Topic: The aches and pains thread

[snowcat]

So on Sunday I was doing some heavy lifting and I woke on Monday barley able to move my right arm, I though vie probably strained it took a pain killer and went to work, sadly my job that day also involved heavy lifting, and I'm guessing only made it worse today three days later I am still in the same amount of pain. I'm thinking I may have pulled or even torn the muscle... I'd have to make a doctors appointment a week in advance for all I know it could be healed by then, and I don't have time for the cues in the walk in centre. Not that I Wouk go anyway. I once broke my fingers and didn't tell anyone until they went bright purple and swelled up the next day. I'm even using my iPod to surf the net because it hurts too much to use a laptop.

Share your pain stories with me to take my mind of this



 

[Critter]

You may have been using muscles you never have before, or don't use often. I remember when I first shot at archery I literally couldn't lift either of my arms for a week, and it was just becuase I hadn't used those muscles before.

As far as other aches and pains go, I have had a few. I have broken my wrist once, ended up in hospital twice with Pneumonia and had 4 surgeries under a general anesthetic.

[snowcat]

I duno I do alot of lifting at work... This also feels like I have a bump in my arm :s strange.

[Critter]

I dunno then, if it's something you do a lot of then you probably have done some muscle damage. We should wait until Kathy gets to this thread, she is a nurse I think. 

[Jimmy]

The worst pain I had was when I broke two of my fingers (the little one and the other near him) hitting a big metal trash container one night I was drunk and angry. It seems like nothing when I went to bed (the high level of alcool helping). The day after when I saw my hand all black & blue and swollen leaving the bed I know something was wrong and cleaning my hair in the shower was hell on earth

Of course after that it was a fast run at the hospital where I was teased by the nurse when I told her the way it happen. I've pass 1 month in a cast because of that... taking alcool the day your girlfriend leave you isn't the brightest idea

[snowcat]

Oh dear jimmy, my broken fingers story is not as interesting I was playing basketball they went back I heard a crack but carried on playing. I just had mine plastered together :p



The only other thing I have done was accidentally stab myself with a craft knife when I was making a model...I panicked the first thing I did was ring my then boyfriend who was 50miles away... Then I walked downstairs to my mum an nearly fainted :p

[Dragonfire]

I've never broken any bones.
I have had surgeries on my hips when I was ...let me think a minute.  8 or 9 I think it was.  That was not fun.  I was stuck in the hospital in traction for months.  Had to learn to walk again.  I still have trouble with my hips.

My upper back or neck has been hurting a bit recently. 

[lovemunkey187]

Have been suffering for the past couple of months with a trapped Sciatic nerve.

When I've had trouble like you've described I go for Ibuprofen tablets and alternate an Ice pack with a hot water bottle and it tends to alliviate some of the soreness.

The only other thing I have done was accidentally stab myself with a craft knife when I was making a model...I panicked the first thing I did was ring my then boyfriend who was 50miles away... Then I walked downstairs to my mum an nearly fainted :p

I've done something similar, but not. I was helping someone do some fencing (post and panel, not epee/sabre), we had finished the job we were doing and it was time to tidy up, whilst I was doing that he had to nip off to do an estimate on another job.
The old posts had been cemented in place, so they had to be broken up with a sledge hammer which I was finding quite relaxing TBH, anyhoo, I had nearly finished when one of my swings got a little enthusiastic and the head of the hammer tapped me on the top of my head, not hard enough to hurt but enough to know contact had been made. I smiled to myself thinking "That could've been nasty", the next thing I notice is dampness running down the side of my face. Hand comes away red.

I wander upto the kitchen door of the house I was working at and ask the owner if she'd be good enough to see how bad the cut was.
I really did think that she was going to pass out when she opened the door and saw me standing there.
We had abit of back and forth asking the other if they were okay and assuring them that we were.

When my mate returned he took one look at me then drove me to hospital.

A two hour wait and some Super Glue, then it was home for Fish, Chips & Mushy Peas.

[Kathy]

Okay, first the nurse stuff. As a general rule, when you have a strains, sprains or the like, remember RICE. Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. These type of injuries are nasty and can take several weeks to heal.

I would call the doctor and schedule an appointment. If after you try the following and don't feel better you will need to see them. If you feel better, you can always cancel.

The swelling you described could be something as simple as swelling or as serious as a tear. Do NOT continue to use this area or you can cause further damage.

Try doing the RICE thing and take over the counter pain meds as directed. Do NOT take more than recommended. If the doses of these medications are not doing the job you might need prescription pain pills.

Do not drink alcohol with ANY type of pain medication. I've seen people need a liver transplant after chronic use of Tylenol (acetaminophen) and drinking.

Epsom salt put into a warm (not hot) bath can help to ease pain. Sometimes after a few days ice doesn't work too well and warmth is better. See what works for you.

