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Advice for a (probably) pinched nerve? Good physiotherapist? (Tokyo)

Thanquol180 — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 06:17:23 -0800

I've had a tingling/burning sensation in my left shoulder/hand for about a week. A doc that I saw in Tokyo thinks I have a pinched nerve and told to come back in a week, but was rather vague about what to do in the meantime. I have no health insurance so I would prefer to not go back, but I just noticed the tingling starting up in my right hand as well. Hi all,

I posted last week regarding problems I was having regarding a tingling in the left shoulder. I stopped practicing piano for the time being and as the tingling didn't stop - it actually spread to my left hand - I decided to fork over the money for a doctor even though I don't have insurance (even without insurance, doctor visits are relatively cheap in Japan).

The doctor gave me a lookover (he bent my arms and head, asked of it hurt, never did), took an x-ray, and declared that I probably had a pinched nerve in the neck. He also said my neck was drooping forward because my posture sucks and told me to work on that. That makes sense - I always slouch when I walk + use the computer. He gave me some pain meds, sent me away, and told me to come back in a week if my situation doesn't improve.

I was told by a pharmacist that I should have gotten an mri as well to make sure that it is a pinched nerve, but that would mean forking out 350-plus dollars. The doctor didn't consult with me about that or give any other advice, just that a nerve was probably pinched and that I should "take it easy." He seemed pretty confident at the time, but looking on the internet there are plenty of illnesses that have tingling body parts as an illness.

That was yesterday. In between then and now, I have been working on sitting and standing straight, with my head further back (I think I am trying too hard, my lower back is getting sore). I also bought a better pillow and ordered an ergonomically correct chair for work. Before this I had been always using my laptop on my, well, lap. Besides that, I've been trying some stretches I found on youtube that are supposed to help (double chin + tennis in the sky) and doing some light jogging to try and get rid of some of this stress.

I also got an acupressure massage yesterday - it KILLED, especially in certain spots in the shoulder (where the pinched nerve is, I assume). I had to tell the therapist to take it easy more than once. I actually think the massage might have made the symptoms worse.

The therapist told me my shoulders/neck are super stiff. That makes sense, since I have been pretty stressed lately - I feel tension in my shoulders and jaw, which I am thinking might at least be one of the reasons I am having this pinched nerve problem now. my shoulders get really tired when typing, which usually doesn't happen.

Since I can't get on health insurance before April without paying a bunch of money, I am really hoping this goes away on its own and doesn't get worse. I am super worried though, and would like to get back to playing piano tingle-free. Someone recommended that I visit a physical/physiotherapist, but I don't know any good ones in my area (in or close to Tokyo).

TL;DR: Anyone suffer from a pinched nerve before? Anyone have any advice to help it heal on its own, or know of any physiotherapists to visit in Tokyo? What else could it be if not a pinched nerve?

Two monitors, one shoulder; how do I relieve the pain?

[insert clever name here] — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 10:05:25 -0800

How do I survive, ergonomically speaking, with two monitors? I experience pain in my right shoulder, neck and arm (my mousing arm) quite frequently, and after talking to my doctor, she's fairly certain its an issue with the ergonomics of my workspace.

I'm a web designer, at my desk 8+ hours a day. I have a second monitor and I'm fairly certain that is the culprit. I just had an ergonomic consultant at my desk, and the only thing he could find wrong was the extra monitor.

I normally sit with the primary monitor straight ahead from where I am sitting, and the second monitor to my right. The ergonomics expert suggested centering them so basically the split between the two monitors is straight ahead, so to use either I have to turn my head a little bit. Within 20 minutes I could tell it was causing strain on my neck so I put it back the way it was until I come up with something better.

I can't imagine I'm the only one that has experienced this, so I'd love to hear how other people have tackled the problem.

One thing to note - this is an ongoing problem I've had at several workplaces. I've working in the computer industry since the mid 90's. The pain periodically flares up, its not constant, but over the years the flare-ups are more and more frequent, so I'm hoping to finally address it.

Alternative remedies for neck pain

kmtiszen — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:12:12 -0800

HolisticRemedyFilter: Any suggestions/home remedies/herbal solutions/voodoo rituals for acute neck and shoulder pain? About two weeks ago I woke up with a pain in my neck and shoulders. It's sore and stiff and generally annoying. To make things worse, I tend to have a nervous tick that's exacerbated by this pain. And to add insult to injury, I think the nervous tick is exacerbating the pain. I've been icing the area for a week now but this thing doesn't seem to want to go away. I won't be able to get in with a doctor for over a week. Thought I'd give the hive mind a chance to play doctor for now.

Does anyone have any alternative suggestions on how to treat this?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Ow! Shoulders & Swimming

dame — Wed, 11 May 2005 12:30:53 -0800

What's wrong with my shoulder? Or: How can I tell the difference between normal muscle soreness and incipient injury? I started swimming with a Masters swim team in January. I do 6000 to 8000 yards a week. In March, I hit the water funny doing a start and the next time I swam I had some pain in the "front of the armpit" muscle. I stopped swimming, did some heat and ibuprofin, went back a few days later, and that same muscle never hurt again.

However, my shoulder still gets sore, mostly the muscle that connects my neck to the top of my shoulder and along the inside of my shoulder blade. This tends to happen after I finish working out, but sometimes I'll get sore towards the end of a workout. How can I tell if I'm hurting myself through bad technique or not giving myself enough time to heal, or if it's just normal soreness due to getting those muscles in shape?

Some other facts:
* It's my nondominant side.
* It's the arm I use for open turns, which means it gets used more.
* If I skip heat for a day or two, it begins to feel tight.
* It is definitely less flexible than my other shoulder--when I stretch I feel it more.
* It's sorer today than it has ever been. Last night, by the end of the workout, both my shoulder and elbow hurt it a bit. Coincidentally, we swam pretty hard and fast, which meant lots of very snappy open turns. I hope that means it's just normal soreness & that I should work on flip turns and thereby solve the exacerbation situation.

If I had healthcare, I would ask a doctor. But I don't. And I want to keep swimming! Any insights?