Pinched Nerves Argh!

[Canuck223]

OK, I get that with age comes baggage. However, this is getting on my nerves, literally.

I've got a pinched nerve in my neck. It's the third time over the last 5 or so years. The first two times I followed my doctors advice and went to physio for a few weeks. Neck traction and heat provided some relief, but frankly I question it's worth.

It will get better in a few days, but what's driving me insane is trying to get to sleep at night. During the day, I can work through the pain. More to the point, while I'm busy the pain is actually not bad. My problem is when I'm at rest, I can't get comfortable. I wind up taking 10 mg of Oxycontin to settle down and get to sleep, but wind up awake four hours later. On a good night I rarely get more than 6 hours sleep, but this sucks.

However, it will not last.

[Jim Norman]

I spent from January of 2010 through January of 2011 with a pinched nerve. At times my left arm hurt so bad I would have paid to have it cut off. No comfortable position. the fingers of my hand would go numb.

I tried Chiropractic, Acupuncture and finally a really good physical therapist. It took her about 7 months, but the shoulder is better, not perfect and never will be,but better. It was not an easy route. At times the pain from being stretched and twisted nearly equaled the pain from the nerve, but in the end it was worth it. I think I am going to go see her to set up a once a month schedule for maintenance so I don't go through it again.

[Kyle O]

I dealt with 2 herniated disc in my lower back for the majority of 2 years, I understand every word your saying.

I hate it also. But, miracles can happen, pain free now for >3 years!

[M ammo]

Chiropractic

worked for me in 4 visits,,,

thier are Different types of Chiropractic,,, they are not all the same,,,,

I joked with my Chiropracticor,, that if he was a Witch DR,,, I'd make payments in Chickes and Goats,, if needed!

[redmanfixit]

There is a wonderful gizmo called a TheraCane. You can find them online and you'll pay about $45.00 for it or so. Kinda looks like a Shepard's crook. Comes with a dandy little pamphlet of basic instructions. It's designed to help you to do trigger point work on yourself. You very likely have an upper thoracic vertebrae out and it's likely caused by the way you sleep. It is of course wise to eliminate a herniated disc as the cause, but only because you approach the trigger point work in a slightly different way. Using this wonderful tool and a couch or comfy chair, you can do deep tissue work on your neck and safely relieve the spasms that accompany the nerve irritation from a displacement. There is also a method to accompany this, I taught for 20 years or so to many people that had this happen commonly. Because of my rather dark sense of humor, I call it the "Deadly Balls". You'll understand if you try it. Get a pair of tennis balls. While sitting or standing up, tilt your head forward and reach up over your shoulder with whichever hand you can make the move. Feel around on your back at the base of your neck for a prominent bone slightly above the level of the shoulder blades. That marker is T1 C7. Ist Thoracic 7th cervical. Lie down on your back on the floor and put the two tennis balls on either side of your spine just below that marker point. Arms up over your head. (Yes, I know, that increases the "sensation" more) It also aligns the upper Trapezius and Rhomboids to release the spasm and possibly get an adjustment of the bones there. You use your legs to push yourself along on the floor, rolling the 2 tennis balls down your spine. Keeping them on the same vertebrae as you go. You'll need the length of your body plus a little, clear of obstacles in the direction your head is going. Don't forget to breathe. When you land on a "hot" trigger point you will most likely hold your breath with the lock at the base of your throat. Don't do that. If you quit breathing....eventually you'll die!! (Heh Heh) If you breathe deeply it softens the tissue in the area of the pressure and increases the chance of the bones dropping back into alignment. If there are no catastrophic failures of structure, (no osteoporosis or herniated discs) It's pretty much impossible to injure yourself. This will at least facilitate a Chiro getting the adjustment in the fewest possible number of visits.

I do commercial electrical work among other things. If I did not have this set of techniques in my tool box, at my age I would be a cripple. Try it. You can contact me with questions about the method. I have never killed or injured anyone I worked with in 20 years + of teaching. No Pain....No pain! I always say.

[redmanfixit]

Please remember an important fact. You're not dead! The human body is astonishingly adaptable and equally astonishingly able to heal. This pivots largely on the belief systems of the "occupant". Henry Ford among other wise beings, apparently anticipated some of the features implied by "Quantum Reality". "If you believe you can or you believe you can't, you're right either way". "not perfect and never will be" is a false belief. Don't buy it. You are living, vital tissue and your body will be happy to do what you ask of it. You just need to know how to ask and to support the desired response. It's ALWAYS a question of balance!

I spent from January of 2010 through January of 2011 with a pinched nerve. At times my left arm hurt so bad I would have paid to have it cut off. No comfortable position. the fingers of my hand would go numb.

I tried Chiropractic, Acupuncture and finally a really good physical therapist. It took her about 7 months, but the shoulder is better, not perfect and never will be,but better. It was not an easy route. At times the pain from being stretched and twisted nearly equaled the pain from the nerve, but in the end it was worth it. I think I am going to go see her to set up a once a month schedule for maintenance so I don't go through it again.

[Kevin Spencer]

I feel your pain. I went through this a few months ago. Getting old is not for the week.

[carharttfarmer]

i have problems with this in my back between the shoulder blades 1 tiny muscle relaxer at night does wonders 2 to 3 days and its gone

[madman11]

Approaching MediCare age, I find that I have arthritis in my spine, joined by some disc degeneration, bone spurs and stenosis. Fellow-shooter who is Orthopediac surgeon, spine specialist, didn't have much to offer in the way of relief, short of surgery, which he didn't recommend at the time. Went to Wally World and ordered (not in stores) an "inversion table" for $100. Allows you to tilt backwards, thus stretching your spine and sorta respacing the vertebrae. Amazing results!! Two to three times a week, three minutes per session and I'm pretty much pain free. Highly recommend this contraption...

[Biloxi23]

I know how some of you fell. My 59 year old body reminds me constantly of the abused I piled upon when I was young. Arthoscopic surgery six (6) times on the right knee, left ankle srcewed together twice (this is the one that got me a medical fro the USMC), Three level spinal fusion in my neck at C-5, C-6, and C-7, and then the biggie. In 2001 I had a two level micro-laminectomy (medical for trinning of the squeezed out disc) on L-5 and L-7. Afterm 6 month out AI was on light duty for three months. and then 4 weeks after return to full duty I was rear ended in I-10 by a lady that wasn't paying enough attention to see the big, white marked unit with the flashing blue lights. That caused lumbar spine surgery #2, which was a complete removal of the discs at L-5, L-6 and L-7. I now have carbon fiber implants instead of discs, with a bunch of screws. rods, brackets, some kind of u-joint looking things installed from the back. did i mention that they took out the discs from the front? Then on the 29th of August, 2005 we experienced Hurricane Katrina. during teh height of the storm I fell and when I butt-slammed to the station floor, the result was compression fractures where every screw in my vertabrae was (were? That word confuses me). The docs said dthey wouldn't heal unless most of the hardware was removed. That cost another six months or so off from work. And would you believe it, I feel so lucky. I can run a little bit, albeit not so fast. I am still working (29 years as a police officer this month), and I think USPSA is a blast. I never thought that at this age I would be improving at anything except maybe sleeping. When I see some of the people that are so less blessed than me, I am grateful. Keep shooting!