Bran'sNana
07-02-2007, 08:27 PM
hey everyone!
Just wondering.. after an mri and months of p.t. with some relief, I found out I have a pinched nerve that runs from my neck into my shoulder, also some osteo athrits,besides that. My doctor asked me if I tried p.t. I've only been going for 4 months! I went to an ortho guy on my own, but found out he only did hands!! So he wrote the order for the p.t. My physical therapist says a shot might help me to ease the inflammation,so at least she can do strengthening exercises with me.Right now it hurts too much to exercise it, besides stretching and stuff. My doc said he'll see what the physical therapist says about me, and then he will send me for a shot. I've been taking 7.5 of Mobic a day, he says I can take it twice a day. So far my stomach has been okay, but I asked him for a prescrip for Prilosec in case ( cheaper by prescrption for me) Anyone been helped by any kind of meds, or therapy or whatever, it's not unbearable, but damn uncomfortable when I get in certain positions where it must get pinched.It's a burning kind of pulling pain. I've had deep tissue massage, ultrasound and stim. Would a shot help? I am also under treatment for a hyperactive thyroid. (Graves) Any info is greatly appreciated!!
Just wondering.. after an mri and months of p.t. with some relief, I found out I have a pinched nerve that runs from my neck into my shoulder, also some osteo athrits,besides that. My doctor asked me if I tried p.t. I've only been going for 4 months! I went to an ortho guy on my own, but found out he only did hands!! So he wrote the order for the p.t. My physical therapist says a shot might help me to ease the inflammation,so at least she can do strengthening exercises with me.Right now it hurts too much to exercise it, besides stretching and stuff. My doc said he'll see what the physical therapist says about me, and then he will send me for a shot. I've been taking 7.5 of Mobic a day, he says I can take it twice a day. So far my stomach has been okay, but I asked him for a prescrip for Prilosec in case ( cheaper by prescrption for me) Anyone been helped by any kind of meds, or therapy or whatever, it's not unbearable, but damn uncomfortable when I get in certain positions where it must get pinched.It's a burning kind of pulling pain. I've had deep tissue massage, ultrasound and stim. Would a shot help? I am also under treatment for a hyperactive thyroid. (Graves) Any info is greatly appreciated!!
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BioAdoptMom3
07-02-2007, 11:28 PM
I have the exact same thing and I so feel for you. Trying to sleep at night in certain positions is unbearable! I have never had therapy or shots for it as I have only been to a family physician and a chiropractor. Two things that have seemed to help me a lot though are the chiropractic treatments (you have to also go when it is not flaring up to keep it under control, though not as often as when it is acting up) and believe it or not, working out. At first I was afraid of doing some of the strength training machines, but surprisingly I have found this to be EXTREMELY HELPFUL for my arthritis in all the parts of my body, including my neck. You might want to consider something like that.
Nancy
Nancy
Bran'sNana
07-04-2007, 05:56 PM
Thanks for the advice Nancy! I guess that's why the physical therapist wants to do strength training with me. I'm just afraid it'll get WORSE!! But to tell the truth, it doesn't really matter WHAT I do. I'm a supervisor for a cleaning company and some days I do a lot, and it's no worse than when I do NOTHING!! I was thinking about a chiropracter, I went to one with my original neck injury(sprained it) . He was right when he said athritis would set into it because of my age, I was 48 at the time, now I'm 53, also my line of work.If I sit down at a desk to write a check, it really hurts! Good thing I don't have a desk job! Thanks again! I hope I get some kind of relief soon. Now I know why people abuse prescrip pain meds. I don't take anything but the Mobic, which is an anti-inflammatory.
BioAdoptMom3
07-04-2007, 07:58 PM
Definately go for the strength training. It actually feels good when I am working on some of those machines and I really have noticed not only less pain, but less flare ups of it. When I mentioned it to my doctor she did say it was documented that this type of exercise has actually been been proven to benefit those of us who have arthritis. I too am only on an anti-inflamatory, relafin.
Nancy
Nancy
creinha
07-04-2007, 10:13 PM
I had a pinched nerve between c5-c6 that caused shoulder pain and numbness in the fingers. I tried the medrol dose pack and Bextra (no longer on the market, of course.)
Then I tried physical therapy and traction. The physical therapy actually made me worse and I told the orthopedic doc I wasn't going back.
I then went through three epidurals. It took all three before I felt some minor relief.
I then went to a chiropractor. The e-stim (electical stimulation) treatment was WONDERFUL! It helped deaden the nerve pain. The chiropractor I saw didn't do "manual" manipulation. He had a hand-held instrument that he used.
I know everyone is different, but I probably got the most relief from the chiropractor. Though I'm sure the steroids in the epidurals contributed a lot.
Then I tried physical therapy and traction. The physical therapy actually made me worse and I told the orthopedic doc I wasn't going back.
I then went through three epidurals. It took all three before I felt some minor relief.
I then went to a chiropractor. The e-stim (electical stimulation) treatment was WONDERFUL! It helped deaden the nerve pain. The chiropractor I saw didn't do "manual" manipulation. He had a hand-held instrument that he used.
I know everyone is different, but I probably got the most relief from the chiropractor. Though I'm sure the steroids in the epidurals contributed a lot.
