Neck injuries

[Champy]

Had 2 R-Cuff tears; torn knee ligaments; constant back problems; etc... have been through surgery; perscription drugs; chiropractors......

I now have a daily routine that has really helped (for some reason). Every morning and every night - I use an inversion table. I bought one of those goofy rotating tables that you lay on and hook your feet into collars, then the table rotates upside down and you can hang there. Only do this for about 2-3 minutes at at time............but no back pain; no joint pain; feels good when I'm done. And on those odd occasions when I seem to tweak something (minor) in my neck or back.....off to the table to stretch and then realign everything.

I am not a doctor, but got tired of all the "other" solutions and not being able to help myself. This works for me along with basic stretching movements to stay limber. (FYI - I'm 48 yrs old)

 

[charlz]

I agree that this sounds more like a neck injury, maybe just 'out of alignment'. I injured my left rotator cuff when I was 17 and it has come back twice (I am now 38). Once when I was in the gym going for 'max bench' ... hurt it was so bad it was like a new injury (maybe was): couldn't lift my arm above my head (bicep would not come up past horizontal) and arm was just very weak. I spent months in the gym slowly getting range of motion back into my shoulder. My solution now is: work out daily and don't do anything stupid (e.g. 'max bench'). I have a desk job that allows me time to workout during lunch. I work out so that I am in shape enough to do everything on my place that needs to be done without injuring/killing myself

If the pain starts in your neck and moves to your shoulder I would say it is probably just 'transference', could be a pinched nerve.


Reminds me of an old joke:

Guy goes to the doctor complaining that every time he drinks coffee his eye hurts. Doc asks him: "Have you tried taking the spoon out of the cup?"

Charles

 

[roxynoodle]

I tore my rotator cuff when I had a horse rear up and come down on it. But, that was like 13 years ago. After therapy (not bad enough to warrant surgery as I'm not a MLB pitcher) and using the latex band at home, I had much improvement. The repetive motion of grading papers if there is a lot of them will aggravate it though. Grading didn't cause it to happen, just makes it act up again.

 

[AndyMA]

I believe you could tear your rotator cuff by turning and reaching around to steer or brace yourself. Having frozen shoulders myself and kids who have had 3 shoulder operations in the last year it does not superise me. I can tell you that if I drive backwards a lot it certainly hurts my frozen shoulders. Rotator cuff seems like the same kind of force to occur.

Andy

 

[daTeacha]

FWIW, those of you shy of chiropractic might look for a D.O. or osteopathic physician instead of an M.D. If you can find an old school D.O. he can do a lot of the things a chiropractor does while also paying attention to the germ theory of disease. None of this sounds like germ related stuff.

 

[N80]

Some regular old MDs can take care of joint problems too.

 

[rback33]

My guess is that it's a neck thing too... I always knwo I am passed due for a visit to the back quack when my fingers are tingling when I type.. I a know I am gettin close again.... I played football one too many years...

 

[DrRick]

I am also 54, same exact symptoms as you describe. I have agravation when looking back on the tractor also , and have pain in my job as a dentist looking down into the patients mouth. I was diagnosed as a pinched nerve in the neck due to the stress that the musculature puts on the spine in order to stay turned so far in that position. Couple the twisted neck with a few bumps on the tractor and you could have a problem. I also have a torn rotator on the right side from an aggressive boar goat that was finished with me cutting his hooves , even if I wasn't. I found that the pain was very different, but both caused a tensing of muscles that the cold packs would help if I used it. I also have an inversion table that I find helps when these attacks occur. P.S. I am not letting ANYONE cut on my spine, unless I am totally debilitated. Just my opinion, and yes - everyone has one.

Rick Roberts

 

[DCS]

DrRick, I am incline to think it is a pinch nerve also "but what do I know!!" The exam that he gave me was, I thought not that thorough. He did put my arm is several positions while feeling my shoulder and he seemed to think the shoulder was trying to pop out of joint. I guess that's why he thought it may be a torn rotator cuff. I did some tractor work this morning and yep my neck and shoulder is hurting. I don't have one of those inverter tables, but I might hang my feet from the FEL and have my wife raise me up and down.....

 

[gclark94560]

Hi All!

At the risk of sounding like a commercial - find a good Chiro!

The best way is to just start saying to all of your friends - " I'm thinking of seeing a good Chiro, do you know one?". See if one or two names keep popping up. If so, go see them. Ask for a free consult and short exam. Almost every Chiro believes in your right to make an informed choice. If they try too hard to sell you a "program", move on.

GIve the Chiro 8 to 10 visits to see if it is working. One shot seldom causes a cure. Things take time to heal.

