Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with injury

Urgent: Cheapest wound care/tetanus vax near Howell, NJ?

batmonkey — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:50:17 -0800

Trying to coordinate help for a friend. She stepped on a nail, doesn't have current Tetanus vax. She needs to have the wound thoroughly cleaned and get a tetanus vax. Just the shot at Walgreen's would be $200 - she needs something cheaper (no insurance). They're in Howell, NJ. They can drive a ways if the savings will be significant. The vaccination is obviously important, but I'd also like to get her to a place that will do the wound care, too.

Best would be open tonight, but places she can go first thing in the AM would be okay, too...unless folks feel that would be too long to wait in this situation.

If y'all have first aid advice for this that she can do in the interim, that would be great, too.

Thanks so much!

I'm giving her the link to this thread, and will do what answering I can for her.

Elbow on fire -- is it you damn mouse?

Lescha — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:42:11 -0800

I looked up this question, but my pain is my elbow and not my hand, arm or wrist. Googling seems to tell me it's "tennis elbow". Could this be from using a mouse? I had a repetitive strain injury in my wrist, but I got an ergonomic/height adjustable keyboard tray and I use a joystick mouse. Plus I use a wrist brace when it's flaring up as well.

But now it’s the outside of my elbow! I barely move my elbow. Mind you, I do rest it on the arm of my chair when I mouse -- could that be a cause? This pain has been going on for about a week and I will go to my doctor to see what he says. But I am asking: could this be from mousing? If so, what should I do? I have already switched mice and it’s not helping. Should I put the arms of my chair down so my elbows are not resting on anything?

Why do metal shavings stick to the eye?

john123357 — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:19:01 -0800

My understanding is that things like sand or sawdust wash out of the eye easily but things like metal shavings especially steel shavings tend to stick to the eye and wont wash out. Why is this?

Biking for the uninsured.

Wordwoman — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:38:26 -0800

I do not have adequate health insurance, am self-employed, and any injury that might prevent me from working steadily would be economically problematic (ok, disastrous). I also would like to begin riding my bicycle again as a form of exercise and enjoyment. Would the health benefits of biking outweigh the risk of injury? I would be primarily riding on designated bike trails, not public roads. I'm somewhat paranoid because a friend (with good insurance, fortunately) had a mishap on a bike trail that required surgery. I don't know how common such mishaps are. What would you do in my situation?

Getting emotional in the gym. WTF is going on?

Brittanie — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:32:15 -0800

Why am I getting emotional during workouts? Has this ever happened to you. I am getting back into a series program of physical fitness after about a year off. I have always stayed somewhat active with running and yoga, but in the past I have done take kwon do, Crossfit, traditional group weightlifting/cardio classes and boot camps.

In November I joined a gym and I really like it. Most of the trainers and almost all of the other patrons are super supportive. Most are women, and classes are pretty small. The workouts are similar to Crossfit but without the "language" and "atmosphere" of Crossfit and are not timed.

However, for the past few months I have found myself getting incredibly emotional at the gym. Like near tears at times when things gets hard. At first I thought this was out of frustration — I am definitely starting from near scratch since it's been so long since I've done these kinds of movements. But then it happened during a non-workout meeting at the gym when one of the trainers was talking about a new program they plan to offer.

WTF is this? It has maybe only ever happened once before, several years ago in tae kwon do, when a spar partner intentionally kicked me harder than they should have, knocking the breath out of me.

Complicating facts is that in December I slightly injured my back and I am still healing from that which means a lot of trial and error in finding movements at the gym that don't aggravate my injury. My trainers are very, very good at working with me and scaling workouts.

Relapsing, Repeating Neck Pain

thanotopsis — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 07:25:49 -0800

In 1999, I rode the Rockin' Roller Coaster at Disney in Orlando. The first thing they tell you on the ride is to keep your head back. I'm a certified idiot, and didn't pay attention, and on the first looping curve, my head was forward. A sudden jerk to the right, and I pull a muscle in my neck. The complication here is that this is what my doctor has determined, since then, is a "deep tissue" tear. It's not subject to massage therapy, heat application, or any surface treatments that might typically relax the muscle. It's connected to a lot of nerve endings, so it's a lot of pain. I tend to feel it all the way from the base of my jaw to the end of my shoulder. Sometimes, I can't even move my neck in relation to my shoulders, and I end up robot-ing my way through life while it's flared.

