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Thread: Pinched Nerve

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    Registered User qwerty2020's Avatar
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    Pinched Nerve

    I know I am not over 35 but I have a question about my dad.

    He has been having serious pain under his arm and shoulder blade. We think that it is a pinched nerve that is originating from his spine and the pain is in the nerve ends. So basically he wants to know if it is a pinched nerve or something else. Also he wants to know what he can do to relieve this pain. He is going to go to the doctor soon but wants to stop the pain til then. He has been taking pain killers but he thinks the pain is never going to go away completly without surgery and he doesn't want to go through that.

    Any help is appreciated.
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    Marty lukamar's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by qwerty2020 View Post
    I know I am not over 35 but I have a question about my dad.

    He has been having serious pain under his arm and shoulder blade. We think that it is a pinched nerve that is originating from his spine and the pain is in the nerve ends. So basically he wants to know if it is a pinched nerve or something else. Also he wants to know what he can do to relieve this pain. He is going to go to the doctor soon but wants to stop the pain til then. He has been taking pain killers but he thinks the pain is never going to go away completly without surgery and he doesn't want to go through that.

    Any help is appreciated.
    Have him go to the doctor this is not a medical forum. there are a large number of things than can cause the pain not all of them are related to nerve damage.
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    Registered User joed's Avatar
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    And tell your dad not to count his chickens before they hatch: relax. Pain does not always mean surgery needs to be done, in fact surgery is often the very last option that's pursued.
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    Registered User Chinez_Dragon's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by joed View Post
    And tell your dad not to count his chickens before they hatch: relax. Pain does not always mean surgery needs to be done, in fact surgery is often the very last option that's pursued.
    Very true. Also, is the pain always there or just during workout or post workout. I know my shoulder had pain in it when I first started a few months ago. My doctor told me that it was from when I injuried it in the military and never really healed it. (Through excerise). Now it gets sore from time to time, but no real pain anymore.
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    Registered User TDetroit's Avatar
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    This is close to what lead me to working out.
    Mine is in the C5-C6, the pain flows down the right arm to the fingers.
    His is lower, so maybe c7 or c8.
    Do not take the surgery first off. Do PT first. Expect traction.

    Traction should be manual, or laying on a bedwith a machine that pulls gently. If they hook him up over a door, he should scream, "BARBARIANS!," and run out.

    There will be ultra sound healing for the muscles. There will be massage. And some soft tissue massage (back cracking).

    The training will be with unusually light weights. This is because even though he is a weight lifter, he has missed some muscle development. Something is not right.

    After the PT, if he is still in pain, then ask for another PT at a different place before going in for surgery. Only 60% come out of surgery ok. Note that is ok, not great. The rest spend the rest of their lives in pain. Don't let the Iranian doc who thinks this is easy, tell him to do it right off.

    DO THE PT.

    Have your friend PM me if he has more q's
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    Originally Posted by qwerty2020 View Post
    I know I am not over 35 but I have a question about my dad.

    He has been having serious pain under his arm and shoulder blade. We think that it is a pinched nerve that is originating from his spine and the pain is in the nerve ends. So basically he wants to know if it is a pinched nerve or something else. Also he wants to know what he can do to relieve this pain. He is going to go to the doctor soon but wants to stop the pain til then. He has been taking pain killers but he thinks the pain is never going to go away completly without surgery and he doesn't want to go through that.

    Any help is appreciated.
    Unitl the doc visit, lay on the floor and get natural traction. When you lay flat, your spine expands and takes the pressure off the nerve. If he is married (or if you are a good friend), gently pull his head to lengthen his spine. Very lightly, no need to stretch. Maybe an upper back massage after 20 min on the floor.

    He needs to get rid of the pillow until then also. Or get a very flat pillow, curl the edge and put it under his neck, this will cause his head to fall back and it will pull his spine.

    Lay off the weights. The upper spine is the top of the core. In all lifting, the core flexes first. So even doing a leg curl, he is flexing the neck muscles. So lay-off the weights. He should lay on the floor, flat on his back, with all of his free time. Maybe the muscle will build before the doc appt, and he will be better.

