Major flare - need relief recommendations

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ChinaCat

Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2017
Messages
20
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
05/2017
Country
US
State
IL
Hi All,

I got a major flare going on. Right side of neck/upper back is basically locked up tight. Can't turn my head, lift my arm, or basically move. Here's what I'm trying so far:
Tramadol
CBD
Rx Ibuprofen
Moist heat

What else can I try? I called my dr to get Valium and a steroid pack, but he's out of the office until Wednesday.

thanks,

Chinacat
 
Oh i hate the locked up we get..it is the bane of my life.....my only solution is rest and heat...like a heating pad or hot water bottle or those shaped bags or wraps with beans inside you heat in a microwave.....then warm showers ....soft pillows to keep in good position at night or while resting.

Hope it eases soon...also minimal use of the arm just gentle stretch a little.

Have you done anything you think caused it...some sort of repetitive movement activity?
 
I also hate hate hate the lock up - I get them every month, in my neck usually, going down my arm. Same as diamond, resting and using my heat pack almost all day is all that I can do. I also sometimes use an extra dose of my muscle relaxant for sleeping, but this comes with the danger of falling asleep in an awkward situation and making it all worse when you wake up the next day. So make sure when in bed, you fall asleep in a 'safe' position.

Waiting it out and finding hope in the fact that it will come to an end, hopefully soon, are also important for your mental strength,
 
Well, poop. I was hoping you experts had a magical solution. But then again, you'd probably be millionaires if you did.

I had to stay at my parents' house for a few days to help my mom post-surgery. Their kitchen is being remodeled, so there was no stove, no sink, etc. Stuff was EVERYWHERE. So in addition to helping my mom, I also had to try and organize their stuff and make them a pseudo-kitchen they can use for the next 2 weeks.

So I would go ahead and chalk this one up to stress. Lol.
 
Oh man , I hate that too! So much. Especially with the pains similar like you slept on the wrong side of bed and you can't turn you head back to normal way. :mad: then my whole body felt like weighting tons afterward.

I wish i could get an inversion table for that , cause I used to be able to hang my self upside down with ecxercise bar but now i cant do to my bad balance.

For now I just lay my body on my back on my bed side way with some pillow on the floor next to the bed, and slowly slide my head down hanging off the bed towards the pillow on the floor ( slide like a worm on my back ) . Then slowly move my arms away from my body very slowly spread the equally . Since your head and your shoulder should already be hanging off from the side of the bed by now. Simply just Let the gravity slowly pull both of your arms above your head and try touch the pillow on the ground ( you dont need to touch it but just imagine that you are) . If you have any help fron some one , you should ask them to grab your ankles so you can lower your body and head down further. Gravity can help alot with less movement need, but make sure not to let your self fall . So move like a worms very very slow. 8) once you are at the good hanging position then try to move your head side to side if you could . If not it's ok. Try it a few time to see if it would work for you to help lossing up some .
 
I really like Sombra warming therapy on my neck an shoulders. Also massaging the area - I can usually find a source point or knot that the pain is starting from - if I press it the pain eases. I'll massage that by rolling on a tennis ball on the floor or against the wall. My TENS unit helps, but only on my shoulders, I wouldn't use it on my neck. Numbing cream is another good muscle rub for that area - I usually alternate between the two.
 
I have found that the first thing that helps me is heat,lots of heat.So either a heating pad.hot water bottle and especially a long hot shower or if I feel like it a bath.Especially at,or near bed time and if you or someone else( if you are lucky enough) put fresh sheets on your bed.The quality of your night's sleep will dictate how long the flare up will last.On top of fibro,I have two herniated discs and one bulging in my lower neck,with a bonus of severe compression of the spinal cord.I know neck and shoulder pain intimately,and the second thing that helps is a good pain pill to keep from going insane!For me it is hydromorph contin,but you know what agrees with your body.I hope you find relief quickly.
 
I have two herniated discs and one bulging in my lower neck,with a bonus of severe compression of the spinal cord.

Our spinal cords must be BFFs! I sadly made the mistake of going under the knife for the herniated discs when I started losing feeling/strength in my arm. I've had severe neck pain since my teens.

When the surgeon 'promised' me I would be healed, I was sold. (I did try everything beforehand by the way incl. all kinds of injections, alternative treatments etc)

1st surgery - the surgeon used the latest technology, the latest in disc replacement. But yeah, being me, the artificial disc decided to move and ruin my neck further.
2nd surgery took it out, replaced it using the classic ACDF method. But damage was already done, and now I feel worse than before the surgeries.

So my warning to everyone with herniated discs - think 1000 times before going under the knife. The surgery can really make things worse for you.

My neck is now a mess....combined with tendinitis and bursitis in my shoulder and a frozen shoulder/nerve damage....my whole upper body gets locked up a lot, so much fun....
 
Jeez!I feel your pain,and you have my sympathy.I always wondered if I had made the right decision to not have the surgery.You have made me feel somewhat better about my choice,but it still gives me grief all the time.With all my focused efforts to strengthen the entire area with exercises,it has been my single biggest failure that has shown no real progress,except that it hurts a little less when I turn my head.I fear I will be suffering it's effects till my last day.Nerve pain is difficult to treat,not much helps,without opiates I could not function.Have you found anything that helps?
 
I was watching the spine laser surgery commercial and wonder if it would help but I guess not. With fibro it would be impossible.
 
Unfortunately,all the cartilage is falling apart and so structurally it is collapsing.It is major surgery.The only way to repair them is to fuse all 3 together.I could not turn my head anymore without my shoulders going with it.I wish laser was an option,but it is not.I appreciate the thought though!
 
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