The pain in my right arm/hand is becoming intolerable and I don’t know what in the hell to do about it.
I can’t afford the MRI to confirm the probable herniated disc that the doctor suspects is causing my problem. So he prescribed both 800mg ibuprofen and vicodin. I may as well be swallowing a tic tac for all the good either of them are doing.
I even took two vicodins an hour apart, which should have kicked my butt and got no relief at all.
One of my regular customers is a massage therapist and is suggesting she can help. I made an appointment, but wanted to see if you guys think I should actually go to her. Can massage help in this situation? I’ve heard that it can actually make it worse and I sure as hell don’t want that.
Any and all suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.
I have the exact same problem, it acts up when I am under stress or when I have done excessive physical work such as lifting heavy things. The massage does relieve the pain, I have to get about 5 min worth 3 or 4 times a day for about 3 or 4 days sometimes just once or twice does the trick. The massage itself is painful, I have someone just kneed my neck and shoulder muscles like dough for just a few minutes per session, anyone can do it if they have the right tecnique. Sometimes the pain leaves within the hour. If you are under extreme stress do something about the stress, deal with the problem whatever you have to do.
I’m sorry it’s bothering you so much. Chronic pain is awful.
Mine is in my lower back and for a while, I could barely walk. I finally went to Pain Management and got some cortisone shots which helped tremendously and years later I’m still pretty much pain free—as long as I don’t do anything. :rolleyes: The slight bending over of sweeping or emptying the dishwasher puts me flat on the bed. At the time the idea of a massage would have made me cringe but I do use a heating pad now and then and that really helps the tightened muscles relax.
If part of your pain is coming from muscles in spasm, then yes. And a lot of times, just laying on a supportive table can be good. But physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, and ice will probably give you more relief. Steroid injections are a good idea, current news stories notwithstanding, but you’ll need an MRI for that. Can you work out a payment plan? MRIs have gotten a lot cheaper in the last decade.
Proud owner of herniated L3-S1. Those cause leg pain, though.
Massage shouldn’t be too harmful to a herniated cervical disc, but excessive or overly aggressive chiropractic work can aggravate things.
With time and conservative management, a lot of herniations will self-resolve, so there is that to hope for.
Is your apparent herniated disc due to degenerative changes or an accident? You made it sound like it’s been bothering you for a while. Unfortunatly, to really know what’s going on, you’ll need an MRI. I think my last MRI was about $1500 before insurance, plus whatever it is that the radiologist will charge for the reading.
No, no accident. Just getting old, I guess, plus my job description changed 6 months ago. I’m much more physically active than I used to be. I’ve experienced the numbness and some minor pain in the past, but nothing like now. I even have numbness in my foot. This bout has been going on for 3 or 4 months now, with the pain getting steadily worse.
My Dr. thought it might be about $3000.00 for the MRI.
Exactly. I went through this, my hands felt like they were on fire or numb, alternately. I figured I was screwed for life. But with therapy and exercise, it went away, and now I never even think of it.
IANAD. In my case I was referred to a therapist, who developed a custom stretch campaign for me. I was also doing a lot of fast walking in those days to keep the cardio going.
If you’re healthy otherwise, try hanging upside down for a few minutes at a time alternating with a heating pad. Sometimes just stretching the spine out with gravity helps undo pinches.
IANAD.
According to multiple docs naproxin is the best otc anti-inflamatory. Beware of anything containing tylenol (i.e. Vicodin and Percoset)–there are alternatives. And ice, the #1.
The massage was not really what I expected. She just pressed on different parts of my neck and shoulders. It might have helped a bit, the pain has changed anyway.
I had a hernatied disc earlier on this year- I’m afraid standard painkillers frequently do nothing for nerve pain, which is what you’ll be getting. I was taking enough of them to take down a horse, and it did nothing.
Look up Mckenzie exercises for neck disc pain. That’s a pretty established protocol in physiotherapy for relieving pain. Some studies have thrown doubt into the standard disc hernia diagnoses - MRI/CT scans show people with herniation with no symptoms and others with classic symptoms showing no herniation. Those exercises can often give relief regardless.
