Ugh, that really SUCKS, Lori! I hope you see some improvement, ASAP.

If it's a muscle thing, have you tried getting your husband to massage the area? Or put a heating pad on it?

(Not that you'd have thought of that, working in the medical field, and all!)

Thanks, BP. It does feel better with massage. I haven't done the heating pad yet. I'm a glutton for punishment and I'm lazy. Yesterday the hot shower blasting on the area seemed to help for a while. I'm plugging in the pad and calling the primary now.

Appointment made for today! I haven't seen my primary since 2002. Yikes!

Oh, good! Hopefully the doc will put your mind at ease, if nothing else. Although if you can score some good drugs into the bargain, even better. :)

*gentle hugs*

Chiropractor?

Ow! Good luck at the doc's & here's hoping it's muscle ouchiness or something that doesn't involve sharp objects.

2nd the heating pad.

This too shall pass.

Maybe a hot bath?

Yeah, you've also thought of that --- it was more an expression of sympathy than actual advice. I'm bad at sympathy.

Let me try that again: Poor LoriFLA! That stinks! Take it as easy as your day allows. *whuffles*

Could it be an inflammation? I've had shoulder trouble off and on for a year (but I hate dealing with my insurance co. and who I can and can't see, so I keep putting it off). I seem to do better with Aleve at times, sometimes it's manageble, sometimes it's worse when rain is coming. I can at last lie on it at night, so I guess it's getting better. With that much pain, either a pinched nerve, or bursitis/tendonitis/some sort of itis. Let us know what the doctor says!

(speaking of ailments, Redvixen, an update on the Mister, please.)

Tiger Balm (the red version, pictured at left here) smells like cloves, camphor and menthol, which is something to consider (I really like the smell, but others disagree), but has really helped me with sore muscles in the past. It's pretty widespread - I've even found it in my local Latvian pharmacy - and it's not very expensive, either, like a few dollars.

I would NOT recommend heat!

Heat makes inflammation worse, and if you've pulled a muscle, you have an acute injury with inflammation. You need to ICE it. Twenty minutes out of every hour.

(I would also not recommend Tiger Balm, which is also warming.)

On the rare occasions when I've had a rib out, my symptoms have been similar to what you've described. The only thing that helped was a chiropractic adjustment.

I went to the doctor today. I saw the Nurse Practitioner. She referred me to a chiropractor. I'm am very skeptical of chiropractors, but hey, I might give it a try. I was also sent for X-rays of the spine. They just called. The x-rays are negative. I suspected they would be.

When I was there I was hardly in any pain. I told her "shoot, I didn't even have to come!" She said it was a good thing I did go in because I needed to be seen and have routine labs. I agreed.

She did a physical exam of my back, felt around a little. My questions are these:

1. Why should I see a chiropractor? How does the NP know that it is not a muscle strain that will heal with time? Can one really knock themselves "out of alignment"? This sounds like crazy talk. I'm thinking I overdid it getting ready for the birthday party. I was dragging tables, retrieving chairs that were hanging on hooks on the ceiling in the garage, lifting a heavy cooler, stuff like that. I'm thinking I pulled something on this day, since I was in pain on Saturday morning.

2. I told her I was skeptical of chiropractors. She said it's either that or physical therapy. She offered to give me a prescription for steroids. We both thought that wasn't a very good idea. She said she went to a chiropractor and that she would refer me to the one "all the doctors go to." Whatever. I didn't need pain meds because, one, I wasn't in that much pain at the moment, and two, I honestly think I am having muscle spasms, but cannot be absolutely sure.

3. If I do see a chiropractor, can I just go once and be done with it? I have it in my head that they want you to return again and again. I'm not keen on that idea.

My girlfriend says that Tiger Balm smells like church.

Minor toothache (dentophobe). Smoker's cough. Sore back and knees. get off of my lawn, you damned kids.

My girlfriend says that Tiger Balm smells like church.

That is funny, jtron! I'll have to smell it just to see if it reminds me of church.

The good news is I am feeling a little bit better this evening. It's not as bad as it was this morning. Probably has something to do with the Flexeril tab I took. :-) My dad has some from an old back injury. (I know. You shouldn't take other people's meds, but I was desperate.)

I told her I was skeptical of chiropractors. She said it's either that or physical therapy.

For an injury? That sounds totally hinky to me. Sure, for some sort of chronic pain, those are the best options. But for an acute injury??

I'd demand to have it checked out when you think you're having a spasm, just so they can isolate it and treat it. I would personally be really reluctant to run off to a chiropractor for something like this, because a lot of them can do more harm than good. Same for the PT -- deep tissue massage and/or manipulation would be really off-putting to me at this point. (And I say this as someone who has regular acute back tweaks. Just my $.02.)

In any case, I hope it feels better soon!

Lori, I've heard your concerns about chiro before, and honestly, it's very worth it if you find one you like. Certainly, my chiro experience has been positive, but I suffer from lower back pain that turns into massive spasms once in a while.

Yes, most chiros will want to see you a few times, and most will also recommend a monthly adjustment. For me, when it's acting up, I might go weekly for a week or two or three. Then, I go back to every second or third month.

If you are in a lot of pain, or if there is a very bad spasm or alignment issue, it might even start out at 3 times a week while they start undoing the mess.

My honest feeling, as a person who probably isn't a chump, is that chiropractors can be brilliant. I am very happy I have mine. But, sometimes, skepticism can't be overcome. Oh yeah, plus, some chiropractors are jerks and lousy at their jobs, just like some everythings.

Oh yeah, also, a good massage followed by a chiro visit is a great combo. Luckily, my RMT and chiro share an office.

One more thing. There are many schools of treatment that chiros can follow. Mine doesn't do any manual manipulation. No neck wrenching. She uses a tool called an activator, and honestly, when I started going to see her on a recommendation (after my first chiro wouldn't listen when I told I told him the pain had changed) I gave her three months. In my head anyway...I was skeptical that her methods could work, and truthfully, it's been better treatment than I ever got from the first guy.

I'm not saying try a chiro for three months necessarily, just that...well, I dunno. If you can give it a chance, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Oh, and there's no knocking a flexeril buzz. :-)

For an injury? That sounds totally hinky to me. Sure, for some sort of chronic pain, those are the best options. But for an acute injury??

That is what I thought, too. I asked her: "Can't we just wait and see what happens? To see if it heals on its own?" She said, "it's not going to go away on its own." She probably did not hear the part that this injury is only three days old. Who knows. I made myself clear. The office made an appointment for me to see the chiro. I guess they do this as a courtesy. I'm capable of making my own appt. Anyway, I am calling the chiro tomorrow and canceling.

It's not that I totally knock chiropractors. They help a lot of people and people seem to really benefit. I'm just very wary of going to see one at this time, the injury is so new. I've never had any kind of back trouble before. I'm going to give it some time and see how it goes. If it lingers for too long, I'll seriously consider going to a chiropractor.

Thanks everybody for the kind words and advice. I'm hoping I will see some improvement in the coming days.

I liked the chiro I saw in LA, but not the one in NY recommended by a colleague of hers who refused to do ultrasound (less pain that way) before he worked on me . For some reason it's only physical therapists who use ultrasound here and one has to get a referral from the primary care before getting an appointment---FUCK HMOS!