I am beginning to see that as I get older my messed up neck is going to be a big problem. I am down and out today and almost incapable of moving my upper body, and it isn’t like I was outside hauling around big bags of dirt or anything yesterday. All I did was pull up some plants, weed, and plant some new stuff. Just bending, stooping, walking, and reaching –nothing at all terribly strenuous– and now my neck is completely out of whack and PAINFUL.
There really isn’t much to be done about it. I’ve discussed it with a doctor before, and the only options for improvement of the situation are pain pills or surgery. Pain pills are nice, but I wouldn’t want to be on them all the time, and with surgery, the odds of improvement are 50-50 … and I never bet on anything with those kinds of odds turning out in my favor, especially when large amounts of money and the potential for things to get worse are also on the line. I’m sort of stuck just having to deal with the fact that sometimes normal activity is going to leave me essentially flat on my back on a soft surface for a couple of days. Sucks, but it’s the body I’ve got, and I’ll just have to work within its limitations.
And, of course, thanks to being out in that wind yesterday, my allergies are driving me mad today too. I don’t know what pollen blew in from where, but my respiratory system is not happy today. I wish it would hurry up and rain, because that always helps, but it doesn’t even look like it’s going to rain like they said it would. Boo. Hiss. I want rain! My garden wants rain!
Since my back is killing me and my allergies are kicking my butt, I will therefore be taking an allergy pill and finding some comfortable position somewhere in the house and, well, doing very little of anything except having a tiny pity party for myself. Maybe once I can breath without sneezing and wheezing I can do some exercises to try and get the neck problem sorted out.
Really needed to make bread today. Hope I can at least get that done.
“pain pills or surgery”. Well that figures coming from a doctor. Trust me the last thing you want is surgery on your neck. I too have a bad neck and it comes from 2 things I do almost daily. 1. Sitting to long at the computer. 2. Falling asleep watching TV.
Whenever my neck gets out of sorts, and any movement makes the top of my head feel like it is about to lift-off, I head on-down to my favorite chiropractor. Now I was never a big fan of chiropractors, as I use to think of them on the same level as a voodoo doctor, but a good one can work wonders. The key point here is locating a good one. Once you find a good one, it may take a number of session to get you adjusted and realigned. After that it is just like routine maintenance, similar to going to your dentist twice a year for check-up.
Hope you feel better.
It’ll be a cold day in hell before I have neck surgery. I have two friends who have had it, and neither is happy about it. Mine is from gardening. I need to get some of those kneeling pads, because I’m pretty sure it’s from sitting on the edge of the bed and twisting to the side to do the weeding.
You’re the second person who has suggested a chiropractor. Since Austin is pretty big on the touchy-feely healing arts, I’m bound to know someone who knows of one who isn’t a total quack. I’ll have to start asking around.
Orb,
All I can tell you is the one I located, actually I didn’t locate him as my wife has been going to him years before we met, made me a believer. And another good thing, chiropractors are relatively inexpensive. Something else you may want to consider is a deep penetrating massage. Do the chiropractors first, then after your neck is back in working order then start with the massages. I’ll bet money there is a certified massage school in the Austin area, and that alone will cut the cost by 50%. Plus the students are near graduating and they are dully supervised. :thumb:
Oh yeah, you can’t throw a stone without hitting a massage therapist or student of it here. LOL! I’ve never had a full massage by an actual professional, but I imagine it would do me a world of good, just for the stress relief alone. I think I may have to spoil myself soon.