I've been suffering with DJD, chronic cervical pain, spondylosis with bone loss, and pressed nerves resulting in dozens of painful trigger points. I have bad insurance, making it difficult to find good doctors. I used to be very active, attended culinary school and loved to cook all day long- something I'm lucky to do once a week now. I have lost the ability to do almost everything I loved. have become home bound, making it to three or four doctor or physical therapy appointments a week. I lost my very long term boyfriend because this. I feel so isolated. My primary doctor said I will deal with this the rest of my life. All of this has deeply depressed me. I am trying a new physical therapy called "dry needling", which I have to drive an hour to, when even making it to an appointment 10 minutes away is difficult . Getting myself ready has become extremely hard. The trigger points have developed to "help" splint up my week bones. The point of the needling is to poke through these stubborn muscle masses (which bind up several nerves) and actually make them bleed, because blood carries oxygen. I have been once and the most painful mass was very hard to get a needle into because I found out that it is covered with scar tissue. Has anyone experienced any of this? I am desperate to communicate with others who understand.