Luckily, it only flares up once a year or so, and the flare only lasts about 2 weeks. The doctor typically prescribes a muscle relaxant and about 600mg of Ibuprofen for the pain.

Now, while this solution typically works, I'd like to try and treat the problem, and not just the symptoms. I'm thinking a specific exercise regimine might help me, or a change in diet to enhance muscle strength or flexibility (i.e. bananas for everyone!), or something of that nature. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm not seeking an alternative medicine or "natural" solution. I find snake oil personally offensive.

Competitive Powerlifter hurts her back. Now what?

LZel — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:35:18 -0800

(Female, 28 years old, 5'6 155#, lifting for about 5 years, 1 year competitively. First back injury.) Yesterday was my first day back to my Powerlifting routine (Texas Method if it makes a difference) after a week off for a ski trip. Within my first set of squats (after warmups) something ‘not good’ happened to my lower back (first set, 4th rep, 185#). Now what? When I stood up from the 'bad' squat I felt some minor pain in my mid/lower back and immediately thought “Well, that doesn't feel right.” so I racked it. I rolled out on the rumble rollers for a minute, stretched, walked around the gym, etc. but eventually decided to pack it up and go home because the pain wasn't getting any better.

When I got home from the gym, I laid down in my bed for about an hour. Eventually I got up, took a handful of Ibuprofen and decided to suck it up and go to work… but the throbbing pain just kinda worsened during my commute. Walking to the office from the subway totally blew — Every wiggle of my hips was sending pain through my lower back. I got into the office, sad down at my desk, turned on my computer, and after about 30 minutes decided to go back home. I laid around with ice on my back all day yesterday, getting up occasionally to make some food and go to the bathroom. Nothing hurts when I'm laying down, but when I'm up and moving, it hurts.

It really didn’t seem that bad at first (like, hardly anything at the time) but now I’m kinda worried that maybe I herniated a disc or something (though, honestly I have no idea what that would feel like, maybe this is just what a minor sprain feels like).

I'm back at work today, though sitting at my desk is MISERABLE. I have to get up and stretch every 10 - 15 minutes or so (otherwise I cramp up and have a hard time getting back into a normal standing position).

I have a doctors appointment in two days. Any suggestions on what to do until then? Has this happened to you? What was it? How do you cope with lower back pain at the office? What is the best ways to make working less terrible?

(I know you are not my doctor. You know you are not my lifting coach)

I bruised my thigh and the hurt is spreading. What now?

hafehd — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 07:33:17 -0800

Nine days ago while working I *ran* into a countertop and bruised the top my right thigh - badly. At first the injury seemed to progress normally, getting better every day, but now not only is the bruise still there, but my knee hurts too. What now? For the past week I've been icing and resting the leg, but I haven't taken any time off work really so I've still been using it a lot.

This weekend, I bartended for 8 hours and then walked home a mile and by that time I was in agony. The knee had been fine until then. Yesterday the pain was very bad, not so much when I bent at the knee, but when I raise my leg using the upper leg muscles.

So: I'm taking the day off today finally: what can I do to make it better?

Ouch.

sockorama — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:38:38 -0800

I am an American traveling in Spain and have to go to the ER. What do I need to know? I have an infected abscessed joint and have emailed my doctor at home who said I need to go to the ER ASAP. The skin around the wound is swollen, red and painful and spreading rapidly. i need oral antibiotics and feel flu-like. Except I'm in Spain. What do I need to know about costs? What else? I'm here for a few more days, but the wound is oozing several tablespoons of cloudy, orange liquid and is excruciating. I tried a topical ointment dispensed from a farmacia but it hasn't done anything.

