Pain and suffering

Sporting News, The, Feb 25, 2002

It was January 3, only 10 minutes before Steve Francis was to return to the Rockets' starting lineup after playing in one game in five weeks while recovering from a foot injury, and things were not going well. Francis was lying on a table in the training room, his head pounding, his vision off. He was getting accustomed to this sort of headache--they came more frequently since training camp--but did one really have to strike him now?

Francis played 45 minutes in pain, scoring 36 points with eight assists.

Still, he was concerned about the headache, and with good reason. Last Tuesday, Francis missed his fourth game in less than a month because of head pain.

That night, G.M. Carroll Dawson stopped by Francis' house to check on him. Francis was in bed, unable to get up.

"You can see the pain in his face and in his eyes," Dawson says. "That's what is on your mind, the pain in his face. You don't worry about him playing or not."

The headaches Francis has are similar to migraines, with one catch: Francis has been through a litany of tests, and alt have turned up negative for migraines. On one hand, that's good news because it means Francis' condition might not be serious. On the other hand, it is frustrating because the source of the pain is undetermined.

"We have tried everything," says Rockets trainer Keith Jones. "We have seen every person possible, except maybe Miss Cleo on TV. And she's next."

Francis was tested for allergies. He reviewed his diet. His teeth, neck and eyes were tested. He was checked for tumors and meningitis. He moved into a new house in November and, fearful that something there was triggering the headaches, he had the new place tested.

The tests turned up nothing.

Problems diagnosing the source of headaches are not unusual, according to Dr. Fred Sheftell, president of the American Council for Headache Education. Sheftell says only 47 percent of migraine sufferers are being treated.

Francis, though, is in a unique situation--he has all the symptoms of migraines, but tests reveal no sign of migraines.

"There's still a lot we don't know about headaches," Sheftell says. "What affects one person might not affect another. It sounds like (Francis) has all the classic migraine symptoms, but there are rare cases where other things mimic migraines."

In Francis' case, the Rockets hope they have found a lead: an equilibrium problem in his inner right ear that causes vertigo. A few days before the All-Star break, Francis began working with Dr. Kathleen Deyl on desensitization exercises he can do when he feels a headache coming. There has been some progress, but the exercises are not a cure.

The headaches still come, seemingly at random, and when Francis plays, it is often in pain. That raises a greater concern for the Rockets. If Francis plays while feeling dizzy from a headache, there's a chance he might misjudge a landing on a dunk or rebound and damage a knee or ankle.

"I keep my fingers crossed every night," Jones says. --S.D.