Pain relief

[CelticFrog]

Okay, just did a search and didn't find what I was looking for.

So...

My back hurts. REALLY bad. Just got home from the chiropractor and now I'm trying to find good ways to get my back to relax. Self-acupressure isn't really working too well although I'm still working on it.

****edited to say that the chiropractor fixed the skeletal problem and now it's all muscular. I love that guy.

I'm taking some drugs tonight, but until my son goes to bed that's a no-go. "Regular" painkillers stopped working in my body a LONG time ago. I've been living with chronic knee pain, which to me is WAY easier to deal with than this sharp makes-it-hard-to-walk pain.

Ice and heat are up on the menu.

So my question to you is this:

What do you use to ease severe muscular pain? Like those phone book size knots that refuse to budge under massage or acupressure?

Drugs are an obvious solution, but I'd rather avoid them as much as possible.

Stretches? I would LOVE some easy stretches that don't aggravate it.

Whatever. I am SO open to ideas right now it's sick.

Ang

 

[Bobmi357]

A bath, as hot as you can possibly stand it. Heat will relax the muscles and allow for a greater blood flow.

Works for me.

Also, get ABN to give you a serious (read not sexual) massage. That works for my wife whose shoulder muscles were injured in an auto accident years ago. Its hard on my hands, but I can unknot her muscles and usually put her to sleep in the process.

 

[midwestyankee]

Depending on the type of pain I usually go with one of these three choices:

1. Lots of scotch
2. More scotch
3. Knock, knock, can I borrow a gallon of scotch please?

Ang, it sounds like you're pretty familar with things that have worked for you in the past. If you are interested, I am sure the web has a gazillion sites with good stretching exercises to try.

A few years ago, when I broke my shoulder, I also got some nasty back pain during recovery. Stretching, a heating pad, and meditation was the combo that helped the most.

Good luck.

 

[TNRkitect2b]

Don't know if you and the Ranger are into it, but a good flogging, whipping or caning can help with muscle pains... think of it as an extreemely instense massage.

 

[SexyChele]

I had the killer of all back pains just this past January. I've never had my back "go out" and I hope it never, ever happens again. I even ended up going to a chiropractor - and I had always had a fear of those people!

Anyway, he had told me to ice it. Especially if the pain is very recent. Ice for about 10 mins on and then 10 mins off.

He also gave me a few stretching exercises that have proven helpful. I'll try to describe them:

1. Lay flat on your back. Leaving one leg extended and relaxed on the floor, slowly bring up the other leg, bending it at the knee. Your calve should be parallel to your body. Gently grasp the bended knee and pull it towards your chin/chest. Hold for 10 seconds and gently release. Do the same for the other leg, after extending the leg you raised. 3 on each side.

2. Kneel and extend your arms over your head. Gently lower to the floor until your forehead touches the floor. (or pillow) Staying in this position, gently pull back, as if your hands were pulling something towards you. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Do 3 times. (Yeah, it looks funny, but feels great)

3. Laying on your back, place your hands under your head and bend your knees so your feet are drawn up. Should be comfortable. Cross one leg over the other, while knees are bent, and gently and slowly stretch both legs to one side while keeping the torso straight. Hold for 10 seconds. Gently bring your legs back into the original position. Uncross your legs, and cross the other leg over. Gently and slow stretch your legs to the other side. Um, if you cross your right leg over your left knee, then you want to "lay" your legs to the left. If you cross your left leg over your right knee then you want to "lay" your legs to the right. Make sense? This might cause your back to crack a little. Repeat 3 times on each side.

4. Laying on your back, stretch one arm out to the side. Lift the leg on that same side, bend the knee, and grasp the thigh with your other hand. Gently and slowly pull your leg across your body. Hold for 10 secs. Slowly release and extend your leg. Extend the other arm and lift that leg, bending at the knee. Grasp the knee with your other hand and pull gently across your body. Hold 10 seconds. Do each side 3 times.

These do not really take that much time to do, but they really have helped me. Hope they might help you as well.

 

[wicked woman]

Originally posted by SexyChele
...snip...

1. Lay flat on your back. Leaving one leg extended and relaxed on the floor, slowly bring up the other leg, bending it at the knee. Your calve should be parallel to your body. Gently grasp the bended knee and pull it towards your chin/chest. Hold for 10 seconds and gently release. Do the same for the other leg, after extending the leg you raised. 3 on each side.

...snip....

Chele you beat me to it....I had a physiotherapist friend that showed me how to do this for lower back pain.

