Reddit mentions: The best books about pain management

Ah yes! That’s Neuroscientist Dr. Michele Ross she is an amazing Human Being who is a former drug researcher for the National Institute on Drug Abuse who later evolved supporting medical marijuana and psychedelics for medicinal use.

Her advocacy is really great and Dr. Ross says she sought out non-neurotoxic, nonaddictive DMT to help her heal from trauma. Her empathy and experience really expresses her ability to see everything for what it is which as a researcher can be difficult for a variety of reasons and her boldness in her degree to express openly is really remarkable, respectful, and expansive. It’s influences like Dr. Ross that make a difference in the system. God Bless this powerful Woman.

In the link Dr. Ross describes her DMT trip in detail and is a great listen, I cannot recall from what source, but I have seen her speak about it before, I thought maybe the documentary ‘DMT: The Spirit Molecule’ but I don’t see her casted on IMDB so I am a little perplexed...🤔 eh memory is mental fuckery anyway.

There is a great book Vitamin Weed by Dr. Michele Ross
In this book Dr. Ross teaches the Use of Cannabis To Prevent and Treat Disease with a groundbreaking 4-step plan to prevent and reverse endocannabinoid deficiency that changes the way we use medical marijuana.

She also offers courses on her website where you can learn about cannabis which is really great especially if you are a patient, caregiver, doctor, cannabis coach, or just curious about it, these courses are very informative and useful. Check her out she is pretty dope.
https://www.drmicheleross.com/courses

Have you heard of the amazing Human Being Rick Strassman,PhD?

Back to your experiences have you changed anything about yourself because of these intense moments experienced through DMT?

And what a great name for that podcast “reset.me” totally adding it to my iTunes! thanks for sharing that clip!

Yes, it is very simplistic to say that "smashing" is "self-rolfing", but I am saying that as an easy way to emphasize that smashing is DEEP-TISSUE SELF-MASSAGE, which I take to be a new and totally revolutionary concept. THANK YOU Kelly Starrett! THANK YOU Jill Miller!

I do definitely recommend going to see a Rolfer or any kind of bodyworker over a doctor for most musculoskeletal issues. I actually have an appointment with an Advanced Rolfer in a few days. I had the ten sessions about 40 years ago. My Rolfer was new and not a good one. Didn't do much for me. Of course all bodyworkers will be different. Theoretically Rolfers are the top-level elite of bodyworkers but that is not always true. I am very excited about being able to see this Rolfer. But I am even more excited to have discovered smashing and Kelly Starrett. My Rolfing session will cost $155.00 and I am not a rich person. So I am very oriented to self-help methods. Youtube videos are free and a lacrosse ball is $3. This knee issue has really sidetracked me and I have taken more and more desperate measures, the Rolfer being the latest. I went to a massage therapist a few weeks ago. That was good, but I figured I needed the skill of a Rolfer to really solve this puzzle. But then it was just yesterday that I finally got the smashing thing. My knee is way better today than it has been in 3 months and I am just getting started. If I hadn't found this Rolfer I would probably be OK, but I trust he will speed me up a lot.

I had not heard of theiasi.net - interesting. My top recommended book for Carpal Tunnel and such problems is by a Hellerworker -
Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Repetitive Strain Injuries - Sharon Butler.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1572240393/
I did not find the client handbook you mentioned at hellerwork.com but did find out about 4 books there that I did not know about.
Hellerwork is very interesting, but also expensive and they are even harder to find than Rolfers.

I think most people would benefit greatly from any amount of bodywork and certainly from a full set of sessions from a Rolfer or Hellerworker. But we can also learn to work on ourselves. I used to think yoga was the way, but I now think that bodywork (including self-work, especially "smashing") is as important as stretching and strengthening.

So sorry. It sounds like you are talking about osteo-arthritis.(There are over 200 different types of arthritis..) If it's any consolation, I've had RA for 12 years now, and still have a life worth living. It has abated somewhat over the last few years, contrary to all expectations.