Help me find media that romanticizes physical rehab after injury

crawltopslow — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:05:59 -0800

I am looking for media (films, books, tv shows) that romanticize, and put in a positive light, the slow, painful steps of physical rehabilitation and strengthening after injury (from sports preferably). I am looking for media (films, books, tv shows, youtube videos) that romanticize, and put in a positive light, the slow, painful steps of physical rehabilitation and strengthening after injury (from sports preferably).

I have been injured and will be having hamstring surgery and will be doing rehabilitation for probably 6 months, without basketball or soccer, this will be a difficult time, and I want to re-shift my view of rehab and strengthening to something as honorable, tough, hard but rewarding, and meaningful. There must be some movies out there, it doesn't have to be sports, or even a physical injury, but overcoming a similar adversity through slow patient progress would be enough.

Thanks a lot.

Help me prevent a stress-related piano injury! (Shoulder pain/tingling)

Thanquol180 — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 03:07:38 -0800

YANMD, but: I have been practicing a bit of piano as of late. Maybe too much, as I started again out of the blue, and am working on a song that is relatively difficult for me. i noticed recently that my left shoulder is starting to tingle while playing. At first I thought it was just a one-day thing, but the problem is persisting and seems to be getting worse. It's a tingling sensation under the shoulder blade that travels a bit down the arm. It doesn't hurt, but it certainly distracts my playing and I want to nip this in the bud before it gets any worse. The last time I had it it went away quickly, but I still feel it as I type this message (but not as bad as when I was playing the piano). My right side is just fine, no uncomfortableness at all. In any case, I am taking a hiatus from piano until I recover.

Even before the tingling began, I would definitely notice tension building in my left hand/arm while practicing. My left hand is not as skilled as my right at the moment, which also may have something to do with it being in just one shoulder. I also think that my bench is too high, as my forearms and wrist are too far up from the keys.

The only other things I can think of that might possibly be related are that I am drinking way too much coffee lately and not exercising enough. But I'm not sure how that would translate into this shoulder-tingling while playing piano.

Also: I am a rather anxious person by nature. I have an unfortunate tendency to get inside my own head and tense up when performing any kind of activity. I also have had bruxism since I was a child. I have been under a lot of stress lately, and I can feel it in my body (especially in my neck and shoulders, but this is the first time I've had tingling). I have been asking my girlfriend for too many massages as of late.

In the meantime: Has anyone had anything like this (tingling, numbness, tension) happen to them while playing the piano before? How did you solve the problem? After I have recovered I would like to ensure that this does not occur again.

Thanks in advance - I rely on the piano as an outlet for stress, so I most definitely do not want my playing to become another reason for it!

PS: I am unemployed at the moment, and have an appointment for reduced pay health insurance but it is not for a few weeks. So please keep the responses to things I might be able to do on my own in the meantime. Once again, I know that YANMD.

Hit in the chin = concussion? And what about my teeth?

the young rope-rider — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 09:52:17 -0800

I just got hit really hard in the chin, directed straight up. I have a mild headache in the front top of my head. I've had concussions before so I have a good idea of what to watch for, but is it even something to worry about with this kind of injury? And...what to do about the teeth? My teeth hit each other pretty hard as my mouth was open at the time, but none of them are broken or chipped. The front teeth do feel a little "off" but they're not in pain. Is there anything I need to watch out for or get emergency dental care for here?

Getting around is quite difficult and nothing is open today, or I'd just go find a smart professional to worry at. Due to the snowstorm, I turn to you.

Will I wake up with two tongues tomorrow?

256 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:20:11 -0800

I cut the tip of my tongue vertically about 2 to 4 mm deep, right down the center. Will it heal, or spontaneously split in half, or what? Basically, I have ACCIDENTALLY split my tongue at the tip right down the center so that it is actually separated. It has stopped bleeding and I'm not in that much pain, though it feels super weird and I'm getting the shivers just thinking about what it looked like in the mirror.

My assumption is that this will heal on it's own with no special care, but I wanted to google just to make sure that there was no special concerns or instructions. But then, as I was about to type in the search terms, I became terrified of the images I might find. Please, tell me if I need to buy special tongue bandaids and spare me the sight of other people who've done the same stupid thing I have.

