Managing the pain without narcotics. shoulder pain??

[Mandapanda17]

hey y'all. it's been 30 days for me at 10pm! :) I was just curious if anyone has had a pinched nerve or muscle spasms in their back or neck area? If you don't know my story, I had two shoulder surgeries for torn ligaments underneath my rotator cuff, the surgeon SAYS that its healed fine after the second surgery. the problem with that is I still feel the EXACT same pain as I did before both surgeries. i have a horrible, tight, BURNing, sometimes feels like a knife in the back of my neck/shoulder above my shoulder blade. Naprosyn seems to help somewhat, but as soon as I work three or more days in a row the pain is horrible!! I'm not planning on taking narcotics again, honestly they almost NEVER helped the pain that I have anyway, except the month or two after the surgeries. i think they might've made my pain worse sometimes.. but now the pain is back, stronger than ever! ??? Anyone had anything similar with their shoulders? Any suggestions? Hope everyone else is good!!! xoxoxo :)

[marcatj]

good for you Manda.. YAY for you!

you know, i take an ibuprofin 800 daily, and it DRAMATICALLY helped my disk and back/neck problems.

it reduces inflamation, which research is saying more and more, is at the root of alot of pain and disease.

i can't tell you how much better it has helped than narcotics EVER did.

i highly recommend it for pain... physical therapy and a great chiro can help too.  as well as a book called The Egoscue Method for pain... all very helpful.

after a year ++ of chronic pain, i am living again.. and almost pain free.

good luck.. and again, congrats...

:-)
mj

[Mandapanda17]

thanks :) I bet my shoulders look like that too.. I feel like I hold my arm in a strange way! I did physical therapy after the surgeries, but not for the last 8 months. I'm going to go to a chiropractor I think and see if that helps anything now. i'm going to find a different job soon, I know my job is still making it worse, thats what injured my shoulder in the first place! xoxo

[sadinmichigan]

hey girl..Congratulations..you rock!! Yes, I have had horrible shoulder/neck problems..last year I had extensive rotor cuff surgery for 2 90% tears that were caused by the bone spurs that had develped I also had what is called the mumford procedure..thats where they shave off a bit of the collar bone and then make room in the ball and socket so it can move freely..all the cartilidge was arthritic in there..and dang did that hurt..did you go to physical therapy? (forgive me, I didn't read the whole thread) also chiopractic care was the only thing that helped my neck. I had so many problems because of they way I "baby" mu shoulder..I do it without knowing it.I keep my arm really clost to my side and that just throws everything out of whack..even now if you were to look at my shoulders and the muscles on each side , there is a huge difference..one is higher that the other etc...

[Mandapanda17]

elavil? I'll have to tell my brother about that. his dumb doctor keeps trying to get him to take tramadol. he thinks vicodin helps, but then when I told him that I'd read that for some people it makes tmj pain worse, he agreed that it helps the migraines, but not the tmj pain. i'm not taking any more narcotics for this type of pain, not worth it in the long run! I didn't even know who I was anymore on them..lol..

[worried878]

i went to two docs before my diagnosis by a chiro of tmj...tried 2 drugs..lyrica first...felt like a zombie...then cymbalta and felt loopy..like my decisons were off..not responsible on that stuff...went back to may good ole elavil that always works for me in a pinch...a pinched nevere is also often being encroached by something..often a vertebrae that is out of alignment...it is worth a try..doctors throw meds at me...chiros dont...they say go home and drink fluids, strech, ice and heat/massasge,,natural stuff...no pill cept supps

[Mandapanda17]

worried- interesting, my brother had tmj and is in constant pain from it, he gets migraines and bad neck pain I guess. maybe I'll tell him to try a chiropractor also. :)

harry- I thought maybe that could be my problem for a while now, the surgeon never said anything though, and I would always tell him where the pain was and how it felt. doctors are stupid sometimes.. thx! :)

[HARRYBEADS]

Sounds like a pinched nerve, fits perfect with it, burning and stabbing, see a Neurologist
Lyrica helps damaged nerves. I'm suffering the same but mostly in my legs.


Harry

[worried878]

it will..i can almost guarantee ya...they adjust my rotator cuff..my shoulder. neck and spine..i almost did not get the splint from the dentist for the tmj as the jaw adjustements were really relieving the pain

[Mandapanda17]

EXACTLY... tight muscles seems to be the problem. i almost thought I had two surgeries for no reason, but the MRI's did show torn ligaments underneath my rotator cuff. weird.. I was always confused because I NEVER felt pain even where the ligaments were torn. I should try and see a chiropractor too, I'm sure it might help :) glad to know I'm not crazy..

[worried878]

YES!...I have it...hurt my shoulder at 26....it moved into my neck and everywhere due to the tight muscles...massage/heat and ice/as well as stretching like yoga helped/but the chiropractor is the one who save me i think as the tight muscles tugged on my spine and pulled me out of alignment..that is the only way i get relief...like u/the pills never helped me much...not with pain..i think they became an AD for me if anything else....try new methods as we both know the pills dont get us anywhere

[Mandapanda17]

yay! sooo proud of you too! :) Awesome, life really is better off the opiates, isn't it? I've laughed so much more than I did for 5 years!! congrats and let me know how it goes for you!

[Coolio Hernendez]

Yeah...i'm doing good i just jumped off the sub @ 23 days and im feeling good about it.

My life is so much better now so i want to try it with no meds at all......I really think this is really gonna be it. I can always continue the sub if i have to but i think that i wont. I know this...I will never do normal opiates again no matter what....If i do have some major pain problem in the future then i will have to use sub....atleast i cant abuse the sub and i never have to count pills........

[Mandapanda17]

I'll have to look up zanaflex and ask the doc, the aleve does seem to work pretty well, beter than the narcotics did even for me. thanks!

[avisg]

Manda ,I have TMJ so I deal with a lot of neck and shoulder pain zanaflex and aleve work just as well as the narcotics did .

[Mandapanda17]

thanks!! :) how are you doing? I know you're still going strong too!

[Coolio Hernendez]

Hey whats up ?

Glad to see your still holding strong.