• Be liberal with the painkillers. The latest medical thinking is that the "pain cycle" must be broken, and not allowed to ramp up and gain a life of its' own.
  
  
• Be generous with rest time. It's ok to feel not up for anything.
  
  
• Find ways around it. I still build houses and go canyoneering. It's possible. She will develop ways of working around the bits that don't work. Be creative. (Crawling to the toilet is dignified, compared to shitting the bed.)
  
  
• Diet is key. Find out what influences the flare-ups. For me it's sugar and acidifying foods. If it's severe, go macrobiotic and slowly add desired foods to check their impact.
  
  
• Be strong. Everyone will have some "good advice" because "their granny has arthritis". Smile and be gracious, and then do your own thing.
  
  -You might try a shot of organic apple cider vinegar every morning. The taste makes the toenails curl up, but it did wonders at balancing my pH and mitigating the flares.
  
  
• There is a great book, "The Pain Chronicles", that helped me wrap my head around it. There are also great supportive websites. I visit those specific to my kind of arthritis, find the ones that work or her and lean on them heavily.
  
  
• Let her be a victim for a while, because, to be honest, her life as she knew it is over, and that stage is key to go through in mourning and processing. This is a looooooong path.
  
  
  
• Be wary of the meds!! Doctors will prescribe some of the most heinous chemicals for her. They have side-effects worse than arthritis, believe me. Do not be afraid to say no if it doesn't feel right. There are many paths to wellness.
  
  This has mostly been for her. For you...you need support too. Your 'life's rug' has been pulled out from under you, as well. It is going to take a lot of love, generosity and commitment to stay this path with a disabled person. I recommend a men's group of some kind, a spiritual path, and permission for you to live your life fully inside of this (wherever you need to get it from..).
  
  
  Feel free to PM me anytime for support or advice. Be strong, and good luck.

I've read so many books that I honestly cannot say that any particular one is the most important. However, here's a list of really good ones:

• Starting Strength. Mark Rippetoe. I've read all three editions. The books have greatly influenced the way I lift, especially in the obvious sense of proper form for barbell lifts.
  
  
• Practical Programming For Strength Training. Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore. Simple explanations of a lot of things related to training even nutrition.
  
  
• Beyond Bodybuilding. Pavel Tsatsouline. Amazing book filled with numerous lifts with the goal of using strength training to develop mass.
  
• Relax Into Stretch and Super Joints by Pavel as well. If you have issues with mobility or flexibility, these books are awesome.
  
• 5 3 1. Jim Wendler. I'm fairly certain the majority of people know what this is, but if you haven't read it, I encourage reading both editions and the one for powerlifting, especially if you're running 5/3/1 right now. All three books are a huge resource for determining how to program assistance and conditioning.
  
• Easy Strength. Pavel and Dan John This was a great read. It was filled with tons of things from articles written by Dan John as well as just a massive look at how to appropriately program strength training for people at numerous levels.
  
• 4 Hour Body. Tim Ferriss. This was an amazing read. It, like Pavel's Power to the People, was a great read on complete minimalism of training towards a goal.
  
  I've read so many more books than that. Since these are the only ones that I can think of off the top of my head, I'd say that they are the ones that have made the biggest impression from reading them.

Had a grade 2 to both shoulders, one from surfing, one from Jiu Jitsu (a beautiful but vicious spider guard sweep).

The advice sounds about right. Good news is, two other guys (that I know of) in the same situation at my gym and all of us are still training. One is an active MMA fighter, the other won black belt worlds masters in 2014.

I went to a physiotherapist for massage and rehab exercise. This was good, but not cheap. It was OK to roll after six weeks, but took a few months to totally settle down. Or maybe I learned to move around it better.

One of my collarbones sticks up further than it should at the shoulder. Slight hunchback of Notre Dame effect. If I sleep on that side, I get pins and needles in that hand after a few hours.