Is there a healing power in the sun?

john123357 — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:46:57 -0800

I live in northern New York where we have short hot summers of about 2 to 3 months and long cold winters. I have a variety of health problems, including joint problems, and hormone problems including low testosterone and higher than normal estrogen (I am a male) . I have noticed that in the summertime If I sit outside for one to two hours every day to absorb the sun I feel healthier, my joints hurt less, my hormones seem better, and I have more energy. Also if I have a cut or a twisted ankle It seems to heal faster then in the winter. Assuming that it was the vitamin D from the sun that was causing this , I took vitamin D pills every day in the winter. However, I did not experience any of the benefits that I experienced with regular sunshine exposure. This leads me to believe there is something else, some sort of other healing power in the sun that either science is not aware of yet or that I am simply not aware of. Is this possible?

Hey! I'm walkin' here!

threeants — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 14:11:46 -0800

What should a pedestrian do if hit by a car? As someone who walks, I am frequently put into potentially dangerous situations by cars. I realized I have no idea what I would do if I were hit. I've never owned a car, so not being familiar with the car-on-car collision procedures, I don't even have that as a benchmark. Do you...get their driver's insurance? Call the police? Then do what? If you have a resultant injury, do you have to sue them for medical costs? Or does this somehow magically come out of their driver's insurance?

I'm assuming for this question that the person didn't just hit you and then peace out.

What exercise can I do with an injured knee?

anaximander — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:01:10 -0800

[Fitness Filter] Help me find a way to get fit that won't make my injured knee explode! Background: I did judo regularly for several years until I injured my knee during a routine class. I stupidly left it for six months before finally going to see my doctor, who recommended me to a specialist, who operated on the knee to fix what I believe was a cartilage injury right at the back of my kneecap. (It's been a while, but I remember him showing me pictures from the arthtroscopy that involved a flap of some knee material that had come unattached.) All was well for about a year until I stepped off a bus funny and hurt it all over again. After a second bout of surgery (same thing again) and physiotherapy I can walk just fine but get intermittent pain most days and have to be careful going up long flights of stairs or kneeling down.

So, what kind of physical activities can I do without screwing up my knee again? The surgeon recommended a cross trainer or an exercise bike 'with very low resistance', both of which I'll be able to use once I get access to a gym in a few months' time. Is there anything else I should be looking into? I've tried googling for something, but they all seem to assume you've got a short term injury that will go away within a few months. I'd like to think exercise will help the lingering problems with the bad knee, but at this point I'm not hopeful about it recovering completely.

If it makes any difference, my goals are general fitness. Weight loss would be a nice side effect, but it's not what I'm primarily interested in.

Decades-old head injury. What now?

Faint of Butt — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 04:28:35 -0800

Tell me about the long-term effects and detectability of decades-old head injuries. Twenty-odd years ago, when I was about ten years old, a summer camp mishap knocked me to the ground and I hit my head so hard that I lost consciousness. I don't know how long I was out, but it was long enough for people to gather around and stare down at me worriedly. In hindsight, I probably should have been rushed to the hospital, but these were simpler times, and the injury was never treated or followed up on in any way.

So what now? Obviously it didn't kill me, but I wonder about the long-term effects. What could it have done to me? Are there any tests that could be performed now? Is anything still detectable after all these years?

How much extra safety would a crash helmet offer a highway driver wearing a seatbelt?

Egg Shen — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:10:16 -0800

How much extra safety would a crash helmet offer a highway driver wearing a seatbelt? In other words: Are the injuries that kill seatbelted highway drivers generally ones that involve injury to the skull? Or are they ones - like broken necks or exsanguination - that a crash helmet wouldn't prevent?

How do I stretch properly [before Ultimate Frisbee]?

pmv — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 07:11:06 -0800

How do I stretch properly [before Ultimate Frisbee]? How do I not pull my groin again? I signed up for an Ultimate league in the spring AND IT WAS AWESOME but on the fourth or fifth game I promptly pulled my groin. I wasn't even aware there was a problem until I tried a light jog upon which I was crippled with pain.

