u/Ok_Cranberry8856

I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a masshealth covered therapist or counselor that specializes in (or at least is very cognizant and aware of the realities of) chronic pain or chronic illness?

I recently aged out of my parents insurance, and am currently applying for masshealth (very likely to be accepted). My previous therapist doesn’t take masshealth and she wasn’t very helpful when it came to me asking for help coming to grips with the realities of intense chronic pain and illness symptoms at a young age.

To be more specific, i have endometriosis, dysautonomia and hypermobility, along with a slew of other undiagnosed issues.

Even just name dropping therapists you really like that take masshealth would be greatly appreciated! (preferably female but i’m open to other genders)

thank you!

about four weeks ago i developed hip bursitis.. ik seems unrelated but stay with me here..

the pain was horrible, and i was advised not to take tylenol bc of (very slightly) elevated liver enzymes (even though i wasn’t taking tylenol regularly anyway).

after not being able to sleep because of muscle spasms going up my back and down my leg, dr prescribed me 4 days prednisone and 14 days of 2mg valium.

i only took 3 doses of the prednisone, and only the valium as needed. the hip is feeling much better now thankfully but..

the day after i stopped the prednisone i experienced cervical mucus similar to my fertile period but instead on cycle day 28 (i took a cycle charting class a few months ago so im very aware), but it had a very sour smell to it when i sniffed my underwear. not strong enough to just smell from pulling pants down though. lots of itching, occasional cloudy urine. lower right quadrant pain. no other symptoms.

i thought maybe BV so i go to urgent care for some testing. negative for pregnancy, uti, candida and bv.

also noticed a couple bumps on my right top inner thigh 2 days after stopping the prednisone, possibly hpv warts (suspected because i suspect my current unvaccinated partner has them). haven’t had any penetrative intercourse in months bc of it.

bought some ph strips and they said my ph is in normal range at 4.5.

currently on CD 43 and still no period. this is the longest cycle I’ve had in 4 years. fair enough, i have a close family member that’s declining in health causing some extra stress.

any ideas or tips?

I started seeing this therapist during a really hard time in my life. dealing with daily chronic pain and in a very stressful job, still processing trauma from the year before.

after surgery i started just seeing her virtually because consistent driving is really uncomfortable for me now. i started seeing somatic therapists and functional trauma informed coaches. i realized i made soo much more progress with these other therapists in 3-10 sessions than i did in 30+ sessions with her.

the past 6 months to a year the appointments just felt like i was talking at her for an hour and would just end up sobbing just for her to be like im sorry that’s happening and schedule the next appointment.

since i have chronic episodic depression and am trialling meds again, i wasn’t sure if i should just end the relationship, because i wanted a safety net.

now my insurance is changing and she won’t be covered, and the last few months she has rescheduled almost every single appointment on very short notice. with chronic illness and neurodivergence, that’s really difficult for me to plan for something to expend energy on and then have to rearrange my week, even though im currently unemployed.

talking with my trauma informed coach, i realized some stuff she said just made me mad too, just like what the fuck. giving really simplistic answers or “solutions” that she has given so many times, useless, or that were just totally not what i needed to hear.

for instance i just started my first serious long term relationship after years of sorting through trauma around men, and was struggling to balance the mental energy i put into it (esp considering my chronic illness) and she told me to try a pros and cons list and that maybe he wasn’t worth it…. like girl bffr.

anyway. i need to switch to masshealth bc im aging out of my parents insurance and im hoping i can find a therapist who specializes in chronic illness.

just definitely feel disappointed it don’t work out, felt like i needed to vent, and im hoping it leads me to someone who’s a better fit. thanks for reading

I was so grateful to see an actual doctor and get some testing done and some prescriptions. prednisone for 5 days and 2mg valium 2x a day for about two weeks.

I see a very knowledgeable PT right now, but the scheduling has been weird so I don’t see her for another month. she gave me some great tips for standing ergonomics and tools to reduce pain, but i feel like i’m missing something.

it’s gotten pretty bad this week, but it’s still very fresh (only about two and a half weeks of significant pain so far) and i’m icing 4 times a day. it now radiates into my thigh, causes my glute to spasm and the whole right side of my back/torso spasmed for hours last night.

i also have stage 3 endo and protruding L5/S1 (getting second mri this month), so i’m pretty familiar with chronic pain management tools. however, majority of my tools have barely made a dent in this pain.

are there things I should totally avoid doing? I’m scared to under do it bc i’m worried it’s exacerbated from sitting/laying too much too.