    What kind of work does he do? Does he work on a computer at a desk. Lift the monitor higher. I use 3 large phone books.
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    Ice pack at the base of the neck for 20 minutes out of an hour for 24 hours, then alternate with heat, seek medical attention cuz I aint no doctor.
    Nobody knows everything, and nobody knows nothing, I know a little about a lot but not a lot about anything. I just want to know more.
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    Consulting ahn MD at this point is a great idea, or even a chiropractor depending on your Dad?s belief system. A pinched nerve is very painful but rapid relief can be found from a Chiropractor in my experience and I have had 2 back surgeries. Surgery should really only be your LAST option. Taking painkillers only mask the problem and does not treat the issue. As well as can be addicting, causing dependence and liver damage. Please strongly encourage him to see an MD or Chiropractor. In the mean time, Ice and Heat are the bets remedies.

    Wishing your Dad much luck and comfort.
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    pain and nerve damage are two different things ...

    pain that is local can be muscle, tendon, ligament or
    even bone pain ...

    pain that radiates is nerve damage ... something is pressing
    on a nerve and stimulating synapes along the nerve path.

    if that pain is accompanied by muscle weakness, atrophy,
    or numbness/tingling get to emergency NOW!!!

    the other two can be treated by a TENS ... Trans-electrical
    Neural Stimulator!

    Simply put ... it is a portable device (size of a pack of cards)
    that puts a very mild electrical impulse into the skin via
    a couple gel pads ... cost about $100 (or get the Dr. Ho version)

    anyway, to use properly, you have to find the start and end
    point of the pain and put a gel pad on either end ... then
    find the electrical setting that works best to disrupt those
    electrical impulses the nerve is sending out ...

    end of pain.

    It is the same way that acupunture works ... the needles
    block the nerve signals (essentially 'short-circuit' the nerve)
    and stop pain as well.

    do NOT use the TENS near the front of the neck or near
    the heart ...

    A lot of physiotherapists are trained in their use and will
    sell them to you for home use.

    I have one and use it for neck spasms and lower back pain.
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    I had a pinched nerve back in 2001 and thought I could work around it and give it rest and it would heal. Unforunately if it is a pinched nerve caused by a bone spur, as mine was, no amount of chiropractic help or traction will make the bone spur that is causing the pinched nerve go away... the only thing that will help will be surgery to remove the bone spur. This I found out after several very painful relapses over several years. I finally had the bone spur removed in the fall of 2003 but by then the damage to my left side was already done and I will never recover the muscle loss that occurred.

    nuff said...
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    Me too

    I have problems in my c5-c6 with bone spurs running through most. I guess I spent too many years playing rugby and competitive judo. I have the damage on my left side and am deatly afraid of going under the knife. Pt is a good idea. I was given two kinds of traction, straight and something called Dakota. I have a hydraulic Saunders unit that sits on my floor and I can pump to achieve straight traction. It is very similar to what most pt offices have minus the electric component and size. I also have a foam wedge that has a notch cut in the top and a band that runs from side to side. I lay my neck on the wedge and my head hangs back over the notch and the band stretches across my forehead. There are ligaments in the front of the neck referred to as the A.L.L.s. They tend to get tighter when there is a weakness in the back of the neck. This pulls the head forward possibly causing more stress and or bulge onto the nerve. It just helps to keep them loose in my case. But certainly, noone should self diagnose a situation like this. I have lost quite a bit of strength on the left side and still have some numbness in my left index finger. If there is pressure on the nerve, there is a relatively short window to get the pressure off. I missed my chance so there is a little empty space where the long head of the tricep used to be. Think of the nerve like a thick carpet. When you place a heavy piece of furniture on it, you are left with an indentation. The longer the furniture applies the pressure, the longer it takes for that spot to raise itself to level. If it there too long, the spot never raises. This is probably the best analogy I can come up with. The doctors all say that most cases of bulging disks tend to fix themselves over a short period, the trouble starts if it doesn't. The downsides can be degeneration of the disks and stenosis or narrowing of the channel that surrounds your spine and spinal nerves. Don't let anyone cut him right away, usually an MRI can show the extent of whatever damage there may be. I have also been told that heat is contraindicated in these situations.
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