Severe back pain

[ragtag]

Just on last thursday while stretching at work, I got a small pain in my back, on the inside of my left shoulder blade. Didn't think much of it then. Then when I awoke on friday, the pain had grown much stronger and it just kept getting worse. On saturday it was really bad, so even though I had some work to do over the weekend, I decided not to touch a computer till monday.

Well...I'm still in pain, and didn't get much done at work today. The source of the pain is the same, but I feel like tingling from it spreading to my elbow wrist and pinky, as well as down my spine and up my neck.

I'm going to see a kiropraktor tomorrow, but would love to get advice from anyone on the forum on what to do?

Cheers,

ragtag

p.s. I work with computers all day (and night, sometimes).

[byyp]

As you have described, it looks like the cause of pain is excessive work in some fixed positions, which has lead to pain in your shoulder and also the tingling sensation you are feeling in your arm down the fingers. It also looks like from your symptoms that you even had slept in some wrong posture. Do not worry my friend, consult your local physician or kiropractor and get the necessary precautions, as I think you need to avoid certain things more than starting a therapy.

Just for now, I can tell you that, you should avoid sleeping on chair or even sofas and have a good sleep. Try fixing your work hours and rest hours. Eat plenty of vitamins and get good exposure to sun light. You can take vitamin B-complex separately, but if you can include its natural resources in your diet, it would be much beneficial. Again, you need more rest and that too with good posture control, than anything else. Good day and God bless you!

[Lola]

Are you left handed?

Definitely follow up on seeing the chiropractor.

When the pain is acute, ice it for intervals of 10-15 minutes.

Get a massage - preferrably deep tissue.

Take regular breaks from sitting in one spot at the computer. Get up. Move around. Walk everyday and make sure you swing your arms as you do.

[eblight]

If your pain doesn't resolve itself with what you are doing check out the Bowen Technique. There may be a practitioner in your vicinity. Bowen is practised almost world wide now. It's a very subtle and effective form of soft tissue therapy. I use it and have witnessed some amazing results.

[bravebluemice]

Whenever I'm starting to feel the pangs of repetitive motion syndrome, I generally go back to basics.

1. Keep your back straight, head level, and feet flat.

2. Switch your mouse hand to the left, even if you're right handed. It takes a bit of geting used to, but separating the repetitive clicks from the pounding ten key helps to alleviate some of the stress. (Not only that, but imagine being able to ten key while the mouse moves to a field that's not on a [tab]... I loved that part!)

3. Turn your mouse sensitivity down. Get a gigantuous mouse-pad. All of those tiny wrist based lefts and rights can translate tendon stress up your arm and into your back. Anyone who claims productivity gains from cranking it up all the way is selling something. Move your whole arm back and forth across the mousing surface. (Seriously, I have half the kitchen table for my mousing, and I haven't had wrist problems despite my high amount of computer use).

4. In line with number three, I've moved my mouse-pad as far to the left as I can reach. It makes that arm motion very pronounced in my shoulder and upper back.

6. Relax. It sounds to me like you've pinched a nerve. Usually, it's habit related, but stress induced. Pinched nerves are usually a sign of poor or non-ideal posture, but usually have a straight cause. My friend Steve (not Pavlina) had a pinched nerve in his back about where yours was right after hunting season. We determined that four days hunched over in a tree had let his torso shift a little, then when he got down and stretched out, snap. Instant pain.

A word on chiropractice. Be selective, and get reviews from friends before going. The same friend Steve (again, not Pavlina) went to a chiropractitioner and got three ribs broken in the process. Not severe or crippling, but it took a lot more time to heal. I hear it's becoming more common with a lot of the cut rate joints cramming in more and more customers.

~BraveBlueMice.

P.S. It really isn't like me to even browse the Health and Fitness section, as I'm not the most health conscientious person, however, this is a topic I feel like I can speak on with authority, as I am the only one of my computer using peers that doesn't have arthritis or carpel tunnel from extended computer use.

[sheffy4]

Yoga!
Find some classes near you, and tell the instructor about the pain you are experiencing. He/She will be able to recommend poses and techniques to alleviate the pain and heal your body.