h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Shea,

I went to a long lost thread to ask you something. I think you mentioned wrist and shoulder pain in a post I was reading recently and I have also been having pretty bad shoulder pain. It's very random not constant. I thought it was from carrying the baby around but I'm beginning to think it's from work. Since we have similar work conditions. I thought I might compare symptoms before I bother with a doctor. (anything to avoid a real doctor you know)

(but work interupted this post now I'm off for home, so to be continued)

Thanks,
elwood

::does a little dusting and vaccuuming::

It's been a while, hasn't it? *achoo!*

My shoulder pain is the thing that sent me to the doctor ... I've been living with the wrist pain for a few years now. My right shoulder started hurting the beginning of this year, and it seemed to start for no reason I could figure. It's at its worst when I'm reaching up, reaching back, or pulling something towards me. It had gotten so bad that I couldn't lift my arm above my shoulder, or reach out past a few inches. I got a cortizone shot, and after a few days it really helped! The pain was gone entirely! Unfortunately, about 3 weeks after the shot, the pain started to come back. I've gone to 4 sessions of physical therapy now, and they do some sort of sonic treatment, and ultrasound therapy, along with exercises. It's feeling a lot better ... well, up until today. It seems to ache today ... probably the weather. I still can't lie on that side, and there is still pain when I reach up, and I really can't do much in the way of housework in big chunks. I do it in parts.

What I have in my shoulder is called impingement syndrome. The tendons in my shoulder have become compacted, and the bone at the top of the arm rubs against the bone at the bottom of the shoulder. That's what causes the pain. Worse case scenario is surgery, but they say that's rare.

The wrist is another story. It's gotten progressively worse over the years, and gets worse with use. There are a lot of things I can no longer do ... bowling, volleyball, opening twist cap bottles, carrying heavy things, opening "push" doors with my hand. I can live without the bowling. It aches all the time, but if I try to do something that bends the wrist in any way, I get a sharp, shooting pain that will slowly recede.

I think you should try to pay attention to what you're doing when your pain occurs. This should give you a better idea of whether it's from bending your wrist or lifting, pulling, etc.

I've been wearing a wrist splint at work, and it's really helped to keep my wrist straight. My big problem is the amount of mousing I do, and that cocks my right hand outward, which causes the pain. The splint really helps.

The big thing is that I've caught it, and am getting treatment before there is permanent nerve damage. I've been tested, and luckily, the nerves are still alright. That's something important to consider.

This is a pretty good site that has the basics about carpal tunnel syndrome:
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/brochure/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=5&topcategory=Hand
Here's another:
http://www.carpal-tunnel-questions-and-answers.com/

Let me know if you want any more info. My best friend (sitting right next to me here at work) has had the surgery done, and is a font of information!

Thank you so much.

That's much more than I expected, being I was so vague in my truncated post. I have no wrist pain thankfully, but the shoulder can be quite intense. I also can't sleep on that side. When it hurts, movement is restricted and the pain is in the front and back of the shoulder also along the collar bone. It hasn't impeaded my strength, but it can be a teeth clencher sometimes when I'm using it.

So from what you said, a doctor visit is in my future.

Thanks again. (guess I did pick the right Guardian Angel all those many monthes ago)

It can only help if you go to the doctor! If nothing else, I'm on anti-inflammatories, which helps.

Hey Shea pray for me I'm going to my first Tigers game of the season tonight.

They're on ANOTHER losing streak 7 or 8 games...ugh! But the tickets are free!!! Generous brother-in-law(or not)

Your Mets just fired their General Manager eh? I guess you should expect that when you put together that expensive of a last place team.

Have you been since Opening Day?

How did you make out at your game? You have my sympathy ...

I haven't gone since opening day. My brother got some freebie tickets, but they were rained out, and the makeup date is in July. I'm going to 2 other games in September. When they're *really* in the basement!

The Tiger's lost 7 to 2 to Colorado. Interleague games are strange, especially since they count in the standings. (not that the Tigers standing count for anything) but one day they will and they'll have a completely different set of opponenents than the team they'll be in contention with. It'll drive me absolutely nuts then! (because I'll be in my 80's and in a nursing home, before they contend again, and won't have anything to do but follow baseball)

I did find out at the game that beer and Motrin together make me totally forget my back pain!

They tell you not to take alcohol when using Motrin, but that's just so that you use more Motrin!

We're so deep in the cellar now, we have to reach up to touch the worms.

We're on a pace to take the crown of worst team ever from the 62 Mets. See how nice I am to you. You or your team no longer will have that ignominious distinction.

Just this morning TJ was teasing me about his Indians having a better record than the Mets by a 1/2 game. We looked at each other, laughed, and I said, "Well, at least we both still have the Tigers!"

Yeah but our budget is one fifth yours. So there!



Not a very effective taunt, eh?

Not really ... I work with another Mets fan, and we were talking about our losing team ... I saw something on ESPN today that had what the winning percentages of teams would have to be to hit .500 this season. The Mets need about .580 ... the Tigers need something in the .800s ... He came up with a slogan, that I think could be used on many occasions: "At least we're not in Detroit!"

Well here in Detroit we just say "at least football season is coming up soon." (of course the Lion's were 2-14 and 3-13 the last two seasons)

It's sad here how we've lost an entire generation of baseball fans because they've been so bad for 14 years including four 100 loss seasons during that span. (they only had 2 the previous 90 years!)

Every little kid in the Detroit area now plays hockey in the summer! It's pathetic. (and the same owner of the Tigers is the owner of the stupendously successful Red Wings, go figure) Oh how I hate hockey.
And Detroit now has the nickname nationwide of "Hockeytown" There's even a restaurant and a chain of stores called that.

That *is* sad! Too bad someone worthwhile won't buy them out, and start rebuilding.

Well we've been through 3 rebuilding plans over the last 10 years. In fact the Mets have some parts of the last plan on their roster, Roger Cedeno(good ridence) and my wife's favorite player - Tony Clark.

Even the Yankees have 6 ex-Tigers including David Wells and Jeff Weaver.

It looks like the Mets are starting to dump guys and heading toward their own rebuilding program. It'd be nice to pick up a couple of their cast-offs but we can't afford them!

Roger Cedeno is someone I'd like to say goodbye to also! We're hoping he gets traded to the Yankees for a pair of Derek Jeter's batting gloves ...

Yeah he was kind of a poison in the clubhouse like we haven't seen since Juan Gonzalez was on the Tigers for a summer.

Hey I bet just Derek Jeters gloves could start shortstop for us!

Hey! That was *my* idea!

Oops! I didn't know they were gonna start for you, just warm the bench or something. It's a much better opportunity for their long-term career with the Tigers.

I suppose if you need a shortstop so badly, we could trade for someone else's batting gloves ...