vermont: Healing Arts Press, 2010).
Read more here.

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Free e-book Kickoff for Virtual Book Tour: Is a dragon breathing down your neck? Summer Devotions

The Kick Off for a Four Week VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR

Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain

Summer Devotions

Free Kindle e-book SPECIAL FOR 3 DAYS

JUNE 14 – 16 (Friday thru Sunday)

Begins Friday, tomorrow, at 12.01 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time

Ends Monday at 2:59 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time

Imagine a dragon breathing its inferno, and then watch it engulf everything in its path. Chronic pain acts like that; it is a raging fire that devours logical thinking. It incinerates comfort, companionship, dreams and goals. When pain dominates, it’s a force that must be challenged.

Get your FREE Kindle edition here, or copy and paste the following link into your web browser. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D665FPK

Don’t have Kindle? Get a free app here. 

A sampling of what you will encounter as you journey through the summer season:
 What objective did I accomplish with my self-narrative?Did I overdo?What power words can I exchange today to change the way I talk to myself?What can I do today to balance my alone time and my time with others?How can I change my editorial thoughts on pain?What can I teach myself about patience and faith?

Note: Amazon will not let you leave a review unless you downloaded or purchased the book through their store, this free offering counts.  Thank you in advance for taking an interest in our work to help many dealing with chronic pain.

We hope you will help us out by going back to Amazon to say a few words, rate the book, and let us and our other readers know what you think.  Scroll down the page just past “More About the Author.” 

Write a Customer Review Button.

Or on the direct link click

HERE

Also available in paper back here.

Read more about other books by these authors at http://Thesethree.com (About the Books Tab)

Stay tuned more to come in the four week blog tour!

Scream “4,”Cervicogenic Migraine and Myofascial Trigger points: June Awareness

Feature

Cervicogenic Migraines and Myofascial Trigger Points

Migraine headaches are not only a severe pain source in their own right, they also co-exist more frequently with fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which overlaps with many other painful conditions, the domino effect.  Because they originate within the central nervous system, they can be a great factor in decreasing our pain threshold, every  nerve ending is fresh, raw and exposed.  

Cervicogenic migraine is a migraine attack that is perpetuated or preceded by neck pain. You know this excruciating pain is generated from the peripheral nervous system (anything outside the brain) when you feel a golf ball size muscle at the base of the skull, or the muscles that hold your head up are tighter than guitar strings. You know it is a migraine because it has all the same hallmark symptoms. An aura, preceding symptoms warning you of the impending attack,  may or may not be present, but migraines generally manifest themselves on one side of the head and are often accompanied by other symptoms, such as extreme sensitivity to light and sound, vomiting or nausea, blurred vision, lethargy, etc. This is the description of a cervicogenic migraine. You can read about other types of severe headaches on my website here. 

“A myofascial trigger point (TrP) is a self-sustaining, irritable area in the
muscle that can be felt as a nodule in a taut band. This irritated spot causes
the muscle to gradually shorten, interfering with the motion function of the
muscle and causing weakness and pain.” (Book excerpt, here) 

A common cause of cervicogenic migraine shares the overlapping condition to FM and ME/CFS called myofascial pain syndrome, read more here. Usually you start to feel the muscles in your neck tighten, or you feel a golf ball at the base of your skull scream F-O-R-E  or “4.”  They are doing this because some of the muscle fibers that make up the muscles are shortening causing pea sized knots you can easily feel unless the muscle is too rigid, in which case you can track the offending trigger point (TrP) by its referral pain pattern. Now, check that side of your face too.  Most likely you will feel tiny little strings of fine little muscles in the temple or around the eye.  These muscles are responsible for our facial function and expression.  I am not going to get to windy on the subject, and I could, but understanding this simple phenomenon could help bring you some relief.  We discuss all this at length in our book, here, but there are some key points to get your started on trigger point pressure therapy:

• Find the knots just mentioned
• If the muscle is too tight, you may have to massage it to get it to relax enough to locate the TrP. If you can get someone else to do it, all the better.
• If you have them and you are not too sensitive to odors, use essential oils to massage.
• Once you locate the knotted up piece of muscle (in the neck usually about the size of a pea, unless it is in one of the tiny muscles between the neck bones or on the face), hold pressure (about 80% of maximum) for 30 seconds or so. Try to locally stretch the TrP coaxing it back to its normal resting length. Do this periodically to tolerance and ability.

The neck muscles can get sassy for a number of reasons, stress (psychological or physical), degenerative neck disease, or the presence of myofascial pain syndrome, which is not uncommon in migraine either.  