Occasionally get mild tweaks when rolling, especially on my side in half guard with a big guy trying to crush me, but they usually go away after some icing and a day or two's rest.

I found this book useful once I had recovered, as recommended by Steve Maxwell:

https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Solution-Prevention-Revised-Expanded/dp/1589096428

You might be able to find a free digital copy somewhere.

So you've had RSI for the last 7 years!? Props to you for keeping going! Typing out that post must have been a painful process. IANA doctor, so take this all with a grain of salt as you should anything on the internet.

First thing is to find out if you've done any serious damage to your wrists. Is it at all possible for you to have a scan or something similar done? That would be a great start.

Rest and gentle stretches seem to be the way for most people, tendons can heal but they heal a lot more slowly than muscles do. There are many things on the internet, but a really good book I bought (one of 3) is It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndome. It says it's for computer professionals, but it's for anyone really. I also read through this book and it seemed to have some good advice.

But honestly, what got me through was a thing called TMS. It's hard to grasp, that something like RSI (especially as severe as you have it, it seems) can be caused by your mind but it worked for me. It sounds really, really insane, but I was at the point where I was giving up and just thought 'screw it'. There's a pretty recently made program that could be a starting point, but I recovered by reading through this book and putting in to practice some of the exercises he goes through in the final chapters. It genuinely sounds like a shill from the outside, like someone trying to make money off of the suffering of others, but you don't have to spend any money on it.

Good luck with whatever you choose, /u/TexturedMango. There's a facebook group that will give you excellent advice too if you want the link to that.

You do not need surgery. Rest easy friend.
I am a few weeks into au naturale treatment of my "severe" carpal tunnel as they called it and I'm feeling so much better.

It was mis-diagnosed as cervical radiculopathy (piched nerve in the neck) for 7 months, physical therapy that exacerbated the problem and everything. Despite that, I'm already feeling great improvement and I am willing to bet you can too. My entire arm was completely numb for months on end. I felt like chopping the damn thing off. No one having any idea what the problem was really bothered me. One EMG test later and voila, carpal tunnel diagnosis.

1. Anti-inflamatory diet. Look it up. Change how you eat and what you eat. This is huge.
   
2. Braces. You're already doing this. Wear them 100% at night and as much as you can during the day. Take them off for stretches obviously and to let your skin breathe, then put em back on.
   
3. Anti-inflamatory meds. Ibuprofen800's. Twice a day.
   
4. Supplements. Since I dont eat fish (which are a great anti-inflamatory food) I went and got fish oil pills. I also got vitamin b6, b12, and tumeric/curcumin suppliments. I can't say whether they're helping or not because I'm using them in concert with everything else, but I dont think they're hurting. Hell, even a placebo sugar pill would help if someone told you it would.
   
5. Stretching. This is key, but it has to be done right. Check out this book, get it shipped to you used. I was suggested it, and its great. Read around online about it, its widely regarded as great advice. https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Carpal-Syndrome-Repetitive-Injuries/dp/1572240393
   
6. Don't listen to the wrist surgeon who says surgery is the only option. When you're a hammer ever problem looks like a nail, ya know?
   
7. Check your posture. You're probably sitting at your desk wrong. All your body parts are connected to the others; you'd be amazed at how doing certain things can jack up other parts. For instance, don't sit at the desk typing and use the armwrests for support, putting lots of weight on them. That will jack up your wrists.
   
   I was scared when my EMG test results came back too. A trusted friend revealed he too had been diagnosed with carpal tunnel, but didn't get surgery. He suggested that book too. It's about a 4-month journey to recovery, but its totally possible. People that go for surgery are going for the quick and easy route. You don't have to.

