# Physical Causes?



## Mareegirl (May 2, 2006)

This is a little long, but please read it...

Alright. A little while back, I read about, but mostly ignored, the possibility of physical trauma causing dp/dr. Now, I'm beginning to pay more attention. Basically, the idea is that you can cause the symptoms of dp/dr from a neck or head injury.

Now, I had no injury, BUT I have had a history of neck and back pain and muscle problems since high school. I can go into more detail if you like, but the bottom line is the muscles in my neck and shoulders are so tense that they feel like rocks. I am only 20 years old, but I have never actually done anything about this problem, aside from getting massages...

Of ourse, this built over time. It started as a mid-back problem, which became a shoulder problem, which became a neck problem. With each new development, I learned to adapt. I found new pain-killers, I saw new massuses, I found new ways of carrying my books...

But, my point is, now my body is just like someone with a neck injury. You would be hard pressed to find someone with a neck tighter than mine.

Anywhat... prior to my dp/dr symptoms, I began to experience strange physical symptoms. Along with the pain, I now felt... like... static in my neck. Almost like I was hitting a nerve. And the odd thing was that the feeling traveled into my head, as if the muscles around my skull were being affected. Still, I did nothing.

And a few weeks before my dp/dr set in, that static-like feeling got much worse. Soon, I started to feel dizzy, too. But, when the dp/dr came, nothing else mattered and I just ignored my neck.

Now, a week into having dp/dr, I saw a chiropractor (and family friend) for the dizziness I was feeling, not the dp/dr, but he noticed something _different_ about the condition of my neck. That it was somehow tighter than before, and swollen, and that the location of the swelling could cause "confusion, disorientation, and memory problems," but he thought it was something he could fix. The relief he provided, however, was only temporary, and I decided I was just going crazy and there was nothing he could do about it.

Now I'm wondering if I should go back to see him, or something along those lines. As I write this, my neck feels like it's about to rip in half.

Your thoughts?


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## jeremy (Apr 28, 2006)

My am currently working for a Chiropractor and what you have described sounds like there could be something physically wrong with your neck, or it could be caused by emotional reasons.

If the problem in the neck is causing nerve interference, which you have said you feel it could be, physical and emotional symptoms can occur from this as the nerves run our organs and body.

What I would recommend is if you are going to pursue a Chiropractor, to get an X-Ray of your neck before you get any treatment on it as it can be very dangerous for even a trained Chiropractor to perform adjustments on a neck that seems like there is a problem with it without seeing an X-Ray. I would also advise in conjunction with that to get an MD's opinion. Someone who is open to that sort of thing.

If the X-Ray does turn out with a physiological cause, and your friend Chiropractor can help I would definetely recommend sticking with it. Sometimes with Chiro adjustments, it can take a while before you start to see results, though also you may see results straight away. I would also say not to ignore emotional stresses as well, even though Chiropractic is good at reducing tension and stress, it does not resolve emotional issues.

I get Chiropractic adjustments every week as a maintenance thing.

On a metaphysical level, I would ask "Who is being a pain in the neck at the moment"?

Hope this helps.


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## jeremy (Apr 28, 2006)

Also I thought I would add, that If the pain is unbearable, and you cant get to your Chirorpactor friend very quickly there would be no harm in trying out EFT on your neck pain in the meantime as it has shown to be very effective with pain relief. You can download the manual for free at http://www.emofree.com

The choice is yours!


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## Methusala (Dec 22, 2005)

I have replied to several posts on this site in which the poster says 'I believe I have problem x even though my Doctor has ruled it out, Im very worried and keep thinking about it.' My laypersons suggestion has been to double check with a medical Doctor and then see a psychotherapist, because this seems to be a common post pattern for people struggling with dp. ( http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum/search. ... 3&start=84 )

Your post doesn't fit this pattern, because you didn't say a licensed medical Doctor has ruled out any physical problems. It may be that a neck or back problem is contributing to dp, or vice versa, but I would think that a thorough medical exam would be the first thing to do. This is especially the case because neck and back problems are notorious for being subtle and tricky. After you get a medical exam, you could also try a physical therapist to work with posture, strength and even emotional relaxation and body awareness. Howard Stern's md psychotherapist has an interesting video on his approach for none physical originating back problems.

My laypersons recomendation is to not see a chiropractor for any reason, see this woman's story:
'...I was rushed for an Angiogram as the Doctor?s could see that I was having a neurological ?event?. The Angiogram indicated that I had a tear in my vertebral artery caused by the Chiropractor treatment and a clot was forming...'
http://www.chirovictims.org.uk/victims/ ... udies.html

M


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## Methusala (Dec 22, 2005)

Oh, and btw, here is the one impartial peer reviewed study on eft I have found. The study produced evidence that eft tapping techniques have no measurable benefit. If a person with psychosomatic originating pain problems sought treatment with no measurable benefit, in my laypersons opinion that may indeed make the problem worse, because it would be more misdirection and running in circles for the persons mental state.

M

The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice 
Objective Investigations of Controversial and Unorthodox Claims in Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, and Social Work

Assessment of the Emotional Freedom Technique 
An Alternative Treatment for Fear

Authors: 
Wendy L. Waite - Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge 
Mark D. Holder - Department of Psychology, Okanagan University College

Author Note: 
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Mark D. Holder, Department of Psychology, Okanagan University College, 3333 College Way, Kelowna, BC, Canada, V1V 1V7. E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: 
The effectiveness of the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), a treatment for anxiety and fear, was assessed. One hundred nineteen university students were assigned and tested in an independent four-group design. The groups differed in the treatment each received: applied treatment of EFT (Group EFT); a placebo treatment (Group P); a modeling treatment (Group M); and a control (Group C). Participants' self-reported baseline and post-treatment ratings of fear were measured. Group EFT showed a significant decrease in self-report measures at post-treatment. However, Group P and Group M showed a similar significant decrease. Group C did not show a significant decrease in post-treatment fear ratings. These results do not support the idea that the purported benefits of EFT are uniquely dependent on the "tapping of meridians." Rather, these results suggest that the reported effectiveness of EFT is attributable to characteristics it shares with more traditional therapies.

http://www.srmhp.org/0201/emotional-fre ... nique.html


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## Mareegirl (May 2, 2006)

I didn't say this at first, because I wanted to get some opinions, but I have also seen an osteopath, or DO. I saw him for the first time this last Wednesday. I did not tell him about my dp/dr symptoms. When he started to work on my neck, so to say, he sort of laughed grimly and said, "It's like you've got rocks in your head." And he then asked me if I was experiencing a set of symptoms, which matched how I would describe my dp/dr. _Like I can't calm down. Like nothing makes sense. Like I'm constantly in panic. Like I'm about to snap._

He believes that my physical state is so tight, that it is sending a message to my brain that I'm in some kind of danger. And that my brain in turn is sending a message to my muscles to tighten. It's like I'm trapped in "fight or flight" mode.

What I'm trying to get at is: Is there anything really written up on something _physical_ causing dp/dr? Specifically with the neck. Because no traumatic event started this. I did have panic attacks, but I think they were caused _by_ the dizziness, and not the other way around.


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