Bran'sNana
07-04-2007, 11:49 PM
Yes, I've had the stim thing too, from the physical therapist, it does help sometimes. She has tried all kinds of stuff to help me, even adjusted my thorasic spine, after a few times it was gone, for about a month, then one session of stretching and adjustment she did started my neck hurting and it started all over again, it had something to do with while I was laying on the table, and she held my neck up and pushed down,after that I was back to square one! Of course at the time, she really had no diagnosis, so she was trying everything, now at least she knows what she's working with. Did anyone have a chiroprator adjust your neck while you had this..like when they take your neck and twist it to the side.. that really scares me now, or what kind of adjusting did you have? Thanks guys!
creinha
07-05-2007, 11:12 AM
The physical therapist did this exercise on me once that put me at square one again. Keeping the head level and moving the chin forward, then back. Just about killed me!
My chiropracter NEVER moved my head at all. He had this hand-held instrument, it kind of looked like a giant syring. He used it to move the vertebrae where he wanted them.
My husband had a bad experience with a chiropractor that did manual manipulation once. I'll never go to one of those.
My chiropracter NEVER moved my head at all. He had this hand-held instrument, it kind of looked like a giant syring. He used it to move the vertebrae where he wanted them.
My husband had a bad experience with a chiropractor that did manual manipulation once. I'll never go to one of those.
Bran'sNana
07-05-2007, 08:15 PM
Wow that's so weird, an instrument, I've never heard of it, I wish you knew what it was called. Yeah my p.t. won't do that move again,she had my chin down like that too, that must put the pressure on that nerve again. Thanks for the info, I hope I get some relief soon. Thank goodness sitting straight at a computer feels okay! Do you find heat helps at all? I tried ice the other nite and it felt worse!
BioAdoptMom3
07-07-2007, 10:35 PM
My chiripractor used the same thing that one of the other posters is referring to. He never adjusted me manually either. It is computerized and on its own, when he uses it, it offers more or less stimulation on a certain area, depending upon what the computer tells it is needed. It is really a neat thing. I too have gotten some relief from the chiro, but you have to keep up with it, even during the times you are not in pain. I have another friend and co-worker who has had the same type of results for the OA she has in her neck and back.
Nancy
Nancy
ATHiker95
07-09-2007, 10:48 PM
I've had the identical pain. Neck x-rays revealed some small spurs around c5-c6 which could be contributors. When my RA flares into my shoulders is when I feel the neck pain start up - obviously the inflammation is pinching on some nerve - fortunately, over time and actually doing nothing, it has gone away. So if you are flaring at all in your shoulders, if you can somehow get that under control through your drug regimen, then perhaps that will help.
SKZ
07-10-2007, 07:06 PM
I think the instrument you are referring to, that the chiro used is called an ACTIVATOR. And that exercise you mentioned that really killed you is called a chin tuck. The thing about that exercise is that you should not move your head forward at all, just glide back VERY VERY GENTLY. Its a real subtle movement. Otherwise it will hurt!
Bran'sNana
07-12-2007, 03:41 PM
Thanks all for all your input. I see my post got moved here. My physical therapist is going to try some strength training now that I'm not so flared up. I was so scared doing it (the machines) the other day, but I'm okay. Does anyone take Mobic for inflammation, or what do you take that helps this nerve pain? Again, thanks for all your info! Brans:)
TruthseekerTn
07-12-2007, 07:20 PM
I went to a physical therapist too and It didn't help at all if anything I hurt even worse when I left..they called me one day and said we was going to see if you are coming back I said no I wasn't because it's not working
Bran'sNana
07-13-2007, 01:21 PM
I have been going to P.T. for 6 months! It is better, but it still comes and goes almost every day.I finally got an MRI a couple of weeks ago and have OA of the neck with some mild to moderate foraminal stenosis on the right side,which explains the shoulder pain. She had been only doing stretching and ultrasound with me and even adjusted my thorasic spine a few times. It totally went away in May, for a month, then with some stretching of my neck with chin down and head lifted by her,(had been on Mobic a month too)it came back. Now Wednesday, she let me do a machine where you pull this pulley thing down with both hands, to your hips, I'm so small, I was almost going up in the air with it. She said try to use shoulder muscles not neck muscles to pull down. Then a machine you sit at and pull two bars on either side down. Well, today it's Friday and it's back!! I was good a few days prior too, it's so AGGRAVATING!! She's been SO NICE and tries so hard to help,but I don't know, I think she's trying to help the OA but with a pinched nerve,it complicates things.I just want to know what helped you guys the most,some say a chiropracter, but the ones I've been to in the past always do stuff hands on,and how do you find one that will be good and not hurt you more?:confused: My doc says increase the Mobic to 2x a day(haven't yet) and go to P.T for awhile. He didn't originally send me there, an orthopedic surgeon did without any tests, so he didn't even know how long I've been going. He said if the physical therapist says it's not helping,I could send you to someone for a shot.:mad:
Bran'sNana
07-18-2007, 05:39 PM
Well went to P.T. again today. Since I used the machines last week, I hurt more so I told her and she says she has a friend who's a chiropracter who's had pretty good results with this thing she uses instead of manual manipulation on patients neck called an activator. Hey! I heard about that on the message board! I said. So since I'm at a standstill with this thing she told me to try that so maybe I'll be able to do strengthening exercises down the line with her. So I'll quit P.T for awhile and see what happens with the chiropracter. I went to one a few years ago when I first hurt my neck and he was kind of rough , but it did help. Somehow though the thought of someone twisting my neck from one side to the other makes me shudder now!! So maybe a more gentle approach is better. She (the therapist ) says she sometimes sends the old ladies to her because she can't imagine someone cracking their poor little necks.:( I said "gee thanks a lot", but she just wants to help me.. poor thing. So it's off to another appointment! Thanks everyone for all the info, especially about the activator thing.;)