Dealing with pain

So, I've been having some pretty nasty shoulder pain lately. Well...it starts in my neck, shoots down to my shoulder then spasms down the back of my arm, across my elbow and down into my hand, also making sure to spasm the muscles around my rib cage on that side as well.

Sounds like fun, no? NO!

After about two months of this, with it only getting worse, I finally went to the doctor this week. I've tried everything before hand from Yoga to Chiropractic care to swimming to "gently stretch" those muscles. The doctor (PA actually.....I didn't warrant a full MD visit) gave me a once over and said it could be any number of things from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome to a strained rotator cuff to Tennis Elbow. Really? Okay...that doesn't help me much. He sent me home with a prescription for a mild muscle relaxer (flexaril) and a mild non-narcotic (but close) pain bill (ultram).

So, what are some crunchy ways to deal with ongoing chronic pain? So far, ice has been sort of helpful, applied to my neck and shoulder for about 20 mins at a time. I got an ice pack that "stays soft" even when frozen so it's moldable, but this is totally doable with a bag of frozen veggies straight from the freezer.

Heat to the area is good, but only recommended 72 hours after the initial injury, to let the swelling go down a bit first. For heat I have a buckwheat heat pack. The buckwheat when heated in the microwave provides moist heat, which is ideal for muscle aches and pains.
Here is a good instructional site to make your own: http://tipnut.com/make-your-own-microwave-heating-pad/

Hot baths/showers. I LOVE a hot bath. I mean LOVE. It's not exactly "green" of me since a bath uses up a lot more water than a shower but there's something terribly comforting to me about soaking in a hot tub. Even though my shoulder isn't under the water, I still find a bath helps. Maybe it soothes my hand/wrist since this might be carpel tunnel? I don't know. I know when I had kidney stones earlier this year I used the hot bath a lot to try to cope. It helps the rest of my muscles relax I guess. We've considered looking into a hot tub for my mother, who has bad arthritis in her back and hips. Moist heat is best for arthritis pain.

White willow bark. Okay, this is where things get controversial. It's not advisable to just go willy nilly taking over the counter herbals without letting your doctor know, because herbals ARE MEDICINE and can have reactions/interactions with the medications you are already on. White Willow bark, for instance, is chemically related to aspirin in that it contains salacin. Aspirin, if you don't know, can cause the blood to thin which may be BAD if you're already on blood thinning medications. Aspirin can also cause bleeding ulcers in your stomach if you're not careful. Treat white willow bark the same as aspirin and take the same precautions when using it. However, it has been used for centuries for the treatment of pain related to inflammation (arthritis, bursitis, headaches...) with decent results. You can buy it over the counter.

Yoga for pain relief? Well, I tried it and it wasn't a cure all...but it did seem to help for a while. I did a video called "yoga for inflexible people", because that's me, inflexible! Here is a good video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaTd4Cv9TGY from good ol' YouTube. I've also seen yoga exercises for back pain, shoulder pain, asthma, belly troubles....yoga seems to be a good all around practice. If nothing else, flexibility is improved!

Capsaicin to affected joints. You've seen it in the stores sold in the pain relief section of pharmacies as creams. What capsaicin is, is basically the "hot" from hot chile peppers like jalapenos. This property deadens pain receptors in the skin when applied directly. Nearly 40 percent of arthritis patients reduced their pain by half after using a topical capsaicin cream for a month, and 60 percent of neuropathy patients achieved the same after 2 months, according to a University of Oxford study. But be careful when using it! I'd recommend putting some disposable gloves on when you apply it and DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES, NOSE OR MOUTH since the mucous in these membranes will activate the heat! Also be mindful that when you go to shower off later, the heat will be reactivated and it might be a bit uncomfortable, so you might want to wipe off the cream with a dry towel before getting wet. Don't use the creams any other way but topically.

Fish oil? Well..yes. It's been shown to break down to  hormone like chemicals called prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation. In one study, about 40 percent of rheumatoid arthritis patients who took cod-liver oil every day were able to cut their NSAID use by more than a third,. People with neck and back pain have fared even better: After about 10 weeks, nearly two-thirds were able to stop taking NSAIDs altogether in a University of Pittsburgh study. I'm willing to try this, since I already have fish oil on hand, but not cod liver oil. I'll look for some to add into my regimen.

Anyway, there are lots and LOTS of articles out there about the topic of pain, these are just a few ideas I've run across while in a desperate search of my own to try to relieve the constant to sharp and acute aches of my own. Any tips? Suggestion? I'm all ears!