Fibromyalgia/ Whole Body Pain
How can we help you?
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition which results in pain throughout the whole body. It can be associated with or can have various symptoms like fatigue, very sensitive skin, feeling unwell, tiredness, sleeping issues, migraines, IBS or hypothyroidism.
The cause of fibromyalgia is not known. However, under certain circumstances the nervous system or the nerves can become sensitive.
If you are visiting this site, probably you have been to your GP or your local pain clinic, probably wanting to know if there is something else that could be offered.
You should have received an explanation of your symptoms and have been offered medications, exercise regime and ability to cope with the symptoms.
However, there are times when the pain is very intense in one part of the body with debilitating feeling. Access to Pain clinic can be limiting and access delayed. Even if so, the options available can be limited.
We offer a quick access and options available to help with your pain. Although the pain relief happens only in a proportion of people, a quick access to a health professional and the support makes a lot of difference.
We offer relaxation therapy, hypnotherapy, physiotherapy but also injection therapy for flare ups like neck pain, injection for lower back pain or if the skin feels sensitive as if bruised, we can give you lidocaine infusion. This could help in your general Pain Management.
We offer this therapy to medico-legal patients requiring treatment to reduce pain and opioid reduction as well.
What is a Lidocaine Intravenous Infusion?
A Lidocaine/lignocaine infusion is when local anaesthetic is given by a pump, approximately up-to 120 minutes, into a vein.. It is not specifically licensed for use in this way, but it is known to have beneficial results.
How does it work?
Lidocaine is a local anaesthetic that you get when you go to the dentist. It numbs, when given into your veins it numbs the nerves. It works by decreasing nerve activity and the spread of pain signals in nerve fibres.
What does the infusion involve?
This treatment requires you to attend the clinic for a morning or afternoon session where you will meet your doctor and staff. You will stay in the clinic for about 3-4 hours. During the infusion your breathing, temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure and heart will be monitored. You will be allowed home when we are confident you have not suffered any significant side effects. The treatment works over many days so you will not know how effective it has been in the day. You will be followed up by a pain specialist to assess how beneficial the treatment has been and if you want it repeating.
What are the Benefits?
If this treatment helps, then you may find a decrease in pain from severe to a more manageable level. You may be able to decrease the amount of painkillers you regularly consume and you might be able to do more. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee you will benefit from this particular treatment. If you are benefitted this can be repeated.
What are the side effects of the infusion?
As with any procedure there are side effects to this procedure. Please discuss these in detail with your doctor before agreeing to this therapy as there can be alternatives. Fortunately, serious side effects or complications are very rare and by being continuously monitored, the chances of problems arising are minimised.
However, even at the recommended dose, side effects can occur. These include dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, tingling or numbness around your mouth, metallic taste, garbled speech, tunnel vision, ringing in your ears or a tremor, a sense of being drunk and nausea. If any of these side effects do occur, they usually disappear once the infusion is slowed down or stopped.
Recognised potential complications of Lidocaine infusions include low or high blood pressure, a slow or fast pulse rate, irregular heartbeats, fainting, seizures or allergic reactions to Lidocaine which, in extremely rare cases, can lead to death.
If you like to know more about this, please contact us for further information.
Further reading
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fibromyalgia
https://patient.info/health/tiredness-fatigue/fibromyalgia