If you do use ice do not put it directly on the skin; wrap it it a wet towel before putting it on the area. A bag of frozen peas works well too because it molds to the area. Whether you use ice or heat (such as a heating pad) don't leave it on for more that ten or fifteen minutes. You can do this ever hour or two.

Alternative therapies have great therapeutic value.

Simple things such as deliberate focusing on your breathing can help. Turn off all distractions - radio, TV etc. Sit in a comfortable position and slowly breathe in through your nose at a count of three. Exhale slowly to a count of 6. Concentrate. Keep your mind clear of everything except breathing.

You can try aroma therapy. Find a candle or scent that is pleasant or brings back happy times. The brain remembers scents and can trigger responses that can help you to heal.

Take a warm foot bath. Afterward, have someone massage lotion into your feet. Do the same with your hands. There are pressure points in these areas that can help cure physical ailments. This has been done for thousands of years in China.

Chiropractors and Acupuncturists are extremely helpful and are becoming more accepted even by the mainstream medical community. You might be able to see them much quicker than a general physician, often the same day.


Now my worse injury to make you feel better. Many years ago at work someone did not connect a double infusion pump (a heavy piece of medical equipment to give drugs) correctly. It fell crushing my left arm right at the elbow.

The problem was the damage to the nerves. They were so swollen they popped out and looked like a snake on the back of my arm. The pain was excruciating. I did not get more than a few minutes of sleep at a time for almost six months. It got to the point where I thought death was better than living.

Now I have a high pain tolerance, I had root canal work done without anesthesia, but this nerve pain <shudder>. I finally was sent to a pain specialist who put me on a new and different pain regiment, anti seizure medication. Within a few weeks things were tolerable and I was able to start physical therapy and get back on the road to recovery.

I still get the occasional pain, if I sleep wrong for example, but life is good again.   



 

[Achim]

Last year September I woke up one morning with incredible pain in the lower back. I could hardly move, everything caused pain. I called work that I couldn't come. It was a Friday, so I had three days to go through the motions: like warm bath, not moving much. By Sunday it had gotten better, I could move around again, However, I still felt uncomfortable in the lower back area. On Tuesday I decided I should go see a doctor who prescribed warm packages and electrical muscle stimulation.

Now for the bad part: during the therapy for the back pain, which was getting better rapidly, something went wrong, a nerve got hit and i ended up with "foot drop". Shortly after my back was o.k. but I had to go to rehabilitation for three months to train my foot (stretch the calf muscles, electrical stimulation, reflex training). I don't walk funny anymore but some small disability of foot movement remains.

[Rogmeister]

I have dialysis 2 times a week...I was having it 3 times until last week.  This involves putting needles in my arm (that part doesn't hurt too much since I get a cream that numbs my arm somewhat) and taking blood out, cleaning it, and returning it into my body.  They also remove excess fluid from my body (this is all due to kidney disease).  That part is where the pain comes in.  If they take out too much fluid, it results in extremely nasty leg cramps.  Sometimes the leg cramps go away fairly quickly but a few times, like Monday, the leg cramps seem to last forever.  I need to start limiting what I drink...the more I drink, the more fluid they have to take out of me.  And I just bought an ice tea maker a month or two ago, too... 

[snowcat]

Thanks Kathy ill have to look into that, im terrible at looking after myself, im a workaholic I pride myself on always being busy with something, writting reviews, working on various websites I write and manage, my real job and writing scripts etc... being ill does not fit my schedule at all! 

I promise I will try to rest my arm, but it seem the left one is developing the same problem which has me worried... Ive tried all forms of painkillers "paracetamol, Ibuprofen etc" and im still in pain with this, I will have to book a doctors appointment tomorrow, but my practice is small with just two doctors so "non emergencies" can be a long wait and... well, I dont like the attention from being classed as an emergency! in fact I hate attention... I made my parents promise not to throw me a birthday party this year for that reason :p

Anyway back on topic, keep the stories coming! Its making me feel a little better :p

[Kathy]

Emma, if you are still in pain and the discomfort has expanded, this is an emergency. Your doctor needs to be called, told what is happening and let them evaluated the seriousness of the situation.

[snowcat]

I rang them up and they say the earliest they can see me is tomorrow at 1pm as they close at 6 (which is now) they said what you did to put some peas on it and see if it feels better... but I dont like how fast its spreading to other parts of my arm... I mentioned my shoulder and they said it might be my brain working over time :/ so It looks like ill be there tomorrow.

[Kathy]

Its not unusual to feel worse 2 or 3 days after an injury. But, go tomorrow and have them look at you. Be sure to let them know that your pain is not relieved by the medications you are taking.

If things don't feel right or get much worse, go to the emergency room.