Something for a pinched nerve???

[angelwing]

DH started complaining of "pins & needles" feeling in his right forearm about a week ago...well it has gotten to the point of the pain going from his arm to his neck and it will not quit. I called the doc & doc said to take 2 Aleve in the AM & 2 in the PM, well of course its not helping much and I am worried about him getting another ulcer from this, we don't need to go thru the "peptic-ulcer-perforated-perontinitis-sepsis-abdominal abcessd-respiratory-failure-die-twice" again like back in July 2005.

Can anyone recommend something natural that I may be able to get this weekend? A salve? Herbs? Something??? In a brick& mortar store as we don;t shop on the net.

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated!!!

[dilligaf]

deep tissue massage by a licensed massage therapist..

[angelwing]

TY for the quick response, I will try to talk to him about this, this is a person who refused to get medical help till its too late, sigh

[hunybee]

if you can tell where the nerve is pinched, a warm pack can help. the deep massage is good also. if you couple the ibuprofen with the heat and massage at just the right time with food (for the ibuprofen) and alternate it with tylenol, it can really help

[Summerthyme]

A GOOD chiropractor could help. But it can be dangerous, working on the neck/cervical spine.

If you can find some arnica salve or gel at a health food store, applying it to his neck over the spine, from the base of the skull to just below the "collar" area MAY possibly help.

Does his doctor know he has a history of bleeding/perforated ulcers? and STILL recommended Aleve? Scary...

You might want to try Curcumin + piperine... it works in the same way as Vioxx and Celebrex (it's a COXX2 inhibitor- a NSAID) but without the dangerous side effects. It won't damage the stomach lining like most OTC and Rx NSAID meds can. It's available from most herb places on the 'net and probably at some local stores, depending on how rural you are.

Try changing pillows. Depending on which position he prefers when he sleeps, he may have the wrong pillow to support the cervical spine correctly. Someone who sleeps on their side needs a firmer pillow than someone who sleeps on their back.

You can try some "trigger point therapy" at home, and if his problem is mostly in the muscles and soft tissue, it will help. If he'll cooperate, have him sit in a chair. Stand behind him, and begin pressing gently but firmly on the muscles on one side of the spine, starting down where the neck joins the shoulder. If you hit a "tender" spot, press harder at that spot. You want to just "bore in" to that spot with your fingertip or knuckle... just as hard as he can stand it (and if you're on a "Trigger point", it HURTS. Hold it for a count of 8 full seconds. Then release the pressure. Work your way up along that muscle group all the way to the skull. Then start on the other side and repeat.

Once you've done both sides, (and I've never seen anyone who *doesn't* have at least a couple trigger points- these are small, tight spots which are formed when you have minor injuries, strains, sprains or sometimes just over tired muscles), have him stretch his neck gently... Bend it all the way foreward slowly, as far as he can, feeling the stretch down in between his shoulder blades. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds or so. Then roll back up straight, and then roll his head back until he's looking up at the ceiling. Hold that for 5 seconds. This stretches the muscles out at the trigger points you just "released" and is important.

The difference after one or two of these sessions is often amazing. You can't cause damage like you could if you tried stretching or "popping" the spine. And often those trigger points are pulling on the spine and causing it to be out of whack just a bit (nice, scientific term there!) which causes it to pinch nerves and cause symptoms you're seeing.

And one last thing- make sure his Vitamin B intake is sufficient. Adding 100-200 mgs of Vitamin B6 daily for a week or two won't hurt- and may make a huge difference. I've seen it cure people of carpal tunnel (another "inflammatory/pinched nerve problem, although the mechanics are different)- a couple of whom had surgery scheduled and who cancelled it after they stopped having symptoms within a week of starting the B6. Don't take those doses for longer than 2 weeks- but if they're going to help, you'll know it within the 2 week span.

You really can usually cure this type problem at home with a bit of patience and care. We have, several times.

Summerthyme

[therosery]

A GOOD chiropractor could help. But it can be dangerous, working on the neck/cervical spine.

If you can find some arnica salve or gel at a health food store, applying it to his neck over the spine, from the base of the skull to just below the "collar" area MAY possibly help.

Does his doctor know he has a history of bleeding/perforated ulcers? and STILL recommended Aleve? Scary...

You might want to try Curcumin + piperine... it works in the same way as Vioxx and Celebrex (it's a COXX2 inhibitor- a NSAID) but without the dangerous side effects. It won't damage the stomach lining like most OTC and Rx NSAID meds can. It's available from most herb places on the 'net and probably at some local stores, depending on how rural you are.

Try changing pillows. Depending on which position he prefers when he sleeps, he may have the wrong pillow to support the cervical spine correctly. Someone who sleeps on their side needs a firmer pillow than someone who sleeps on their back.