Ugh, I am so sorry you are at this point. I am not going through it right now but that is only because I figured out a way through it. The pain and exhaustion and anxiety are always there for me, but I can manage my life with them in it now, if that makes sense. Rick bottom is a miserable and lonely place and the sooner you can get out of there, the better. May I recommend a book that really helped me? It just gave me a sort of silent but useful guide through the misery. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1593859821?pc_redir=1404067965&robot_redir=1
Best of luck-- take good care of yourself and revel in the good moments. This is a brutal experience but it gives you a push towards rewriting your life into something that works for you, and that really can be a positive experience. I had a cool life before and did much more, but in some ways I am happier now. And I am for sure more stable.
I really hope you feel better soon.

Sounds like RSI. Which, if ignored, can lead to arthritis.

I would recommend two things:

Contrast Baths

Set up two long shallow tubs of water in your bathroom, long and wide enough to fit both arms up above the elbow comfortably. Fill one with cold water, the other with warm water. Extreme cold and extreme heat isn't any more useful - just make sure the cold one is cool, and the warm one is warm enough to stay nice and warm for more than the ten minutes you'll be using it.

Set a time for 1 minute and submerge both arms in the warm one, then a minute in the cold one. Do this for 11 minutes, so that you end with the warm one.

Do this 2-3 times a day, and before your practice. If you empty out the cold one, and let the other sit until it is cold, then the water won't get stale and have things growing in it.

The other thing

Get this book and do the exercises in it:

https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Carpal-Syndrome-Repetitive-Injuries/dp/1572240393

Good luck.

Hey man, haven't seen the doc yet (plan to next month) but I've changed something that seemed to make a lot of difference.

Every time I introduced extra work to my external rotators I felt my teres minor really really tight to the point where it would bother me way too much.

Two things that have helped were:

1-) Hanging from a bar. Just seriously hanging form a bar. Shoulders completely relaxed and loose up to my ears. At first you wont feel it, but after getting used to it you'll be able to stretch further and you'll feel (or at least I did) your teres minor stretch so fucking good (the one on my left side, with the shoulder issue). It feels searing hot but without pain (as opposed to normal stretches) and my shoulder has been crackling a lot less and feeling a lot better since incorporating this and #2 which I'm about to tell you.

I encourage you to read this blog post. He talks about this book towards the end. I'm just doing a regular bar hang anywhere from 30 to 40 seconds to a total of 6 minutes a day. I started about 10 days ago doing 15 to 25s of hanging and around 3 minutes a day and was able to improve very fast.

2-) Snatch grip BTN presses (klokov press). Fuck these feel really good and I really feel like they've taught my body how to proper position and recruit my scapular stabilizers. I don't really know and at this point I'm just guessing but fuck me this has been really helping me. I feel like this guy properly communicates what I'm saying and well, u/gzcl advocates these for shoulder health as well so I'd say go for it if you can do them without pain.
I did these before but never in combination with the hanging work and I'd just end up with an extremely tight and painful left teres minor. Now shit just feels good. I honestly thought I'd need some sort of surgery or shit.

Also, don't forget to do rear delt work. I've been doing a shitload of band pull-aparts and band bilateral external rotations and I feel these really help as well (albeit not as much as the other two).

If you are looking for something more educational I suggest "A Guide to Better Movement" by Todd Hargrove. It's an interesting read on how the nervous system modulates movement, and it is written intelligently but is still an easy read.

If you are looking for something more along the lines of a novel try "Run, Don't Walk" by Adele Levine. It a story about a PT who worked at Walter Reed Medical Center treating veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. The book is less about the science of physical therapy and more about her interactions with patients. It's also good in that the book is darkly funny and not depressing.

Unfortunately from what I have heard in the UK or elsewhere in Europe they won’t prescribe take home Ketamine at all. There is a place doing Ketamine infusions through the NHS. The doctor doing them there is Dr. Rupert McShane. If you can’t get in there, there is an excellent doctor in Cologne Germany that many people travel to. The website is https//ketamin.de I think he is less expensive then 800 pounds even with traveling there. How many treatments are they giving you for the initial treatments? For many people they last much longer then 2 weeks. Make sure they don’t give you any drugs like versed (which is a Benzodiazepine) with your infusions and make sure you aren’t on any benzo’s daily as they can greatly reduce the effects of Ketamine.

