I did the cortizone shots too. That only seemed to burn a little, but didn't help. I have pain all day long. I never liked painkillers, but sometimes it's so annoying, that's all I can do. I'm chewing them too to make them work faster. I feel like someone hit me in the back with a bat. My neck gets such sharp pain I'm afraid to move my neck. My doctor says I have to or I won't be able to in the future.
I do the massage therapy twice a week. The therapist touches certain spots and I flop like a fish. I never thought anything could make you feel this way. It's really starting to depress me.
I know how you feel, constant pain gets real depressing quick. The vicodin and loritabs they kept pushing on me make me nauseous and don't do anything for my pain or even get me a buzz, so I just threw them away. That is when I discovered regular Tylenol. I am probably lucky I didn't burn out my liver with them.
I do agree with the doc that you need to work the stuff, no matter how much it hurts or it will never be right or move the same again. My situation at the time was that I HAD to go to work once I could get up off the floor, no matter how bad it sucked, after a few months of pure hell I could feel things were improving. I know it is a freaky thought and feeling that the wrong move might paralyze you, but if that was going to happen it probably would have already...
I know a few people who have been through the same basic deal, and all eventually overcame it and are pretty much normal now. I know everyones situation is different, but if you give up you will never recover.