 

[CelticFrog]

I had the killer of all back pains just this past January. I've never had my back "go out" and I hope it never, ever happens again. I even ended up going to a chiropractor - and I had always had a fear of those people!

Anyway, he had told me to ice it. Especially if the pain is very recent. Ice for about 10 mins on and then 10 mins off.

2. Kneel and extend your arms over your head. Gently lower to the floor until your forehead touches the floor. (or pillow) Staying in this position, gently pull back, as if your hands were pulling something towards you. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Do 3 times. (Yeah, it looks funny, but feels great)

Coupla questions. You LIKED the chiropractor, didn't you? Didn'tcha? J has always had a fear of them as well, and now he's addicted.

About the quoted exercise:
I'm not quite sure about the pulling back part. (So I'm incompetent today)
Am I using my arms to pull back or am I leaning back with my whole body and trying to keep my hands more or less where they were?

Geez. I feel stupid. Will someone just amputate at the neck?

Ang

 

[fgarvb1]

Ever try any Doans pills?

DOANS BACKACHE PILLS
Brand name of a drug containing the non-narcotic analgesics paracetamol and sodium salicylate as active pain-relieving compounds.

 

[VSE]

I tend to hang by my arms (not a held position, literally just grab something high and lift feet off floor). I dont have a back problem at all, but occasionally feel "scrunched" and its a left over from when I was doing proper excercise and stretching

 

[CelticFrog]

I tend to hang by my arms (not a held position, literally just grab something high and lift feet off floor). I dont have a back problem at all, but occasionally feel "scrunched" and its a left over from when I was doing proper excercise and stretching

I like to do that when I feel scrunched too, although I generally use the arms of a chair to hold myself up instead. Nothing around here to hang from.

(come ON, J's not THAT tall... heh heh heh)

I've tried Doan's before, and like most over the counter drugs, it has very little effect on me. Hell, half of the available prescription ones barely touch the level of pain I can get to. Of course, by the time I really start whining, it's usually pretty damn bad. Ask sheath.

So... I am trying those stretches a little bit at a time, working up to the full reps. Just laying down (and the getting up again) can be a full workout lately.

I'm grabbing the frozen peas also very soon... and then I get to warm up a damp towel in the microwave, and then the peas, and then the towel....

I swear I'll look like a steamed salad by the time I feel better...


Ang

 

[midwestyankee]

I'm grabbing the frozen peas also very soon... and then I get to warm up a damp towel in the microwave, and then the peas, and then the towel....

I swear I'll look like a steamed salad by the time I feel better...


Ang

I forgot about the frozen peas. They are a godsend. I used to have to sit with a bag of peas over my shoulder for long periods when the pain would keep me from sleeping.

BUT DON'T EVER EAT THEM AFTERWARD. They will taste like your worst imagined summer camp food nightmare. You do not want to know how I know that. And I don't want to recall it all that accurately either.

 

[CelticFrog]

BUT DON'T EVER EAT THEM AFTERWARD. They will taste like your worst imagined summer camp food nightmare. You do not want to know how I know that. And I don't want to recall it all that accurately either.

Yes, I know this as well... which is why the second I pull a bag of peas out for icing purposes, a BIG BLACK SHARPIE will be simultaneously procured and ICE ONLY will be written on every surface I can find.

Ang

(GOD I didn't need to think about that... ewwwwwww )

 

[ChromeCollar]

I know you said painkillers are a no no before the kiddo goes to bed, which is the same rule as in my house. I use Demoral (sp) taken about half an hour before my daughter goes to sleep for really serious back pain, and an anti inflamatory twice a day. Especially if I know I'll be doing alot of work rolling tarps, etc.

I'd recommend a deep tissue massage therapist. When I first started seeing mine, it hurt like hell, but after you get used to it, and the muscles start to unkink, it makes a huge difference. You wont feel so knotted up towards the end of the day. I hope you find something that works for you. Seems like after you have back pain for a while, it just becomes a constant presence that never goes away and alot of people just try to live with it instead of doing something about it.

p.s. Is it worth it to go to the chiropractor? I have been hesitant about that because it hurt like hell the first time I went.

 

[DarkMuse]

A good muscle relaxer is Mugwort. If you have an herb or natural source store near you, ask for mugwort. Take a handful of it, and boil it in water, strain, and add to bathwater. It will help relieve muscle pain.

I have so much pain it's ridiculous...tendonitis in my leg and ankle, arthritis in my ankle, pinched nerve in my arm, arthritis in my hand, nerve causes severe muscle/back/shoulder/neck pain. I also get tension headaches and migraines, so my goal in life is to find something to kill pain permanently.