Treating all of these TrPs can help with the attack, as can identifying the perpetuating factors. Once you become an expert at pressure therapy, and you have plenty of training ground to learn from, do this as preventative therapy. It is when you neglect your muscles that you are more likely to have this type of migraine, and the greater the neglect, usually, the more intense the headache and more difficult to treat.

If these types of headaches are a chronic problem, see a physician because other tests and treatments may be indicated.

In healing and hope, Celeste

All answers and blogs are based on the author's opinions and writing and are not meant to replace medical advice.  For more information about the author see http://TheseThree.com

Official LAUNCH! Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain, Summer Devotions.

Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain

SUMMER DEVOTIONS.

Fresh off the Press!

Our sincerest gratitude goes to those who shared their valuable time and thoughtful words of endorsement. To you, THANK YOU.

We hope the words of those who shared so generously will help you, the reader, in your decision to order the book in paperback here, or Kindle here. Those who reviewed it said it best and you can read what they had too say following in this blog, and you can read more about the book here.  If you participate in the daily devotions with the fervor our reviewers offered, then we have met our goal of helping you on your personal journey.  

In healing and hope, Celeste

The book will be distributed through all major online retailers after a 90 day waiting period.

Don’t have a Kindle?  Get your free app here. 

Book description:

Imagine a dragon breathing its inferno, and then watch it engulf everything in its path. Chronic pain acts like that; it is a raging fire that devours logical thinking. It incinerates comfort, companionship, dreams and goals. When pain dominates, it’s a force that must be challenged.

Celeste Cooper and Jeff Miller have provided an arsenal to fight this dragon that threatens energy, growth, and healing.  By focusing on each summer day, the authors send their readers on a personal journey of mindfulness and self awareness, allowing the reader to create enduring images on how pain is perceived.

Summer Devotions is the second of a four book series, Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain. It is a tribute to everyone committed to living a fearless life despite the road blocks caused by living with chronic pain and illness.

Forward: 

It is rare to find a book that is simultaneously practical, informative, uplifting, comforting and aesthetically pleasing. But the “Summer Devotions,” of Broken Body, Wounded Spirit is all of those things – and more. 

The authors, Celeste Cooper, RN and psychologist Jeff Miller, PhD, bring their ample experience to bear in this book. Organized into a “book of days” each chapter offers a combination of practical coping advice – how to manage the sleep disorder that often comes with chronic pain, dietary considerations, and how to review the effectiveness of treatments – information (what do all those medical acronyms mean?), and guidance through the emotional turmoil of chronic illness. Miller’s approach, as a psychologist, is rooted in cognitive restructuring, which encourages patients to take control of their lives through changing thought processes. In the book, this is accomplished neatly and efficiently by asking questions at the end of each section, such as “What excuse can I retire?” Ms. Cooper and Jeff Miller not only offer practical coping advice, they also address the spiritual dimension of chronic pain. This reflective approach is enhanced by a photograph at the beginning of each day, many of which reflect the calming influence of nature, and the love and joy which surround all things young and growing. The mood of the photo is complemented by an inspirational quote, my favorite of which is: “There is an important difference between giving up and letting go.” (Jessica Hatchigan) 

Drawing on medical expertise, alternative modalities, and ancient traditions of healing, this book offers a unique blend of the philosophical and the practical. The authors provide a combination of daily spiritual advice that settles the heart, and they provide imminently practical ways to deal with the physical hardships imposed by any form of chronic pain. This is a book that will prove invaluable to anyone seeking to re-establish the balance of mind and body in the face of long-term illness. 

~Erica Verrillo, author Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Treatment Guide, 2nd Edition, and the Phoenix Rising Trilogy

Inside the cover endorsements:

“Broken Body – Wounded Spirit is a movable feast of poetry, reflections, coping strategies, educational tidbits, enchanting imagery, and more.  For anyone in persistent pain holding a desire to restore physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance, Celeste and Jeff offer help, hope, and a path to self-empowerment.”

~Myra J. Christopher, Kathleen M. Foley Chair in Pain and Palliative Care at the Center for Practical Bioethics and Principal Investigator of the Pain Action Alliance to Implement a National Strategy (PAINS)

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“The authors provide us with a tidbit a day to not only balance life and chronic illness, but to also maximize the potential of each day. Use the book as designed, allowing the daily entries to take you to unexpected places and knowledge. But keep your marker or your sticky notes handy so that you can easily return to the contributions that particularly inspire you and give you strength to live each day in the positive.”

~ Patricia Geraghty, RNC, MSN, FNP-BC, Sharecare Editorial Advisory Board

~ ● ● ~ ● ● ~  ● ● ~ ● ● ~  ● ● ~ ● ● ~  ● ● ~ ● ● ~

"A unique, useful and highly inspirational book for anyone with chronic pain... or any chronic illness... or any challenging life situation. In short, this is a book that EVERYONE should own a copy of … and pick up and read daily."

