I recently injured my neck/shoulder, and have just started going to physical therapy. The current thinking is that I have a chronic condition, perhaps degenerative, that is not serious but has been worsening over the years and needs some life adjustments to slowly turn around: posture, stretching, general awareness of how I am moving - that sort of thing.
My office mate has an accupressure device she keeps on a hook, which she encouraged me to use. I used it on a Friday, felt much better Saturday, but far worse on Sunday. I suspect I actually did slight damage with it. I was encouraged to use it by a lot of folks at the hospital, a lot of them nurses, and often with the same explanation: "You've probably got some kind of knot...that could really help you break whatever knot you've got there...I had a knot and I found that pressure really helped...your shoulders look hunched like you've got a knot up there..."
Except it wasn't a knot. What is it with jumping to the conclusion that it's a knot these days? How did this become the go-to explanation?
Maybe familiarity with common side effects when sedentary people exercise? Of course a cramp is not a knot, but we use language carelessly. Naughty...
ReplyDeleteI like knots, in ropes. Learned them in Boy Scouts. I'd guess that any little/big pain anywhere near the skin without a bump is not a knot. I'd suggest you ask a physical therapist before taking an office-mate's or co-worker's suggested treatment.
ReplyDeleteYou know, you might want to try getting in touch with your Scandinavian roots by sitting in the sauna at 180 degrees for at least a half an hour a day for awhile. Sweating as much as you will really DOES get rid of toxins, plus you will be really relaxed (because dehydrated?) afterwards, so if tension is contributing, you will have lessened that aspect of it without any damage. Plus, the sauna will lead to your body building tiny new blood vessels that will heal the injury. Plus heat eases pain temporarily, even if it hurts like a !@#$% again in a couple of hours. We got a cheap Costco infrared one on sale (999 for 2 seater) that is worthless compared to a real one, but still does wonders for pain relief and relaxation, and fits in the corner of the garage.
ReplyDeleteI'd beware of heavy duty massage for the same reason you described in your post: some "therapeutic" massage can be quite agonising when one is injured, and makes it worse.
I found some fairly effective willow bark rub (ingredient salicylic acid in aspirin I think) on Amazon that I sometimes use on painful shoulders on knees that gives relief. Without getting a bleeding gut from popping aspirin like candy for pain....
I'd be careful of even gentle yoga. Some yoga can really help with injuries but only if you find someone with real expertise on injury and not exacerbating them.
After nearly destroying my knee and toe joints as a classical dancer and then marathoner, I no longer have any patience with people who urge one to push thru pain. Pay attention to it, baby it. Ice it. Or (as I said) apply heat. Also, there's a fairly decent NSAID Meloxicam that I was taking til it ran out for my horrible runner's knees. No opiates, but it works better than aspirin and you only have to take it once a day. Of course, the now-banned Vioxx was more effective....