Try Tylenol 2s (tylenol with codeine in it). As long as you're not allergic to codeine, these at least will help you sleep (I've built up an immunity to advil, and take them 4 at a time, about 4 or 5 times a day, and still suffer from pain).

Good luck...

 

[CelticFrog]

p.s. Is it worth it to go to the chiropractor? I have been hesitant about that because it hurt like hell the first time I went.

Chiropractors. I love them. Mostly because by going to one when I was 16 stopped the cycle of CAT scans and MRIs and really scary drugs. 9 week long headaches that keep you from sleeping AT ALL apparently require those.

About the hurting... if it hurt LIKE HELL, then the chiro that you went to was not doing his job correctly. Today hurt like hell but I was prepared for it and he did his best to not hurt. He is amazing like that.

I have been to two chiropractors that I have liked. The third I really hated but it was the only one insurance covered. I've paid out of pocket for 'my' two because they gave deep military and 'family' discounts. For example, J and I pay $42 a visit for BOTH of us.

Here's my opinion(s) on chiropractors.
First, the chiropractor MUST MUST MUST have a decent attitude. Positive, helpful, caring, etc. Not just hi, pop, bye. Toby is so cool that he hollers HEY!!! A&J!!! What are you guys up to today? He asks us about our week, what's going on with us for work, about sheath's upcoming visit, and our lives in general. He loves our son. And he will get into lengthy conversations with us about the stupidest things (like our new beanbagish chair).

Second, he has to have a solid philosophy about chiropractic care in general. For me, the movie and consultation before he would even do the initial EXAM on us was a sellling point. He explained in great detail the workings of the nerves, why this and this would happen if one particular bone was out of whack, how he did his job, what his exam tools did, why he does his job the way he does, etc.

Thirdly, when he adjusts me, it should not and WILL NOT hurt beyond that which I expect (minor initial pain with the adjustment, just like cracking knuckles that haven't been cracked in years). If he doesn't pay attention to my verbal and nonverbal reactions, then he doesn't deserve to mess with my body. I expect my chiropractor to feel out my back before he starts adjusting to see what he can find. And ask questions if he's not sure whether or not something hurts.

And finally, one little tiny thing that often is the dealbreaker.
I HAVE to be willing to trust the guy to pop my neck. The first time, if I don't like the way he pops my neck, I am MOVING ON. Period.

I strongly advocate chiropractic care (in case you couldn't tell) because I've seen what it does not only for me, but for J as well. My son will get chiropractic care as soon as we can afford it. He'll only get it once a month just for maintenance purposes, but he'll get it.

Chiropractic care is one of those few things that EVERYONE can benefit from, whether one day old, pregnant, ancient, whatever.

And if my spine was still out of whack, my GOD I'd be in more pain than I care to think about right now.

At least I'll be able to relax my muscles... somehow.

Ang

 

[Falkieri]

It sounds like you're waiting until the pain gets intense before you take any kind of medication, and that may be why over the counter pills have no effect. If you take painkillers when you first feel the beginnings of the pain, they will be far more effective. Once pain has taken root, it takes far stronger stuff than you can get without a prescription to do any good (not that any of this helps you at the moment).

 

[fille]

Get a sock and fill it with rice. You should be able to tie a firm knot in the top, and it should be full enough to be pliable, but not floppy. Put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes, and then get in bed and put the sock on the sore area. This works better than a heating pad because you can change the shape of it to suit the area that hurts.

Also, if sleeping is a problem, I have found that it helps to put a small pillow between your knees to keep your back alignment straight when on your side.

 

[CelticFrog]

It sounds like you're waiting until the pain gets intense before you take any kind of medication, and that may be why over the counter pills have no effect. If you take painkillers when you first feel the beginnings of the pain, they will be far more effective. Once pain has taken root, it takes far stronger stuff than you can get without a prescription to do any good (not that any of this helps you at the moment).

The problem I generally encounter with pain is that by the time I actually notice it (read: constant pain dulls some of the acute stuff) it's an 8 on the military's stupid little ouchie scale.

Then again, an 8 on their scale of 10 is a 4 on me.

*sigh* I wish they'd account for pain tolerance.

Ang

 

[IFish]

Flexeril

Now that you've had your bones alligned correctly, you need a good muscle relaxor so they don't continue to be pulled out of place. When I went through this, I was given Flexeril (doctor's script) and it worked wonders. Have you ever wondered why chiropractors can't prescribe meds like these?
Oh, and I second the ice, and the bag of peas.


Good luck

 

[The_old_man]

For a conformal heating pad, fill an athletic sock with uncooked rice, tie or sew the end, microwave for not over two min. on high.