~ Kevin White, MD, PhD, Multiple award-winning author of Breaking Thru the Fibro Fog: Scientific Proof Fibromyalgia Is Real

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“Pain doesn’t define Celeste Cooper; instead it is her pledge to ‘rule the pain.’ Celeste gracefully and thoughtfully inspires others to be content and embrace life’s journey with a spiritual, physical and emotional balance. She provides simple instructions to help guide those suffering with chronic pain.  ‘My life is more than a waiting period, it is a journey, and how I perceive it and improve upon it, is solely up to me.”

~ Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA is founder of Healthin30.com, award-winning broadcast journalist, featured writer for The Huffington Post and health educator and member of the editorial advisory board at Sharecare.com.

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“This book is a delight. From the dark world of pain and suffering comes the voice of human courage. For so many people who struggle with chronic pain, and the devoted friends who watch them and hold them, this is the map to guide them on their journey. Each page is a lamp to light the path. Keep this gentle book by your side and read it often with the one who loves you. Thank you Celeste and Jeff for your book, it is a source of strength for the soul.”

~Dr John Whiteside MBBS, BSc, registered medical practitioner, specializing in pain

and was trained by Dr Janet Travell. (Australia)

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Broken Body, Wounded Spirit takes those who suffer from chronic pain and illness on a magical ride to a place where all patients need to go: a place of relaxation, solace, and perspective.  Woven in a rich pattern of interrelated tips, stories, and lovely truisms, we learn that we control our journey, and that being mindful of the realities of dealing with a chronic disease puts us in charge.  I highly recommend this soulful little book.

~Richard Carson, Health advocate and Founder of ProHealth.com

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“Broken Body, Wounded Spirit offers a unique blend of the philosophical and the practical. Structured as a “book of days,” the authors provide a combination of daily spiritual advice that settles the heart, as well as imminently practical ways to deal with the physical hardships imposed by chronic pain. This is a book that will prove invaluable to anyone seeking to re-establish the balance of mind and body in the face of long-term illness.”

~Erica Verrillo, author Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Treatment Guide, 2nd Edition, and

the Phoenix Rising Trilogy

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 “This book reminds me of the Daily Word. What Jeff and Celeste have created is a daily source of inspiration and guidance for people in pain. It can help them find peace, wisdom and wellness.”

~ Pat Anson, Editor, National PainReport.com

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“I loved this book. It is filled with practical tools and simple steps that will provide comfort for anyone who is dealing with chronic pain or illness and infused with inspiring messages that gently uplift your spirit”

~Deirdre Rawlings, PhD, ND. -- Author of Foods that Fight Fibromyalgia, Fairwinds (2012) and more.

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“While the wording is everyday English, I found that the concepts offered extend far beyond reading mere words. A valuable book for anyone who is in the midst of chronic pain, struggling to keep body and spirit together; a handy reference if you have climbed out of the abyss caused by relentless pain; also valuable for others to give insight into possibly how to keep buoyant a family member, friend, neighbor who lives with chronic pain.”

~ Suzanne Newnham - Author, Ethics of a Psychic  Reading

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“This book is designed and inspired to fill the needs of people in chronic pain. From practical ‘how to’ suggestions, to more mind, body and spirit concepts, like contemplating the deeper meaning to life and health, it is exactly what many people have been looking and longing for. I am struck by its wise self-concepts, such as ‘We must learn to dance with the dragon, not fear its fire.”

~Cinda Crawford, Get Well Health, author and healer and host of the HealthMattersShow.com

June is migraine awareness month. About migraine from my website by Celeste Cooper, RN

https://www.thesethree.com/Headache___Migraine.html#.UatjAECOAtg

SEVERE HEADACHE and MIGRAINE
by Celeste Cooper

What is a headache?

Headache means, simply, “pain in the head.” Headaches, AKA cephalgia, generally are a symptom, not a disease, and may be caused by various factors. If it is a new symptom for you, have it checked out immediately as sudden onset, unusual headache can be an indication of an impending stroke.

Migraines have been thought to be vascular in nature, however, there is new evidence they are caused by a nerve disruption in the brain that affects the vessels. Not only is the cause under debate, some believe  that migraine should be considered a disease.

Types of headaches

Migraines, often described as classic migraine (with aura), common migraine (without aura), cluster headache, hemiplegic migraine or ocular, but not always depending upon the resource. Terms and the way the experts look at migraine change as research and studies evolve.  If you have them, you will know the symptoms that apply to you. There is evidence that a tendency toward migraine is inherited.

