Anyone Got A Cure For A Pinched Nerve?

[hausdok]

Dozed off on the sofa Monday night just after Craig Ferguson's monolog. Had my right hand behind my head at the time.

Woke up 20 minutes later and half of my right hand was asleep. At first I thought it would wake up momentarily, but after half an hour it was still asleep.

Started thinking I had something serious going on. Called the E.R. They said come in right away 'cuz they thought I might be having a stroke. I did. No stroke. Doctor says I've apparently pinched a nerve and says there isn't any medication that will work - I have to wait it out. He said that if it doesn't get better by Thursday I'll need to see a specialist.

So far, no better and it takes me forever to type something 'cuz once I start whatever this is seems to spread to the other three fingers on my right hand and turns it into a club.

Anyone know of any home remedies for this type of thing? I'm headed out for a job this afternoon and this is going to make it very tricky.

OT -OF!!!

Mike

[Nolan Kienitz]

Many folks don't care for them, but I've always used a good chiropractor to help keep my back in reasonable alignment.

Have had many pinched nerves related to same and have had good results.

[gtblum]

Many folks don't care for them, but I've always used a good chiropractor to help keep my back in reasonable alignment.

Have had many pinched nerves related to same and have had good results.

I'm with Nolan. Took me a very long and sometimes miserable time before I finally gave it a shot. I quickly changed my mind about them.

BTW. Is that guy the funniest SOB on TV, or what? I Know!

[Tom Raymond]

Put an ice pack on your right neck/shoulder for 20 minutes. Wait 20 minutes, then place a moist heating pad on it for 20 minutes. Keep alternating like that til you get relief. The ice will reduce swelling while the heat will loosen tense muscles.

If you do go chiropractic they'll have you on that regimine after the adjustment anyway, and very often you can work out a kink on your own without the crunching.

[kurt]

What you describe isn't all that far away from extreme carpal tunnel effect, which is essentially a pinched nerve. It is exactly what mine felt like; club hand and arm.

Surgery is what works for carpal tunnel; had mine done 20 years ago, no flareup since.

[Steven Hockstein]

Have gone to the Chiropactor a few times for various ailments and it seemed to help. Just hate the neck cracking (AKA adjustment) part.

Question: How many chiropractors does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer: One, but it takes 27 visits!

Sorry for your pain Mike. Hope you feel better soon.

[Terence McCann]

Lots o Advil Mike. The more the nerve is pinched the more it causes the surrounding muscle to tighten which presses on the nerve and on and on. Get the inflammation down and try cold or heat (whichever works best) to the area.

After a fall I had neck surgery in '86. Still have a ruptured disc in the lower back that likes to flare up now and again. Advil works best (that and Jameson) but takes time.

[Scottpat]

I had pinched nerves that made my thighs numb. I acquired it from sitting/laying in a hospital bed for 48 hours without moving, another story! Anyway, the orthopedic doctor put me on a muscle relaxant at night and Aleve during the day. Within 3 days I had feeling back in my thighs.

[Tim Maxwell]

I don't go often but the chiropractor always bails me out when I get something like this. He is a good friend and sports therapist. He charges me less per visit than most prescriptions would cost me.

[hausdok]

Kurt

Might have something there. By this evening it felt nearly normal. I got on the computer and typed about 100 words and now the hand and wrist are numbing up again.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[Les]

Well,

I think your new avatar should cure any pain you are feeling!

I lay a fifty pound pill beside the bed and every couple of hours lean over and give it a lick.

[Scottpat]

Well,

I think your new avatar should cure any pain you are feeling!

I lay a fifty pound pill beside the bed and every couple of hours lean over and give it a lick.

Ah Les, on the ranch we called that a salt lick![]

[Jim Baird]

If you're open to alternates like chiropractic, don't exclude acupuncture. My wife goes to a practitioner and says it works.

And, as I've said before, once acute phases are over, yoga lessons are always beneficial. Teachers vary a lot, but there is likely one that will suit.

Seems like the MD's always want to get out their knives.

[greyboy39]

Google trigger point therapy. I had a pinched nerve where almost the entire upper left side of my body was going somewhat numb. I found my trigger point and massaged it out myself curing the numbness in about 5 minutes. Sounds like hocus pocus I know, but it truly works wonders.