You can try some "trigger point therapy" at home, and if his problem is mostly in the muscles and soft tissue, it will help. If he'll cooperate, have him sit in a chair. Stand behind him, and begin pressing gently but firmly on the muscles on one side of the spine, starting down where the neck joins the shoulder. If you hit a "tender" spot, press harder at that spot. You want to just "bore in" to that spot with your fingertip or knuckle... just as hard as he can stand it (and if you're on a "Trigger point", it HURTS. Hold it for a count of 8 full seconds. Then release the pressure. Work your way up along that muscle group all the way to the skull. Then start on the other side and repeat.

Once you've done both sides, (and I've never seen anyone who *doesn't* have at least a couple trigger points- these are small, tight spots which are formed when you have minor injuries, strains, sprains or sometimes just over tired muscles), have him stretch his neck gently... Bend it all the way foreward slowly, as far as he can, feeling the stretch down in between his shoulder blades. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds or so. Then roll back up straight, and then roll his head back until he's looking up at the ceiling. Hold that for 5 seconds. This stretches the muscles out at the trigger points you just "released" and is important.

The difference after one or two of these sessions is often amazing. You can't cause damage like you could if you tried stretching or "popping" the spine. And often those trigger points are pulling on the spine and causing it to be out of whack just a bit (nice, scientific term there!) which causes it to pinch nerves and cause symptoms you're seeing.

And one last thing- make sure his Vitamin B intake is sufficient. Adding 100-200 mgs of Vitamin B6 daily for a week or two won't hurt- and may make a huge difference. I've seen it cure people of carpal tunnel (another "inflammatory/pinched nerve problem, although the mechanics are different)- a couple of whom had surgery scheduled and who cancelled it after they stopped having symptoms within a week of starting the B6. Don't take those doses for longer than 2 weeks- but if they're going to help, you'll know it within the 2 week span.

You really can usually cure this type problem at home with a bit of patience and care. We have, several times.

Summerthyme

yep, that's what we do and it works well, altho I was told to alternate ice and heat, ice and heat, 20 mins of each, because ice will make the swelling go down but do no healing, and the heat will heal but cause swelling. Alternating helps with both the swelling and healing, and coupled with "boring down" on those painful pressure points, really helps. Also, my dr told me to alternate aspirin and advil...that aspirin helps with pain but does not help with swelling and Advil help with swelling...maybe it was the other way around but he said to alternate that, too, and it's always worked. Also, Laying on the floor with his fanny up against the couch while his knees are up on where you would normally sit, straightens out the back, and takes a lot of pressure off the spine, too but you're gonna need a mirror to watch tv. good luck.. rosie

[Summerthyme]

Ummm... I suspect you may have been told to alternate TYLENOL with either aspirin or advil... both aspirin and advil have anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties, but they both can cause blood thinning and stomach irritation. Tylenol doesn't have anti-inflammatory properties, but does help with pain.

ALL the OTC pain meds have some potentially serious side effects- please, people, don't take the maximum doses for more than a couple days without talking to a doctor! Aspirin and ibuprofen can cause kidney damage, as well as bleeding and bleeding ulcers or gastritis. Tylenol is dangerous to the liver, and anyone who has had ANY liver problems at any point in their life (or was ever a heavy drinker of alcohol) should avoid tylenol completely. Also, if you drink alcohol now, even one or two drinks, DO NOT take tylenol in the same 24 hour period. They really combine to cause potentially permanent and dangerous damage.

And yes, alternating heat and ice, especially for acute injuries like sprains and strains, can really help.

Summerthyme

[44044]

I have used DMSO, I got mine at Tractor Supply, vet meds. section, sometimes it helps.

[Shadow]

I spent months dealing with this (pinched nerve in the neck) a year ago. Heat, massage, anti inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxers (flexeril), then eventually stretching and traction, which was the most effective.

The neuro surgeon wrote a prescription for a home cervical (neck) traction unit. I still use it regularly.

On my second visit to him I asked about inversion tables and he said "sure, they may help and they won't hurt".

Go about your treatment carefully but do not put it off. The most frightening words I heard from my doc were "this may be permanent".
Shadow

[Animal Lover]

My doctor wanted me not to use ibuprophen (I have constant headaches) so he said try tylenol, well my heart went nuts for hours and hours. It scared the dickens out of me. I do have a bad heart (well it is a good heart with problems . but never again with tylenol for me. Weird I know as I told him and he had never heard of that happening before. I wish you luck. constant pain is so stressfull that it just makes the muscles tighten up more. God bless and get better soon, I hope. AL