SO, that went away after about three weeks.

Several months later, I've signed up for another league and I'd love to avoid that injury again.

I've done some light googling, but vague descriptions don't cut it for me. This is 2012! Has anyone got VIDEOS?

Squat injury

mnemonic — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 09:39:53 -0800

What kind of doc or therapist should I seek about my weightlifting lower back injury? Monday of last week, I messed up my squat, and have not lifted since. Coming up on my last rep I let my torso loosen and ended up angling my spine slightly to the right, causing the bar to tilt that way a bit on my back. The next morning, getting up out of bed, I felt strong pain around my tailbone. This happened any time I bent over at the waist, tying my shoes, getting into my car, pretty similar to this guy's description though perhaps not as severe (sitting was fine). The day after, the pain greatly subsided, and was more localized in my right butt cheek. Now it's eleven days later and the pain is nearly gone. If I hyper-extend my lower back while sitting in a chair I can feel it, but it's moderate and later in the day quite faint. So, this question is multipart:

1. What kind of doc/therapist should I see? I want to be cautious, having read scary stories on the internet of lifters being wheelchair-bound after squat injuries. Might I need xrays?
2. What strength exercises can I do while recovering? Bench presses and chin-ups ok?

Any other experiences or advice regarding squat lower back injuries welcome.

I'm a 27-year-old male, weighing 150 lb. I was squatting 167.5 lb (low-bar back squat).

Squirrel EMS!

keasby — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 06:58:23 -0800

Squirrel EMS? Yesterday, an injured squirrel was shuffling around a heavily car and pedestrian-trafficked entrance to the Boston Public Gardens. It was bleeding and appeared to have limited to no use of a front leg. Besides breaking into spontaneous tears, what should we have done? (Hint: the answer is not "leave it alone to die a painful death and/or bite a good Samaritan.")

Stretches for Weight Training

MaddyRex — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 09:14:06 -0800

Looking for stretching recommendations for intense weight training program I've been doing Jamie Eason's Livefit program since the summer. It's been awesome and I've seen massive changes not only in my body but also in my overall health and well-being. However (and I realize this is a big however), I had to take a month off in September after doing something terrible to my trapezius muscle on Day 40. Since then I've slowed down & modified it a bit, paying attention to what feels right & for my body.

There are two things the program doesn't make clear, and I hope addressing them will help me prevent another injury: rest time between exercises and stretching guidelines.

So my questions are
1. What stretching recommendations do you have for someone doing a fairly high intensity weight training program? Before the workout? After? Specific stretches? I heard about some guy who snapped his bicep muscle. I definitely do not want that to happen to me.

2. Rest time between exercises? I feel good about my rest time between sets ~ 1 minute. I've been resting about 3 minutes between exercises.

NC personal injury lawyer?

manaaka — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:45:25 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good personal injury lawyer in North Carolina? I am trying to find someone who will not be working for the insurance company and it is proving to be a difficult task. Thanks!

Broken Metatarsals in Dogs 101

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:06:46 -0800

Fractured metatarsals in dogs. My dog has broken three metatarsals in one hind paw - the fractures are straight across in the same line. We've been advised to see an orthopedic vet to discuss surgery vs. splinting. What should we know going into this meeting? Can you suggest good questions to ask? Can this kind of injury be caused by stress, i.e. jumping on a hard surface? Our dog was at a kennel (thankfully attached to a veterinary clinic) for a few days. One day into his stay, they were concerned about a limp, did a manual exam, and discovered that his paw was extremely painful. X-rays show that he has three broken metatarsals in one hind paw. The fractures are all in one straight line across his foot.

The kennel claims to have no idea how this happened. Nobody saw anything out of the ordinary happen while the dogs were playing, and nobody noticed him getting a paw stuck or stepped on. According to the vet, one of the employees went to take him from his cage out to the yard for supervised play group, she noticed him limping, watched for a few minutes, and called the vet to take a look. The vet's theory is that it is basically a "stress fracture" caused by repeated jumping up in the indoor cage, on the hard floor. Our dog does jump quite a bit (not on people, just in excitement) and I'm wondering if this is indeed possible.