As far as being nervous about infusions there is a great book I highly recommend to help prepare you available on Amazon,

https://www.amazon.com/Ketamine-Infusions-Patients-Everything-infusions-ebook/dp/B07X148Z94/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Ketamine+Infusions&qid=1567526759&s=gateway&sr=8-1

My experience is similar to OP. I've spent a lot of time lifting weights for exercise, mostly compound lifts with free weights, and it seems like the bracing and full engagement of muscles that I've trained there gets in the way of fluid dancing.

I think _morkbork is onto something with the focus on the negative/eccentric muscle action. If I focus on that and try keep as much concentric muscle effort out of my arms as possible, the dancing goes better.

More generally, it seems to help to keep the strength centered and low -- core, hips, legs, feet -- and engage shoulder and arm muscles just enough to suit the connection. Which is for me so hard to do. The experienced followers say that with good lead they can feel the connection to the lead's core, which I think gets blocked by tension in the hands, forearms, and biceps in particular.

I've been working through the exercises in the book The New Rules of Posture by Mary Bond. Despite the title, the subject is more about mobility, fluidity, and balance. It's been a good way to work out some of the stiffness on my own.

Personally, I'm a huge fan of Carl Paoli's book Freestyle. He's a former elite gymnast and strength coach in the crossfit community. The book is great, its like Supple Leopard for movement and gymnastic strength training.

I find that my new coach's look like a deer in headlights when I ask them to scale simple moves. You'd be shocked at hard this for some people (in least I am shocked.) You are referring to this book http://amzn.to/2kJBxy2 right? Do you (or anyone else that would like to chime in, please do) think it's better than Free+style http://amzn.to/2lgZ39l. I've taken crossfit gymnastics cert, but I like to have good references available for my coaches.

Speaking of which, here's a link to list of our favorite books.
https://www.sandandsteelfitness.com/top-personal-training-books-crossfit-nutrition/

Via [1, bottom], this is an excerpt from what seems to be a well-regarded book on shoulder anatomy. The acromion apparently has a bit of flex (emphasis mine):

> More recent investigations have pointed to the importance of contact and load transfer between the rotator cuff and the coracoacromial arch in the function of normal shoulders, including the provision of superior stability. Because there is normally no gap between the superior cuff and the coracoacromial arch, the slightest amount of superior translation compresses the cuff tendon between the humeral head and the arch. Superior displacement is opposed by the countervailing force exerted by the coracoacromial arch through the cuff tendon to the humeral head. Ziegler and collaborators demonstrated this “passive resistance “effect in cadavers by showing that [t]he acromion bent upward when a superiorly directed force was applied to the humerus in the neutral position. The amount of acromial deformation was directly related to the amount superior force applied to the humerus, the load being transmitted through the intact superior cuff tendon.

Rockwood CA Jr, Matsen FA III, Wirth MA, Lippett SB. The Shoulder. 3rd ed Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 2004

So it's plausible that repeated application will cause the structures to adapt. The thing is, I can't find any studies that say anything about it (y'all're welcome to flex your Google Scholar Fu).

The "Dr Kirsch" turns out to be John M Kirsch, MD, an orthopedic surgeon (book) so he ought to know what he's talking about. However, this dismissal makes me nervous (in response to a query on scientific rigor) [1, top]:

> Thanks, Suspender. I understand the limitations of protocols to "scientific" outcomes etc.

The book also refers to a "Kauai Study" in which the protocol is tested on 92 patients (with positive results for 90), but I can't find the study.

So as far as I can tell, it's in the realm of theoretically possible, little hard evidence that I can find. I also can't find anyone saying that dead hangs caused them shoulder pain, so it's probably safe. At the very least you'll improve your grip, and it does feel good...