Of course, this is just internet advice - consult your doctor or physiotherapist before starting any exercise program, blah blah, etc.
No zombifying, just jump-starting a not-completely-dead thread from 2 months ago to say that after an MRI yesterday, I have been diagnosed with two “massive” herniated discs at C6 and C7, and am meeting on Monday morning with a neurologist to consult on surgery.
So, my Christmas season just to a shot in the crotch, but I’m glad to say that I think they’ve caught it early enough (I’ve only had real symptoms for about 4 weeks) to limit any permanent nerve damage.
How have things progressed for you, not what you’d expect?
Knead - if you’ve been symptomatic for only four weeks, it might be premature to be talking about surgery. If you were considering disk replacement, for example, the guidelines generally call for six months of failed conservative therapy first. Eg: physical therapy, steroid injections, etc.
Just promise me that you will get checked out by at least one neurosurgeon, and preferably, have whatever surgery done by a neuro. I’m a bit biased against letting orthopedic surgeons near a spine. Since you’re in Charlotte, I can give you the name of my surgeon for a second or third opinion. Your neck is literally on the line here, and there are no do-overs.
kneadtoknow, I was dx’d with two herniated discs about 13 years ago (L3-L4, L4-L5) and every doctor I’ve ever seen or spoken to - I know several docs as friends, not professionally - has cautioned me not to consider surgery except as a LAST option.
And I can count on the fingers of both hands the number of people I know who have had multiple, unsuccessful back surgeries. (I live in the land of Generous Motors “we can fix that!” health insurance.) And one person who did great after back surgery…but still, it is not an insignificant step.
I just had an MRI yesterday myself. I won’t have the results for a couple days, but it’s been terrible. I ended up at the ER a few nights ago for pain relief.
And being self employed and under insured has just added to the fun. Percocet and flexerill have helped the last few days though.
Thanks for asking. I hope you feel better soon. I know what you’re going through.
Thanks to you both, and yes, gotpasswords, please feel free to PM me your surgeon’s name. I’ll certainly plan on a second opinion for something like this. I’m going by what the nurse who relayed my MRI results to me described as two “massive” disk herniations, and the fact that she told me flatly that my physiatrist wanted to immediately put me in touch with a neurosurgeon for consultation to plan surgery. I’m not by any means planning to let anyone but a neurosurgeon operate on my mama’s baby boy, trust me.
As to “surgery only as a last step,” here’s my history to date:
11/20 - sudden onset of intensely painful symptoms starting under my shoulder blade and going down my right (dominant) arm. Sadly, this was the day after I was diagnosed with tonsillitis, so I was all “seriously, another medical problem?”
11/26 - massage, which led to a recommendation that I see my chiropractor
11/27 - began chiropractic therapy, with diagnosis of pinched nerve at C6 and/or C7 and plan to escalate if relief was not forthcoming
12/5 - told my chiropractor that I did not feel I was making any further gains and wanted to escalate, he got me in to see a physiatrist that morning; physiatrist wrote scrip for oral corticosteroids, made appointments for MRI, cortisone injection if needed, and test for possible nerve damage
12/6 - began oral corticosteroids; saw some relief the first day, went back to original condition shortly thereafter
12/16 - MRI, results delivered following day confirmed 2 herniated discs at C6 and C7.
12/17 - cortisone injections at both disc sites, which so far have been going by the book as far as what they told me to expect: some numbness yesterday, pain relief today and tomorrow. My upper arm is noticeably less painful today, and the pain in my lower arm is decreased. My blood sugar has gone insane, but that’s a known complication, and I’m already on something new to help.
So, if I’m supposed to see surgery only as a last resort, what am I leaving out?
The slight bending over of sweeping or emptying the dishwasher puts me flat on the bed. At the time the idea of a massage would have made me cringe but I do use a heating pad now and then and that really helps the tightened muscles relax.