I sea several thousand patients over 20 years and I can say that the problems you guys are talking about have a high success rate. Of course, there are cases that are too far along for the Chiro to fix, that's when you need a good Orthopedic surgeon.

Greg

 

[TrippleT]

I have a torn rotator cuff now. I went to the Dr. several times. In August, he sent me to get an MRI, after medications and shots all failed. Then I was sent to an surgeon where I got the MRI. He says it will never heal on its own.
????? from some of the replies on here. I know that I can't lie on that side at nights because of the pain. I hope to get it fixed soon. It will probably be during the holidays. Have also talked to a recent graduate physical therapist she seems to concur. My pain radiates down as far as the elbow. The range of motion is greatly diminished as well. I wish you good luck in your quest for to be pain free.

 

[ozzie tractor]

i hurt my neck a few years ago, i was working on a golf course and one of my jobs was to blow any material off the fairways, this was done using a 3PL mounted side discharge blower. this ment i was looking backwards and down for quiet a long time. after every use my neck was so sore i could not turn my head. in the end it was so bad i ended up sitting side saddle with my feet over the mud guard. shure took the strain off my neck, even if the boss freaked out the first time he saw it. now i use a swivel seat in my own tractors, that little bit seems to make all the difference.
in my opinion it seems that any repeated movement is going to give you some sort of problem, we are human after all not machines. look after your body and see specialists when you need to, in hindsight i wish i had done it more (yes i have "mechanic's back" as well from being stupid in my younger years).

 

[daTeacha]

Okay Greg, this ones for you but everyone might want to listen to your reply.

I know I have spinal stenosis (narrowing of the hole the spinal cord passes through for the rest of you) as well as a couple of compressed or slightly leaky intervertebral discs. I also have some Osteoarthritis in my back. I had one of those tests of nerve conductivity done where they sent a small current through various parts of my legs and back. When they hit a spot above the right hip, it really got my attention and all the muscles spasmed. That's also where I felt a distinct pop several years ago while stretching, and it's what hurts right now after bouncing along on the mower for a couple hours last night.

A lot of my problems come from doing too many two or three man jobs myself when I worked construction for several years, some from just being stupid while in college and shortly thereafter. I take Glucosamine for the creakiness and also allopurinol for gout. Do you think a chiro could help my back?

I had a good DO several years ago, but he died of facial skin/bone cancer that left him looking pretty scary for the last few years. I then visited another DO who did treatments, but he retired. The next DO didn't do treatments. My current doctor is a very good MD general practitioner. I've never seen an actual Chiropractor. Aside from asking around, are there any other ways to tell a good one? I'm very tempted to go see the guy who takes care of our high scoool athletes, but he's kind of gimping around himself which makes me wonder about the whole idea.

 

[N80]

I've got nothing against straight chiropractic, but if you have documented spinal stenosis then I would get a blessing from your MD or an orthopedist or a neurosurgeon before getting manipulations to your back. The degree of stenosis is important. I'm assuming you've had an MRI? If the stenosis is such that it is already producing symptoms in your leg (radiculopathy), that would indicate that there is little or no room for anything else to go wrong. And while it might be unlikely for manipulation of the back to result in acute spinal cord damage, I would not risk it until your MD or a specialist says the risk is sufficiently low.

 

[daTeacha]

Yeah, I get the tinglies quite a bit, but moving around helps it. I find splitting wood with an 8 lb maul and then stacking it up to 8 feet high seems to make me feel better, while sitting here grading papers all day on test is literally a pain -- in the back, leg, feet, and hands.

The stenosis was revealed by an MRI about 7 or 8 years ago. I haven't had one recently to see how it's progressed.

 

[N80]

If it is getting worse I would consider an MRI before getting any manipulation. At the very least, tell the chiro or DO that you have spinal stenosis.

 

[daTeacha]

Oh yeah, that is definitely a given. The MD has impressed me quite a bit. I went to him with intermittent dizzy spells a while ago. He listened to what I said, told me it was vertigo induced by a small deposit moving around in my ear, laid me down on his table, rolled my head this way and held it that way then had me sit up, and it was gone! Coolest thing a doc ever did for me!

 

[N80]

Yep. Its called the Epley maneuver and when it works its like a miracle. When it doesn't work you either get nothing...or puke on the doctors shoes.

 

[Soundguy]

I'd be interested to hear what that 'maneuver' acomplishes.

As a child I had chronic inner ear problems.. eustacion tube problems ( spelling? ).. always had an ear infection.... I'm lucky I can hear i guess ( I actually have pretty acute hearing... go figure.. ).

Soundguy

 

[daTeacha]

Interesting -- the wife's family name is Eppley.