I now use it as a daily practice for about 15 minutes in spots all over my body with great results. Nearly all my daily aches and pains are gone.

If you want to delve deeper into the practice, a great book is the trigger point therapy workbook, about 15 bucks on amazon. If you just want to try it out before a purchase, your local library might have it, mine did.

Good luck

[hausdok]

Hi all,

Thanks for the responses. Well, it's still here and it's basically screwing me over 'cuz I still haven't been able to finish typing yesterday's report. I went over to see the doc; it's not CPS - CPS effects the thumb and the first three fingers - the nerves that serve the little finger are housed elsewhere according to the doc. The doc says it's definitely a pinched never. I was grateful for that info but still don't understand how, if they are controlled by different nerve groupings why both the little finger and the ring finger are the ones effected.

Doc doubts that hot or cold, accupuncture or anything else is going to fix it; says nerves need to regenerate and that takes time - more in some folks than others.

I'll try the trigger point therapy thing but at this point things are looking pretty grim.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Erby]

Well then, sorry to hear you're having trouble but it doesn't seem like you have much to loose by trying the heat and ice thingy.

Hope you heal soon.

[Bill Kibbel]

I prescribe Demerol for a pinched nerve.

[Erby]

You're so multi-talented, Bill.

Looking forward, along with quite a few others, to your Frankfort, KY Historic Buildings presentation at the KREIA conference in late September!

[charlieb]

It's no cure but something like Dragon Naturally Speaking my help you as you work through it.

[kurt]

I'm a great believer in all manner of healing as naturally as possible; trigger point, acupuncture, massage, etc., are all valid for many things, but (usually) only if those things are muscular or connective tissue related.

Pinched nerves are something else. In almost all cases, you have to relax the effected area, and let things regenerate. As a last resort, surgery can be effective. With stuff like CPS, surgery is really the only thing; the nerve channel gets squashed like a beer can, and you have to open up the channel.

Take care of yourself, don't be beating on damaged parts. Try Dragon, it might be an option.

[Steven Hockstein]

Mike- How are you doing?

[hausdok]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for asking. The bad news is that they're still asleep.

The good news is that I've learned to touch type at a half decent speed with only 8 fingers; although I do find myself backing up three or four times per line to fix typos.

Got an appointment to see a neurologist on the 13th but have to reschedule 'cuz it conflicts with a state Home Inspectors Advisory Licensing Board meeting I need to attend.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[Steven Hockstein]

Sorry to hear that you are not healed yet. I hope you get well soon.

A few drinks and a hammock may help over the holiday weekend.

[Richard Moore]

I have a possible cure. Take one boat and add a dose of Princess Louisa Inlet. My nerves have never been better.

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Is that an old Ford Anglia?

[Denray]

The joys of nerve damage. I tweaked my back in a hang gliding accident back around 78. The chiropractor said the orthopedic was screwing me up and the orthopedic said the chiro was screwing me up. Laid 70 days on the floor. When I would get up it would feel like my back muscles were made of mud that was sliding down my back. I went from being a rafting guide/college to a sit down job as a claims adjuster in the city wearing a tie. What a life change. Easy to do when it's your only choice. Slowly started improving. Got the hell out of the city by transferring up to Eureka, CA. Stayed with that job cause I never knew when my back was going to go out on me. Started flying again 2 yrs later.[:-paperba

Another close call got me to quit about 15yrs ago. Got downsized in 05, and here I am, starting home inspections from scratch in 06.[:-monkeyd

My back only seems to bother me when I wash dishes, which I always do. Something about the holding stuff out in front of me. I just push up on the edge of the sink as though to hang my skeleton from a meat hook. It takes the pressure off momentarily and all is well, except for the home inspection business.[:-crazy]

My dad, who I never met till I was 21, dove into a shallow pond when he was 20 had the neck tweak thing come back on him in his 40's and ever since. He can just look at something wrong sometimes and be laid up for months. In spite of all that he became a successful engineer.

I'm a whoose. When I was lying on that floor with no hope in site I was thinking of suicide if I didn't get better.