Gord,
I've just registered today. I found your post because I did a search on "radiating nerve pain" on Google. I also have arthritis in my neck, which I was not aware of until I had an auto accident about five years ago, and went to a chiropractor and had x-rays...he mentioned this as an aside. Good that you don't have MS. But those two things together made me feel compelled to mention that there is the possibility of 'Lyme disease'...and before you blow this off, listen to what I have to say. I've been suffering from chronic fatigue like symptoms for over 15 years and after many doctors I finally got a diagnosis--late stage Borrelia aka chronic Lyme disease. I've read 5 books on the subject and now am in a Lyme support group here in Houston hearing other peoples stories. I've heard that the slow growing Borrelia spirochete has an affinity for the neck area. It was first recognized as a disease in the '70s, and first named 'Lyme arthritis' by a study group from Yale University as Lyme arthritis, because the study was started in response to two concerned Connecticutt women calling the Connecticutt Health Department...and they discovered a 'cluster' of 'juvenile arthritis' cases in and around Lyme, Connecticutt...39 I believe...of what is supposed to be a very rare disease (juvenile arthritis). I am friends now with a lady who believes she has had Lyme disease for over 30 years. Twelve years ago she was told she had MS...five years ago, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease, but only because she continued to search for answers and asked to be tested. The irony is that there is no definitive test for Lyme disease. The FDA approved tests rely on the detection of antibodies to the organism...and due to the nature of the illness, they are often wrong, depending on the stage of the disease when the blood is taken. The Western Blot from IGenX in California seems to be the best of these. Chronic Lyme is a very political issue. It seems that mainstream medicine almost totally denies its very existence. But there are a few brave physicians out there who persevere in treating people with this illness that can manifest in so many different ways in different people. Usually these doctors are the ones who know first hand, because they suffer from the disease themselves. I believe chronic lyme to be a widespread problem and largely unrecognized. I would encourage you to read about it. There are many good books out there, the one by Denise Lang being very good, as is the one by Karen Vanderhoof Forschner. And if you discover that you do have this disease, beware of the traditional approach of heavy doses of IV antibiotics to 'cure' you. My personal opinion is that in the late stages of the disease, they are often not effective and can cause problems themselves. I am currently investigating a variety of alternative therapies which I hope will be successful. I hope you don't have lyme but I think there's a chance, and you should investigate.
Jan
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