I went to the acupuncturist and after our usual treatment he mentioned a topical analgesic called Zheng Gu Shui. He applied it to the right rear of my head just around the hairline. When I asked "Why there?", he said that is where the inflammation is likely causing the pain. About an hour later I felt the best I have felt in a year. I went to lunch with a friend, laughed, ate, talked all without a concern this would trigger pain. I felt fully normal again. It was like I could breathe.
Not sure what to make of it but I can't argue results. Since, I have felt better with the exception of pain right when I get out of bed. Not even my slow-motion morning routine seems to help that. Just to give a little background, lately I have been getting daily Type II pain, triggered by eating, talking, getting excited, etc. The analyst in me is very curious as to why this helped? Furthermore, how do I tell this to my neurologist.
Zheng Gu Shui can be found at any Chinese or Asian market and runs about $10 a bottle. I have no stake in this other than to relay my experience to my fellow TNers.
I found this on Geekwise.com. Very Interesting, I think! I am willing to try just about anything and thanks for this tip.
Zheng gu shui liniment is a medicinal ointment used by some practitioners of holistic medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is used for the temporary relief of pain and soreness in the muscles. It is also thought by some to aid blood circulation, treat arthritis pain and promote the repair of bone tissue. The words zheng gu shui mean "bone setting solution" in English. The ointment is sold in an alcohol-based liquid form and as a spray.
The main ingredients in zheng gu shui liniment are menthol and camphor. Menthol is an organic compound made from the oils of peppermint or other mint leaves. Camphor is made from the resin of the camphor laurel tree. Both substances are thought to have cooling and analgesic, or pain-relieving, properties.
Menthol and camphor work by triggering nerve endings in the skin that are receptive to cold. The cooling sensation helps to block the feeling of pain. Angelica root is another plant substance commonly added to this liniment. It is also known as dong quai and considered very useful in TCM for pain relief and the reduction of swelling.
This is also an interesting side note; One day as I was cleaning my face with an alcohol prep, preparing to apply a lidocaine patch, I notice that as I inhaled the scent the pain abruptly stopped. Curious to see if it really did work or if it was coincidence, I carried those little packs in my pocket. It really does work much of the time. I have used it when I have awakened to massive attack though and nothing. It isn't consistent enough to brag about. I love to clean (therapeutic nurturing) my home and I have been known to scour the kitchen sink with Comet during attacks. Does the scent of scouring powder really help? IDK, took my mind off the pain for a while. :-)
Rick I'm so glad you mentioned that, I have a bottle from an Asian market I bought a while back that I forgot about but it's not called that, I can barely read it but it's something like - Ziui Feng Woo Luk...I don't know if it's still any good but it still smells powerful. It has a heat sensation.
I now have a prescription for Lidocaine so I will have to give that a try soon too!
I'm new to this forum and I'm still perusing, but I'm really happy to find this particular group. I generally seek out natural healing methods first and have had trouble finding natural/alternative therapies for this astronomical pain. Adding to my dilemma is the fact that I am temporarily uninsured - so I basically have no choice right now. Thanks for starting this discussion! It's not even 10am and I have already had about 20 attacks. After reading this thread, I decided to use the resources I currently have available since I welcome any chance at immediate relief. Have you heard of Salon Pas? I don't have any lidocaine patches, but I figured that they were the closest to that and have some similar ingredients to the Chinese herbal liniment mentioned above. I cut them in half and put one strip along my left jaw and two more at the base of my neck close to the hairline. So far, no attack - but I've only had the patches on for a few minutes. I'll post again with feedback.