Stamping Ground: No such thing as normal service, is there?

Sunday, 31 July 2011

No such thing as normal service, is there?

At some stage last week, I did something that caused a trapped nerve under my shoulder blade. If anybody has any tips or suggestions as to how to live with it, (without cutting my arm off) I would be pleased to hear them! As a consequence, everything is being carried out ridiculously slowly and with much drama, of course. Certain actions, like unloading the dishwasher and sitting in a chair with about 4 cushions are very easy, and of course I can still eat and drink. Phew! Other things that you think would use the same actions are really hard - hanging the washing out, writing, lying down.. and getting a bra on has been a trial, really. It turns out that however well evolved, Mr D hasn't mastered the treble hook and eye system. For which I think I am profoundly grateful!

24 comments:

The Sparkly Fairy said...: Oh dear - hope you feel better soon! Love the card though! I find a good sports massage is good for a trapped nerve!; 31 July 2011 at 10:45
Linby said...: Oh so sorry to hear of your pain, I can sympathise as I get this sort of thing too. I always trot off to the chiropractor, but she always asks have I put an ice pack on it, so you could try that, 15mins on 15mins off.
Lovely card BTW!
Linbyx; 31 July 2011 at 10:49
TAM said...: Ouch I can sympathise as I had this a few weeks ago - even went as far as sending the forms off to self refer to the local hospital for physio (needless to say by the time I could phone for an appointment my shoulder was fine!!!!) My doctor recommended heat and I did find this helped ease the pain a bit.
Amazing isn't it how you don't know what causes these problems - I got in the shower yesterday feeling fine - came out with a pulled muscle in my back and I don't know what I did - problem was I then had to sit in a car most of the day to take my daughter to Wales for an Outward Bound Course and then come back home - round journey of 280 miles - so its back out with the hot water bottle and ibuprofen and an easy day for me today :(
Hope your shoulder eases soon and it doesn't affect you crafting too much - no heavy work in the meantime.
Take care
Trudi x; 31 July 2011 at 10:59
misteejay said...: Bra hooking has to be one of the most difficult things to do when you have a painful shoulder - hope it eases soon.

Beautiful card Julia - love it.

Toni xx; 31 July 2011 at 11:12
Annie said...: Nurofen 3 times a day for a week. Was even prescribed Valium to treat my trapped nerve in my neck cos it works as a muscle relaxant too. Finally my physio cured it by putting my head in a harness and pulling my neck [hubby did say he could have done it cheaper by using a rope and a tree but I declined :-) ].
Hope all that helps Julia and hope you are returned to normal service really quickly.
Big hugs,
A x; 31 July 2011 at 11:29
Siobhan Brignull said...: ooh poor you, Ive had whiplash so sometimes get trapped nerves in arms and legs, only thing Ive found that works is drugs LOL, no really an anti inflammatory does it for me normally, wishing you well soon x; 31 July 2011 at 12:05
Siobhan Brignull said...: rofl - just read wipso's comment; 31 July 2011 at 12:07
Twiglet said...: Hope your shoulder is improving. Gentle yoga stretching helped me. (I don't do yoga really but found a suggested exercise for relieving shoulder and back pain.); 31 July 2011 at 12:36
Raquel SK said...: You poor thing! Pain is no fun. I'm no doctor, but have a bestie who is, and has worked on my back and she recommends laying on a tennis ball to apply pressure directly on the site of your back where you have the problem (usually you can feel a "knot"), also taking an anti-inflammatory and doing stretching exercises for your neck and back whenever possible once the pain has gone away. I hope you feel better soon!-Raquel; 31 July 2011 at 12:37
akilli melek said...: dont leave it too long, get yourself off for a massage or chiropractor appointment.
At the moment my right arm is off and on with numbness and tinling pins and needles, but I'm hoping that is just a result of water retention and will go soon, lol.
hope you feel better soon
caroline; 31 July 2011 at 13:01
Helen said...: Poor you! Hope one of the suggestions above helps - take care!; 31 July 2011 at 13:17
Asia King (aka Joanna K) said...: Beautiful card, Julia! Love the delicate stamping and colours ;).

I once hurt my back drying my hair...! Too trivial task for so much pain ;). Superdrug's own Ibuprofen gel does wonders!