[1] http://physicaltherapy.rehabedge.com/printable.aspx?m=3879&mpage=3

I was just saying that the article you linked had the reason that sit-stand desks were not working for people was because they would sit down most of the time...
I think the question should be is are their health benefits for standing with proper posture all day better than sitting? and I'm sure someone like Kelly Starrett would be able to give you a million reasons and a whole book on why standing is better than sitting.

So there's a great book and rehab protocol for shoulder rehab called "hanging therapy". I competed many years in brazilian jiu jitsu and have used it successfully for shoulder pain and issues of myself and friends. I first saw it on the Joe Rogan podcast.

You can read up on the protocol or get the book that it originates from. Here's a link to it: https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Solution-Prevention-Revised-Expanded/dp/1589096428

It's written by a doctor who was a shoulder specialist. It has a very high success rate for rehabilitating shoulders.

If you have the money I’ve heard of people having great results from stem cell injections. Also like FDLife said, hanging is great for your shoulders and I’ve personally gotten good results from this for shoulder pain. The book “Shoulder Pain? The Solution & Prevention” by John M. Kirsch, MD is worth checking out.

Cut and paste from an email I sent to an acquaintance who asked me essentiall the same question. Some San Francisco specific advice, but my hands hurt too much to edit it out right now, sorry. I'm not better, so perhaps I'm not the best person to ask. But I have gotten better - it's the relapses that I am having trouble with:

--------------------------

I highly recomend this book, to just about anyone, injured already or not:

http://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Carpal-Tunnel-Syndrome-Repetitive/dp/1572240393

This following one has been just as important, if not more so.
However, if you just jump into it, without being treated by a proper
deep tissue massage therapist for a while, you are almost certain to
injure yourself pretty badly.

http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Therapy-Workbook-Self-Treatment/dp/1572243759/ref=pd_cp_b_2

That said, I could never afford a daily professional massage, whereas
being able to work on oneself between meetings is key to maximising
the results. Just be really, really gentle - it can be easy to hurt
yourself when you haven't had the practice to distinguishing between
the transient pain of muscualr release and that caused by actual
injuring yourself.

(While the book itself is tremendously useful, it's organized in the
most backwards fashion. Instead of being organized by injury, it's
organized by physiology, so you will need lots of sticky book marks)

The following book has some useful conceptual information, though it
is not as practical as those first two

http://www.amazon.com/Carpal-Syndrome-Therapy-Computer-Professionals/dp/0965510999/ref=pd_cp_b_1

It does the best job of explaining the issues and how to deal with
them, but the actual exercises are sparse and not very useful.
Essentially, it goes against the conventional wisdom, that complete
rest is required for recovery, and suggests that very slow and steady,
increases in exercise >so long as they cause no pain whatsoever< are
an important part of the process.

The massage therapist I have seen is Jason Garcia, who now has his own practice near the Millbrae Bart/Caltrain station.

http://www.handsonwell.com/massage.html

I would also recomend the SF RSI support group, though I have not been attending much at all. I should, though the August speaker sounds like a charlatan. The November speaker looks like quite one to attend.

http://sf-rsi.unsealed.net/

Absolutely, though not box breathing. I follow the pattern laid out in this book, which is basically keeping the ratio 1:2:pause, in versus out. So while meditating I'll do 3 seconds in, 6 seconds out, 1 second pause. It's been a game changer tbh and especially helps when off the cushion. Reprogramming my mind and the way I breathe. If I'm doing basically anything at all challenging or stressful, controlling my breathing gets my parasympathetic activity up, which promotes critical thinking, which helps with awareness. I can verify this effect with data since I wear an Oura ring which tracks HRV, a strong signal for parasympathetic vs sympathetic activation.


Phenomenal book btw.

Yes I read his book Deskbound and I began practicing his flossing/smashing techniques. I'm not fully through it, but I have noticed significant flexibility gains in my hips from his squat exercises/tests and I'm working on ankle mobility now.