Sinus and tension headaches are often misdiagnosed as migraine and confusingly enough the opposite can be true.  This is why you need to be under the care of a specialist if your severe headaches are chronic. 

Classic migraine is a recurrent, throbbing headache accompanied by other symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea and/or vomiting, fatigue, and sensitivity to lights, noise, and smells. They are usually on one side of the head, sometimes preceded by an aura, which is a transient visual, sensory, auditory, motor, speech, or cognitive symptom. They can last for hours and can occur frequently. 

Common migraine is accompanied by the symptoms of classic migraine but without aura. It is usually described as throbbing or a constant ache when lying still. It, too, is usually one-sided, and can shift from one side to the other either in the same attack or subsequent attacks.  Occasionally it can affect both sides of the head. Common migraines can vary widely lasting for several hours to several days. Frequently they involve the temple area or may start at the back of the head just below the skull. Myofascial trigger points in the neck can also refer pain to the temple and be a huge component to migraine that can be easily overlooked.

A cluster headache is an intensely painful headache with sudden onset and can last from minutes to an hour. It too is usually on one side and is frequently associated with flushing, sweating, runny nose, and increased tears.  Because they seem to repeat in groups of occurrence, they are called cluster headache. 

A hemiplegic migraine is a vascular headache that causes one-sided weakness or sometimes paralysis that lasts beyond the event. Hemiplegic migraine is a sub-type of migraine with aura (classical migraine). Three genetic markers have been identified.

Ocular migraine is sometimes non-painful or can be accompanied by other symptoms of migraine. It causes temporary loss of vision or blind spots in the visual fiend in one eye. This can be very scary unless and until a diagnosis is made. They can last for hours or several days. They are also described as retinal, ophthalmic, or monocular.

Tension headache is often associated with tight muscles indicating the involvement of myofascial trigger points.  They can also be perpetuated by cervical (neck) disease. Sometimes these are called cervicogenic migraine and can be episodic or chronic. I recommend Trigger Point Therapy for Headaches & Migraines, by Valerie DeLaune.  

Sinus headaches are often confused with migraine or be misdiagnosed as a sinus headache when it is a migraine.  Generally, they occur when there is inflammation of the sinuses, which are air cavities located in the face. Because rhinorrhea, nasal discharge, is also associated in some migraine, the two can be confused. The distinguishing feature is pain usually accompanied by other sinus symptoms, such as nasal discharge, feeling of fullness in the ears, pressure, fever (indicating infection), and facial swelling. 

Miscellaneous Headaches

According to the International Headache Society, miscellaneous headaches are classified as, idiopathic stabbing headache, external compression headache, benign cough headache, benign exertional headache, and headache associated with sexual activity.  

Triggers

A variety of factors can play a role in headache. Identifying your triggers can help you eliminate some perpetuating factors such as allergies, particular foods, bruxism (teeth grinding) and alcohol.  Some people with headache note they are increased during periods of hormonal fluctuations, and weather changes. Those of us with migraines, called migraineurs can often predict the weather better than the forecaster. 

Identifying the cause of your headache is important so that you can minimize the perpetuating factors.  You are certainly not alone, however, it is important to recognize that even if you do everything right, the migraine can still persist.  All we can do is the best we can do.

Treatments

There are medications. Medications for acute migraine attacks, medications to prevent migraine, some natural remedies and over-the-counter medications may be in order. Adjunctive therapies such as myofascial trigger point treatment, electrotherapy such as a TENs unit for cervicogenic migraine may help, and the use of a night guard if you are a teeth grinder. Antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatories are indicated if the headache is due to a sinus infection or chronic sinusitis. 

Some patients find ice packs helpful, others heat.  Some find acupuncture or biofeedback helpful. Trigger point injections can be helpful when done by someone who understands the myofascial component.  Botox therapy has fallen out of favor. 

For severe refractory migraine that occurs several times a week, neurostimulation may be indicated. It uses light electrical currents to activate or modulate neurons, and according to a study on implantable neurostimulators by Reed et al, in 2010, they found “combined occipital nerve-supraorbital nerve neurostimulation systems may provide effective treatment for patients with chronic migraine and refractory chronic migraine headaches. For patients with chronic migraine headaches the response to combined systems appears to be substantially better than occipital nerve stimulation alone.”  There could be a gut connection.  Research continues into the exact cause of migraine, components, and various treatments, and this is why some are hesitant to call migraine a disease.

I know personally that migraines and severe headache can be disabling and life limiting when they are chronic.  Seek help from someone who is specialized in the management of chronic migraine or severe headache as new advances are being made every day.

For more information see Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Myofascial Pain: The Mind-body Connection.  Cooper and Miller. Vermont: Healing Arts Press, 2010.

Or 

MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association.