Hi everyone. I had that awfully painful trapped nerve feeling that you get when

[icemaiden]

you sleep funny at the weekend. extremely painful stiff neck and shooting pains all the way down my left arm.

Took Ibruprofen most of the weekend as it was incredibly painful. Yesterday and today, although the shooting pains have gone but I am now left with a very painful arm, shoulder and stiff neck.

I can manage the stiff neck but my arm and shoulder is agony. It's like a really painful ache pain. I am still taking Ibruprofen but it reallly is only taking the edge off. I have had this before but not like this. Should I try and see my GP or give it another few days see if it goes?

Thanks in advance

[Sqad]

Give it another few days.....dose of Ibuprofen is important........400 mgms at a a time.MINIMAL.

[venator]

You might try topical Ibuprophen - the cream form which you rub on the painful area - I think you can use a higher dosage, as it doesn't get wasted going through your entire bloodstream.

Sympathy anyway - I dislocated a shoulder years ago, and still get aches & pains.

Had to give up archery, too.

[icemaiden]

Thanks guys.

Will keep up the Ibruprofen ans see how it goes.

Venator-Dislocated shoulder sounds very painful. :0(

[Kiki-frog]

Icemaiden, I had a similar problem a while back. As Venator suggests, a cream or gel form of Ibuprofen is probably better than tablets or capsules, as you get the added benefit of massage - even better if someone is doing it for you ;-)

But I would recommend seeing an osteopath rather than a GP. Your GP will probably only prescribe heavy-duty painkillers such as Tramadol (which for me were just loopy-pills that knocked me out) and refer you for physio. The osteopath I saw was able to click my neck to release the trapped nerve that was causing the problem, and gave me follow-up exercises, which really helped with the pain of the nerve damage. I felt the benefit of this straight away.

Good luck with this. I know how miserable this condition can be.

[coccinelle]

I second Kiki, go to a good osteopath if pain still there on Friday. If you don't know one ask about as there are good ones and really hopeless ones. You only need to see a good osteopath once or limit twice.

[icemaiden]

Hadn't thought about seeing an Osteopath, would it not be too late now being that the trapped nerve is now (I assume) untrapped?
I know a friend that goes to a good one.

Yes, I have had Tramadol before after I had spinal surgery. Wow they really do make you woozy!

[icemaiden]

And I will be popping into the chemist for a gel to rub in. Can I put it on the whole arm and shoulder?

[Rodge2]

Voltarol cream might help - don't think you should use if you're allergic to aspirin though.

[Kiki-frog]

Voltarol would be a good choice. It's basically a proprietary name for the same basic ingredient in ibuprofen. They are all non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. It's best rubbed into the area which is the source of the pain, but it probably won't do you any harm to rub it into your whole arm - just give you a sticky arm! Read the instructions, though, as with things like Voltarol they usually tell you not to take ibuprofen, nurofen, etc pills at the same time.

Re the osteopath, see how you feel by the end of the week, so you'll have an idea of whether it's likely to be an ongoing problem. Hopefully it won't. But at least your friend will be able to recommend a good one if necessary.

[icemaiden]

Thanks for your answers people.

Still in pain today but I now have the number of the osteopath so if I am still in pain on friday than I think an appointment is in order.

[woofgang]

Have you iced it? wrap bags of frozen peas in tea towels or pillowcases and put them where the pain is. Once the pain subsides, move gently within the range you can tolerate.