Hope you feel better soon! x; 31 July 2011 at 16:08
Diane said...: Oh dear...I can sympathise Julia. After my bout of pneumonia last year I developed a frozen shoulder.....I never knew how painful that could be...and how restricting. I would agree with the above comments in that heat will help. Also I found a tens machine very good. I had one anyway as I use it on a neck problem when that flared up...also years ago when in labour. You can get them very cheaply now from the local chemists..I found it very effective. Hope you are soon feeling better.; 31 July 2011 at 16:19
Claire said...: Feel better soon Julia, lol at Mr D & the treble hook & eye system :D
C
xx; 31 July 2011 at 16:24
Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...: I had a similar back problem not too long ago. I couldn't sit, couldn't stand, and couldn't lie down without discomfort. It finally subsided, but not for at least a month of sheer agony and practically no art. I finally broke down and took a few Ibuprofen, but that was all. Get better soon.; 31 July 2011 at 16:36
nerllybird said...: Oooh Julia! Deep sympathy! I did this once, and Tried To Carry On....I actually got in my car drove to the shops, but after a couple of miles I was in tears - it was my handbrake shoulder I'd done it to.

Someone mentioned Nurofen: last week I had sciatica (the fun never ends) and was expecting the pharmacist to tell me there was nothing I could do. But he recommended 'pharmacy strength' ibuprofen, and it worked like a charm. You can alternate it every two hours with cocodamol. HTH
Helen x; 31 July 2011 at 17:28
Sandy said...: Ouch! I'm so sorry you have to be in this pain. As someone who has lived with nerve pain (although in my lower arm, leg and hip) I totally sympathize. May I suggest Lidoderm patches? and front hooked bras? They have helped me! Also - if you can calm the muscles, it lessens the nerve pain. Muscle relaxers help a bit. I agree about the ibuprofen - loading dose of double then regular doses - don't let it lapse or you must start all over. Take with food - to prevent tummy injury. Heating pad... Ben Gay or Icy Hot... something along those lines. Also - hot showers with a bit of moving it around might ease the pain. I sure hope you get better soon.; 31 July 2011 at 17:36
paola said...: wishing you a speedy recovery, hells bells sounds painful. Love this card, so elegant
smiles
Paola; 31 July 2011 at 17:48
Angie said...: That is a beautiful card. As for the trapped nerve ...not an easy place to deal with. ...I remember hubby doing it putting a suitcase in an over head rack. He was given a set of gentle exercises and pain killers but they didn't do a lot ...then his boss at the time, sent him to his phsyo for a massage and it began to imporove. Any pain is debilitating ...take care xx
Ps thanks for dropping by and leaving a nice comment on the tour; 31 July 2011 at 18:55
Charlie said...: Lovely card and poor you . Glad to hear you can eat and drink - I had a trapped nerve once (two years ago) I was in pain and washing my hair not to mention trying to use a hair dryer and make some sort of "doo" was utter pain. I ended up spending a fortune going to the fysiotherapist and was finally asked to go see a chiropractor. She showed me a muscle underneath the shoulder blade and said - can you do your hair?? I knew right away this was it - I was scared to death letting her "wring my neck" but leaving her place I could turn my head to the right and left in the traffic for the first time in weeks. In fact I could turn it so far I was afraid to do the spin like Meryl streep does in a silly movie (I think it is called Death becomes her). Hope you find a solution soon. Take care. =0); 31 July 2011 at 19:58
HeARTworks said...: Sounds excruciating! Praying you'll b e better SOON! Patsy from
HeARTworks; 1 August 2011 at 01:22
Kath Stewart said...: Hi Julia....I can sympathise...I suffer from this all the time due to wear and tear in my neck...heat certainly helps...sit with a hot water bottle on the sore area....I also use a Tens machine when it is really bad but the secret is to try not to do the things that give you the most pain...just be patient it will get better...sending big hugs kath xxx; 1 August 2011 at 10:24
Charlene said...: So sorry to hear about your pain, Julia! Hope you feel better soon. That card is lovely though.

Yours is one of the blogs I still can't sign into with blogger...grrrr.; 3 August 2011 at 04:21
Ohhh Snap said...: I had one of those, highly unpleasant! It was fixed by accidental accupuncture. I was having a nerve thingy and the technician accidently put the pin through a nerve bundle. Thought my eyes were going to fly out of my head and I forgot all about my shoulder. At first I thought it was one of those stub your toe, forget your headache things, but it was gone. So maybe accupuncture?; 3 August 2011 at 12:24