My wife made a bunch (ten pounds of rice) for xmas gifts. We kept two for our own use.

As for chiropractors, I first went to one in high school. I only got half way over on the vault. Wife and I are good friends with our local 'practer.

Several months ago I twisted my neck sleeping on a motel pillow, by the time we got home I could not raise my arm enough to drink with. We are now back to our twice a week gym sessions.

 

[Tat2mom]

The Dr used to put me on muscle relaxers that made me all loopy but the last time I went in for a pain in my back I got Bextra. It worked in 24 hrs. The stuff is great and there is NO woozy feeling or anything. You don't have to wait for kids to go to bed.

 

[Alyx]

I was in a head on collision more than 10 years ago and still have neck and shoulder problems because of it. It can get so bad at times that I can’t turn my neck or raise my arms very high. Hubby gives a great massage and can usually work out the knots that form every so often. Every once in awhile I end up with a knot that’s too deep or too big for him to work out. When that happens, I use a combination of heat and ice. It’s easy to do and generally works very well. My PT put me through this and suggested I carry on with it at home when I had problems.

Take some Dixie cups, fill them with water and freeze them. When your back starts hurting, take one of the cups with you into the bathtub (or hot tub if you have one). Make your bathwater as hot as you can stand it (remember, you’ll be soaking in it, so you’ll have to stay there for awhile!). Tear a third of the Dixie cup away from the ice, and then alternate between rubbing the ice on the area and soaking it in the hot water. Obviously, as the ice melts, you’ll need to tear more of the cup away. If the pain is in an area that can’t be reached easily, you can ask your husband to help you.

I don’t like using drugs myself. I hate that doped up feeling. Pain relievers don’t work for me, but muscle relaxers do. Unfortunately they also put me to sleep, so I don’t use them anymore. The bath helps with the really tough knots and eases the pain. My husband is able to take care of the others, thankfully. It hurts like hell when he does it, but by the next day, I usually feel much better.

Anyway, I hope you start to feel better soon. I don’t have kids myself, so I can only imagine how tough it must be. There’s some great advice here. Hope some of it helps you out.

 

[zhukov1943]

I hear ya - I used to work for a moving company, and I've wrenched my back more times than I can count! The best therapy I can recommend:

A spliff, a cold beer, and a long soak in a hot tub!

 

[webber1998]

I have been plagued by lower back injuries for about 18 months now. Typically I do something really stupid like lift a box wrong or something ignorant like that. Of course, the Dr diagnosed it as just soft tissue stuff and wanted to give me Flexeril or something a little stronger for the pain. I just told her NO, I don't want something that knocks me off my ass.

At any rate, she recommended Naproxen. And it works like a champ. At least for the type of injuries that I get.

 

[CelticFrog]

Minor update:

Last night I took two Flexeril (yes, I'm allowed, it's right on the bottle) and in all honesty, the only thing they helped with was getting me to sleep. And even then it was iffy.

Today, I have been trying Chele's stretches and although they feel good, they're not quite relaxing the muscles.

I am terrified of ice on this part of my back, but as soon as I finish this post I'm getting the peas. At least now the furnace is working again so I don't have to worry about freezing to death with the application of any extra cold.

Fille, I LOVE the idea of the rice sock. I've been using it. It's good that I have a lot of rice thanks to my mom -- otherwise I'd be out right now.

Naproxen. *sigh*
Every single time with Naproxen I get a different reaction. Not allergic type, it just seems to be wishy washy with me.
Sometimes I get great pain relief, others there is no difference. I've even had one episode where the pain got worse. So I'm generally kinda leery of taking it but I think today I will. I have some dice game thingy to go to tonight and I want to be able to at least stand without wincing.

Okay, I'm a dork -- what's a spliff?

I'd LOVE a gallon of any sort of alcohol right now, but again there's the child issue and most times I won't drink until J gets home from swing shift.

I might have to go buy me some Dixie cups. As strange and unusual as that sounds, it's worth a try. Now if I can just get enough hot water to actually make the bath as hot as I can stand it.

I'm still working on it.

The strange thing that really makes me curious about this (and will undoubtedly piss my chiro off to no end) is that I am finding it incredibly hard to stand up STRAIGHT. I'm always off to one side or the other by a degree or so, and when I try to change sides, if I'm not holding on to a counter or something I will collapse. It's like as if the muscles on both sides are out of whack but they can't both be completely tightened because my spine won't allow it. Does that make sense?

I'm about to go into the ER if this doesn't give up in a day or two. I can't even play with Alekz.

Ang