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Miss J, how is your arm? You have not mentioned it lately. Was wondering if it got better spontaneously or you did something in particular. As it turns out, my problems are a disc (or discs) in my neck that are compressed. Got to go for another MRI. I started having the weakness in my arms and remembered you mentioned some weakness too. I would never have thought I would want to have a pain in the shoulder rather than a pain in the neck. Be careful what you pray for!!!
DCNGA has left the board and is no longer taking PMs. She requests that if you wish to e-mail her to use her direct e-mail address which is: laserandiplsupport@gmail.com
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It got slightly better after seeing the neurologist. Not that he did anything to fix it. It was just coincident that it seemed better afterwards or less bad. Maybe I got used to it? The tests revealed my nerve problem was in the ELBOW which I knew already and it was the ulnar nerve which I knew already.
Basically, I had to cut down on extensive typing at computer.
Can a physical therapist give exercises for the discs compressed?
Can hardly walk. Need hip replacement.
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I started seeing a physical therapist two weeks ago and was getting better (dramatically better, very quickly with a simple exercise that took pressure off the discs). When I went to PT last Friday, the PT tried some manual traction in hopes it would help more with decompression and that was the beginning of the ordeal. The pain from shoulder to hands returned, bi-laterally (as before) within an hour of leaving PT and now I can barely turn my head. I'm seeing a physiatrist Thursday morning and will likely need an MRI to determine what discs are affected. Ugh. I'm glad yours has improved.
DCNGA has left the board and is no longer taking PMs. She requests that if you wish to e-mail her to use her direct e-mail address which is: laserandiplsupport@gmail.com
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Arrrghhh!! Sorry for you both, DC and Miss J...unfortunately we're kinda becoming robots with the repetitive stuff we do for work, etc. and our bodies weren't designed for this kind of artificial type movement. Sucks...I know, because..Hello? Dentistry. Not know for being ergonomic. But the worst neck-upper back-shoulder pain EVER was from my computer. Crap. Hope you both get better....I did accupuncture with my chiropractor...helped a LOT. Immediate relief.
Pay no attention to Caesar. Caesar doesn’t have the slightest idea what’s really going on. Kurt Vonnegut
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I'm sorry to hear yours is not doing well. I guess keep doing the exercises.
Ya people not knowingly keep bad postures at the computer or just use too much-like me.
Can hardly walk. Need hip replacement.
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I also have a compressed nerve in my neck. At times, my entire left arm, shoulder, upper back and neck have hurt. My fingers have been "tingley" at times. Going to the physical therapist was the best thing I have ever done. I do my chin retractions 30 x 3-4 times per day, in addition to some other prescribed exercises. I'm feeling very good. In addition to the exercises, I also make sure I move around every 30 minutes, and limit my computer use. The PT told me if I do my exercises daily, I only have a 30% chance of the pain coming back. If I quit, it's 90% chance of the problem re-occurring.
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Thanks, Shaz and Miss J. Getting old is not pretty---in more ways than one. Sadie, sorry to hear you know my pain. I saw a physiatrist today (non-surgical spine doc). She won't allow me to go back to PT until they do an MRI. Without knowing if I have a ruptured or bulging disc, it could irritate or make things much worse if I were given the wrong exercises for whatever my condition ends up being. The PT also refused to treat me further until he knew what he was dealing with. The chin tucks did help for the first week, then the manual traction he did trying to relieve the supposed compression sent me into a downward spiral. I will return to PT once I know what the issue is or is not. I won't have neck surgery and I won't have nerve root injections, so PT is my only choice. One thing the PT helped me to realize is that I 'jut' my head forward when I'm at the PC. Now, I hold my head and neck straighter. Just being cognizant of that helped some too. I also raised my monitor up quite a bit at work. The small ergonomic things do make a difference.
DCNGA has left the board and is no longer taking PMs. She requests that if you wish to e-mail her to use her direct e-mail address which is: laserandiplsupport@gmail.com
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People make a whole lot of bad postures on the computer and don't realize it or do stuff they don't realize. Like for many years, I had my computer screen and flat keyboard on a HARD MARBLE SLAB and every day, for hours on end my forearms were against the edge of the slab. So that explained why my ulnar nerve got screwed up. I did not even KNOW THAT until I was in the Harvard Coop looking for books on repetitive stress injuries for people at computers all the time. The book was called: "I'TS NOT CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME". It then went on to explain EVERY HABIT I'VE HAD FOR YEARS AND YEARS SPENDING HOURS ON END ON COMPUTER as WRONG. It also said people who sleep with their elbows all bent up have the problem. Like it described everything I did to a 'T'.
Especially the part about having the forearms pressed into the hard edge of a marble slab while typing.
Now I have an ergometric keyboard and cushions under forearms. But still, the nerve acts up if I keep at it too long.
Can hardly walk. Need hip replacement.
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