This kennel is known to be excellent, and we've had a very good relationship with them. He frequently goes to "doggie day care" there, and has boarded numerous times. Each dog has an indoor/outdoor space, it has a very stable set of employees, and it's attached to a well-known and well-regarded veterinary clinic. Our dog is a bit of a jerk, but they've handled him well, and he has come to really like most of them. He's been going there for years, and they know which dogs he gets along with, and can tell when just needs to be alone with no other dogs. I'm highly involved with dog training and dog rescue, and am very apprehensive about most dog boarding places for being too frou-frou (and humanizing) or too wild (and domineering). This is one of the first places that has not raised my spidey sense, at all.

In other words, when they say they have no idea how it happened, I really have no reason *not* to trust them. But there was something about the vet's non-stop and frantic chattering about the situation, and his later offer of a slimy apology without actually apologizing ("While we cannot identify anything that occurred because of negligence or other harm, we're of course sorry that it happened here, etc.") that made me question the story a bit. While I was in the vet waiting room, a kennel worker brought over our dog bed and leash. She kind of mumbled "he's being so brave" and took off - even though we've interacted with her lots before.

I don't want to obsess about how it happened. I know that "these things happen" especially with dogs. We might never know what caused it. But I'd love a sense of whether or not this story is even plausible.

The vet said the fractured ends of the bones are overlapping a bit, and that with more than one fracture, he recommends seeing an orthopedic vet. We have an appointment for Monday. He's currently in a splint / cast to immobilize his paw. At our appointment tomorrow, we will be discussing surgery vs. immobilization. There seems to be a recommendation that more than 1-2 metatarsal fractures requires surgery. Others say that immobilization is best unless the paw is seriously disfigured or crushed. The surgeries have mixed outcomes, and can have some real trouble healing because of reduced blood flow in dog paws. Exterior immobilization (splint and cast) can have mixed results too.

1. Can stress from jumping cause *three* simultaneous metatarsal fractures? Most studies and anecdotes seem to show fractures caused by trauma - an object being dropped on the paw, or stuck in a door, or run over, or some other specific traumatic accident. I couldn't find any mention of a stress fracture causing three simultaneous breaks. What's the likelihood this was caused by jumping?

2. What kinds of questions should we be asking the orthopedic vet? If you've had a dog who had surgery, what do you wish you'd known ahead of time?

3. Any tips on keeping an active dog semi-immobilized for months?

4. Any tips on pain management for dogs? Other supplements?

Thanks for any suggestions in terms of our initial meeting with the vet, or in terms of long-term care for our little furry friend.

If you'd prefer to send a message, I've created an email account: brokendogtoes@gmail.com.

What have I done to my ankle?

sunshine arakhan — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 19:42:34 -0800

YANAD (or maybe you are), but a few weeks ago I suffered a fall from my horse and now there's a funny bump on my ankle. I will be going to my GP sometime soon but am still curious as to what it may be. Details inside. So a few weeks ago my horse got a fright at a competition, shied to the right and slipped and fell with me still on him. He came down quite hard on my right leg and immediately I had terrible pain in my right ankle. It only took a few minutes for the pain to subside and I was able to walk on it not along afer that, and the ligaments themselves felt ok so I figured not broken or sprained (I had damaged the ligaments in that ankle earlier this year so it's weak to begin with).

Ever since then the part of my ankle above the inside joint/fibula has been very tender. Even lightly running my finger along it was making it sore. Again I had no pain while walking or riding, so didn't worry too much.

Now I've noticed that I've developed a hard lump in the area. On my left ankle when I run my hand down my leg to the joint, it feels soft skin/muscle. On my right ankle, right as it gets to the tender above the joint it's gone very hard and is sore. Maybe I chipped the bone and didn't notice and it's healed funny?

Again YANAD and I'm not too concerned as this doesn't affect my day-to-day functioning (though maybe I should be), only if I bump the area when walking around without boots on. I'll be going to my GP.