I'm going crazy soon. Arrgh.

[Minyaliel]

I've been in constant physical pain for some two weeks now because my shoulder muscles are so tight that you could use them as a sledgehammer and get pretty much the same effect. I think I'm going to go crazy soon. I'm starting to go numb in my fingertips too, at the moment, which makes typing really yucky. And the worst thing is, I just can't get an appointment at my MD's - they're totally overbooked at the moment. I just can't believe it. *exasperated* What on Earth am I going to do? I can't go around eating painkillers all the time...

[Aaroneet]

If you're really in intense pain and need to see a doctor, I would go to the Emergency Room; better to be safe than sorry. On a similar note, I was in constant pain recently from back spasms and a broken foot. I waited a few days to see a doctor about both, and each worsened as a result before there was improvement.

[MollyMac]

You could, but pills take their toll. Not to be too much of a damne dhippie, but is it anything that some solid physical activity, mainly Yoga and Pilates could start to ease? Have you been able to work much with teh shoulder or is it too painful to move? Sounds like a pinched nerve, but still yoga may be a cheap way to get some relief.

[Minyaliel]

I'm regularly doing yoga and tai chi. It does give a bit of a temporary relief, a few hours of painless moving about, but that's about it, I'm afraid. Perhaps I'm not doing the right asanas? Any suggestions, Molly?
Anyway, Aaroneet, I followed your advice (which I honestly must admit I hadn't even thought about before), and made them transfer me to a physiotherapist. Now I just need to survive the weeks of waiting until they manage to find me one. :P (I really dislike Norway's health system. Seriously.)

[MollyMac]

Try Eagle Arms (Garudasana) and Cow-Face (Gomukhasana) for flexion and trikonasana (triangle) and just a hanging forward bend to stregnthen and relax. Hold each for 10 deep breaths three times, try it 3 times a day and end in plow pose (via bridge pose) for 30 breaths, rolling your shoulders deeply down the back.

It won't fix everything, but it will loosen a little tightness. Sorry that your shoulders are that tight though- it stinks. I hope that you can get teh physiotherapist soon

[PortraitOfSanity]

Originally Posted by MollyMac

Try Eagle Arms (Garudasana) and Cow-Face (Gomukhasana) for flexion and trikonasana (triangle) and just a hanging forward bend to stregnthen and relax. Hold each for 10 deep breaths three times, try it 3 times a day and end in plow pose (via bridge pose) for 30 breaths, rolling your shoulders deeply down the back.

It won't fix everything, but it will loosen a little tightness. Sorry that your shoulders are that tight though- it stinks. I hope that you can get teh physiotherapist soon

Or pop a few Oxy's, same result, less looking like a retard.

[xParadigmx]

yes, thats the remedy. take more pills. after all, it worked for marilyn.

[Breathless Horror]

Originally Posted by PortraitOfSanity

Or pop a few Oxy's, same result, less looking like a retard.

So you just don't notice that your body is slowly dying around you? A lovely idea. After all, why fix something when you can ignore it?

In addition to yoga and physio, perhaps you know someone who wouldn't object to giving you a shoulder massage? I once fucked my shoulder while camping, and a long, deep massage helped a LOT.

[Solumina]

I tend to get really stiff and achy in my upper back, especially my shoulders and a good deep tissue massage can do wonders, so if you can whore out massages from your loved ones. I hope that things start to feel better.

[MollyMac]

Originally Posted by PortraitOfSanity

Or pop a few Oxy's, same result, less looking like a retard.

Or be a lazy, zit-laden, fat fuck in yo'momma's basement of a snatch. Why be independent when you can be a loser?

[Breathless Horror]

Originally Posted by Solumina

I tend to get really stiff and achy in my upper back, especially my shoulders and a good deep tissue massage can do wonders, so if you can whore out massages from your loved ones.

Man, me too, only for me it's lower back. Deep tissue massages can be excruciating while it's happening, but afterwards...Oh. My. God. Does it feel good.

[MollyMac]

Like a body bruise, man. But they are sooooo worth it and are a good kick start to loosening shoulders from damned day-desk jobs.

[Minyaliel]

Hey, thanks, people. I just discovered that my mother's ex husband has contacts within the local therapist milieu, so he managed to get me an appointment for Thursday, against all odds (oh joy!). So now I'm just using a heat cushion to subdue the pain while waiting for the guy to mend my boo- boos. But thanks for the tips, everyone, really appreciated it (I actually did try them all after reading them, and I'm coping pretty well now - I'll survive another two days).

You know, it really is odd how everyone seems to be aching somewhere - there's got to be something wrong with the way society works. Office jobs really are an enemy of the human race :P

[Jaye Jang]

Minyaliel,

Just read your post. A few things concern me. One is the chronicity of the symptoms and the fact that they seem to be recalcitrant to pain killers. What concerns me the most, however, is the numbness in the fingertips. FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS NOT A DIAGNOSIS. Can't do that. Just a medical typist. However, I typed a report last night on a patient with similar symptoms to yours. Fortunately for him, he was a doctor so he got in ASAP. What I learned is that there is a type of syndrome called Lhermitte's phenomena. The symptoms are a stiff neck and/or shoulders COUPLED WITH TINGLING IN THE FINGERTIPS. The test is this: Try touching your chin to your chest and moving your head back and forth rapidly JUST ONE TIME, and see if you still get the tingling in your fingertips. (Also, do you get headaches with this and does sneezing exacerbate it?) The differential diagnoses are anything from a pinched nerve, to muscle spasms, to a subluxed vertebra, to carpal tunnel syndrome. In short, YOU NEED TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION and let them know if you get any of the above symptoms, ESPECIALLY THE TINGLING IN THE FINGERTIPS -- then let them rule out and treat you. In the meantime, heat and ice may be good, as well as hot showers, and pain killers -- up to a point -- but, I would skip the yoga until you know what you have going on.

In the meantime, good luck.

[Minyaliel]

Gosh, Jaye, that's creepy. Is this condition you mentioned hereditary? Because my mother's been experiencing the same stuff (albeit worse than me) for a while, without any other explanation from the MD's than "it's probably just a pinched nerve". I guess I should mention this to the physiotherapist when I see him... :P

[Jaye Jang]

Dear Minyaliel,

Found this helpful website on that, but don't sweat it. L'hermittes is fairly rare (only 33% of the population have it); however, do get the hand tingling checked out.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_the_...ermittes.shtml

[Minyaliel]

Thank you =)

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

Originally Posted by Jaye Jang

L'hermittes is fairly rare (only 33% of the population have it)

Only a third of the population? Are you sure you got that stat right? Goodness... fewer people than that are depressed, and they don't call that rare...

[Solumina]

Yeah that sounds really high, maybe it should have been 3.3%?

[Minyaliel]

lol, I didn't even notice that... Um, yes, that has to be a mistake, probably forgot a comma.

[Jaye Jang]

Dear folks, I kind of questioned those stats myself. Found that in the Journal of Neurophysiology. Thinking it may be a typo.