I’ve been seeing a lot of pain related posts and it breaks my heart.

I know everyone is different, but here at some resources/tools/providers i wish i knew about years ago before diagnosis and am recommending to my younger sister who suspects endo:

(*not medical advice*)

my functional chiropractor gave me the most instant relief with my back pain. they can vary a lot in expertise and experience. i even had one functional chiro offer unique supplements (undas aka pluripotent plant stem cells) for ovarian cysts (which i had before endo excision). this requires consistent appointments and only provides long term results with supportive treatments and/or lifestyle changes.

physical therapy can be very helpful for mobility and strengthening, in turn supporting the abdomen and pelvic floor symptoms that come w these issues. internal massage they can provide is super helpful for my hypertonicity (hello pelvic wand). the advice I’ve received from DPTs has been invaluable, and also help immensely with lifestyle changes.

general ways to reduce inflammation: diet, supplements, nervous system work, red light therapy, saunas (in moderation). even pain relieving herbal tea (vitex/chaste berry, raspberry leaf, peppermint, skullcap and more). castor oil packs are also fantastic.

diet-wise, i found cutting out caffeine made the most instant noticeable difference for me. working with a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner on diet and supplements helped me a lot, as it can be overwhelming to navigate without a provider if you have extensive GI sensitivity.

topicals like menthol pain adhesive pads, CBD lotions and oils, magnesium and arnica gels, DMSO (through a source you trust). used in tandem with massage is great and relaxing. warm magnesium or epsom salt baths are great too if it’s accessible.

speaking of massage: ILU, lymph massage, dry brushing, TENS units, gua sha tools on adhesions (with direction from a pelvic floor pt) are all super helpful in moderation.

heating pads (esp the 360 rebrelief), self myofascial release balls, pilates ball, and myofascial foot rollers also helped my back pain immensely and have multiple uses/benefits.

some people swear by acupuncture and dry needling. i haven’t tried but I’ve been interested, it’s helped my mom a lot in the past before her spinal surgery. i really enjoy my accupressure mat and even use it on my abdomen.

vaginal suppositories: muscle relaxers or cannabis (through a source you trust, with provider’s direction and support).

proper sleep support and footwear >>

a proper full memory foam and gel seat cushion for the car >>>>>>>> (only way i can be in a car for more than 20 minutes without pain the rest of the day).

reducing plastic food storage/switching to glass tupperware was actually first recommended to my by my functional pelvic floor DPT and i did notice a difference in my pain before laparoscopy/excision surgery.

aloe juice, prune juice, breathing exercises (advised by pt) and a squatty potty (on top of high fiber diet) are great tools for constipation caused by bowel endo, pain meds, or hypertonicity.

there are also different psychological modalities. CBT, gestalt therapy, pacing, somatic therapy and more. talking to my body was a *big* game changer mentally. there are lots of different providers for this type of treatment, and you don’t necessarily need someone who specializes in pain.

at the end of the day, pain is *biopsychosocial* and improves most when treated from many directions.

as i mention throughout, moderation is key, and doing all of these all at once is a full time job, if not impossible. less can really be more, so i tend to rotate through these and come back to them when my body asks me to.

I’m sure I’ve missed a ton of alternatives that other people have found success with, so feel free to sound off in the comments with any additional tips or if any of these have helped you in the past!

I also still have pain and tension. chronic pain and illness is a journey.

i know it’s so disheartening and hard when NSAIDs or pain meds with lots of side effects are given as the only option and you feel unheard and unsupported. i hear you, from a young woman who took the maximum doses of tylenol and ibuprofen three times a day for over 3 years, and have trialed over 10 different psychiatric meds, leaving me with long term side effects even after cessation. for a long time i felt like thc was the only other accessible option, but i was really just numbing a lot of emotional pain and trauma along with the physical. (and also when used in moderation thc can be very helpful to many people, but obviously has its own disadvantages as well)

i wish you luck on your journey and truly hope you find something that really helps ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