Hope it's worth it!

[teadrinker]

My physio continues with some improvement, and thanks to another round of injections almost 3 weeks ago I am getting relief from my facial pain again.

The physio stuck a big strip of special tape across my misbehaving shoulder yesterday. This is to stretch out the muscle into to a "good" position rather than let it contract into its preferred, "bad" position, which then causes pain. The only problem with the tape is that the stretched out muscles don't like being in this position so I've got this niggly pain again. I suppose it's going to happen, it's like sitting on your foot for half an hour, then it hurts when you stand up on it. It must be like trying to ride a bike when you've not done it for a while - all those leg muscles complain because they're not used to behaving in a certain way. But after a while you get used to it.

I have until Saturday lunchtime then the tape can be removed!

In the meantime, it occurred to me that it might actually be worth trying a dose of old-fashioned paracetamol every 4 hours. Now that I have written this down it means I will actually do something about finding the paracetamol in the cupboard instead of forgetting it.

I have had the recurring thought of, "here we go again, why does everything have to hurt?" but I'm pushing it away. And if it ever stops raining I might even venture back onto my bike, now that it's been spruced up...

[Calceolaria]

All excellent ideas, Teadrinker! Go for it!

[Calceolaria]

All excellent ideas, Teadrinker! Go for it!

[cazzyme]

Thumbs up to you Teadrinker! go for it

[johnsmith]

Is the niggly pain because you are trying to hold the muscles in the preferred position. You need to stop contracting the muscles a slight difference.

As soon as a muscle starts to contract it blocks off the blood supply feeding it nutrients. By moving muscles pump blood and nutrients through it.

A buildup of lactic acid in a muscle is painful and a warning sign that you are doing sometime you shouldn't. Masking or attempting to mask this pain with paracetamol is not a good idea.

I suggest you discuss this issue with the physio.

[teadrinker in reply to johnsmith]

The problem went away but I will talk to the physio at my next appointment. We always discuss the effects of the previous treatment session and she is very good at adapting the treatment if something hasn't helped.

I rarely take paracetamol or other painkillers -mostly as they don't work for this sort of pain. But sometimes the occasional use of something gets me out of a vicious circle and I can get back on track.

[nedd]

If it us not the rain it is the wind that keeps me off the bike. Have you got a mile meter fixed. I find watching it click around very satisfying. We need all the motivation that we can get.

Re: shoulder tape. Did you go to an NH physio. I long to give that strategy a go. But my local hospital just tuts at me. Hope it proves useful.

[teadrinker in reply to nedd]

The aching stopped yesterday and the tape came off today. It's generally been a good day painwise.

I've had some NHS physio (via occupational health) but am paying privately this time. I have great respect for NHS physios - I work with them. But the system means that if you go to a musculoskeltal physio clinic in the NHS you tend to get a 20 minute appointment and maybe just 6 appointments. This seemed to work for my husband when he injured himself, but it's perhaps harder for chronic pain. I get double the time per appointment by paying for it, which means we have been able to try a variety of things. I have now had about 4 or 5 appointments and we are just starting to get some improvement but I know it will take more than 6 sessions to build on that.

It's a frustrating system in the NHS. I know that not everyone can afford to pay for treatment and I am working some extra hours at the moment so I can manage to do this.

I think there is also an element of luck involved - I've had 2 (NHS) physios who haven't really seemed to know what to do when the treatment didn't work & I got discharged. I've had 2 physios (one NHS, one private) who have been really tuned into what works for me as an individual, and they seem to have a good understanding of chronic pain.

Nedd, it's ridiculous that your hospital tuts at you! Can your GP refer you somewhere? You at least deserve an assessment. I got tutted at by a GP several times every time I asked for a referral to the maxillofacial department even though I had facial pain. Persistance paid off & I got my way in the end. Even though the department couldn't deal with my pain they did everything possible to help and didn't think I was being silly.

Still not been on the bike but I'm told it's going to be nice tomorrow so there will be no excuse!