Maybe this info will help you? Discovered this author a few weeks ago and her theory has really helped me. Hope it helps you too!

Article:
https://www.hormonesmatter.com/migraine-all-wrong/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Migraine-Epidemic-Migraines-Medications-ebook/dp/B076BZG2V3/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1514080060&sr=1-1&keywords=fighting+the+migraine+epidemic

Migraines: A migraine-brain is in a state of constant struggle to find enough energy for its biochemical balance in order to maintain electrolyte homeostasis. Recent scientific reports show that migraines, seizures and strokes all relate to ionic imbalance of sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium, and water. One particular model looked at how changing potassium ion concentration affects brain activity and how seizures and migraines have similar underlying mechanisms.

Afaik there aren't studies that study this specifically. You'll get results the fastest if you stretch as often as possible, everyday, at least three times a day. In my experience, that should yield noticeable improvements in 1-2 weeks.

But there's no need to be in a hurry. Thrice a week will yield results, too. It'll just take longer. I encourage you to also stretch when you're working. Stand up every hour take 10-15 seconds to stretch each leg, that will prevent some tightness, in my experience.

By the way, the hip flexors aren't the only muscles that influence hip position. So I'd also make sure that you have proper range of motion in other joints and that other muscles aren't excessively tight.

And keep in mind that stretching isn't the only method to improve posture and movement. I'd check out this book if I were you: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0991542304/

this book may help. i have it but never read it. ive read through one of his other books though and i liked it a lot. i think he's a legit source, but I really wouldn't know.

anyway for me, it was/is my shoulder health. they are pulled forward from having them in front of my at my desk all day so they hurt when i try to exercise.

a good place to start to lessen the effects of sitting would be to get up every 20 minutes or so to move around a bit, and to stretch every night

I switched to evil/spacemacs a few years ago when my RSI was worsening to see if it helped. It helped for a short time but then my RSI started coming back. Vim keybindings can also cause RSI.

​

However I don't regret learning evil. I really enjoy modal editing. Also, trying out spacemacs exposed me to lots of cool packages I didn't know about before. Though I'm using my own config these days, whenever I'm trying out a new language I usually check the spacemacs config to see what packages are installed there.

​

Over the years I've tried various things that have been more or less helpful for RSI:

- Conquering carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries

- http://www.workrave.org/

- Voice coding (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SkdfdXWYaI, https://github.com/dictation-toolbox/aenea)

- Mind-body prescription (it's a bit wacky, I don't agree with all of it, but I think there's something to it & a lot of people seem to find it helpful)

- Standing desk

- Back massage (https://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Tail-Ball-Roller-Corded/dp/B0078PX01G/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=ball+rope+back+massage&qid=1558366141&s=gateway&sr=8-4)

- Exercise

I'm no doctor but can highly recommend the approach laid out in the following book https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Solution-Prevention-Revised-Expanded/dp/1589096428 The program basically involves hanging from a pull up bar to help remodel your shoulder.

I'm currently going through Deskbound. Highly recommended. I thought I knew a lot about the body before but this just blows it away. I think some of his basic posture work over the last month has solved 70% of my issues. I also like how he goes after both treating the symptoms AND the cause.

Disclaimer: I'm not a PT, I'm just on these boards because I'm considering switching careers into it.

I am/was a chronic pain sufferer for many years, with the past 2 years being drastically worse and debilitating. However after making serious dedicated effort I am making huge progress and am at this point fully convinced that I will not only entirely beat chronic pain, but also be even better off than I was.

IMHO, by the time you reach chronic pain > 6mo-year things have become much more complicated than your average PT/MD is going to be looking. 'Climbing out of this hole' is very possible, 'very soon' is unrealistic. What is more realistic is something like 'I will crawl, and walk, and climb from the pit of this ravine until climbing is my friend and I won't even realize I've reached level ground until I look down from the mountain I have climbed.'

You are likely going to have to do a lot of learning, because an MD/PT/Ortho/Chiro whatever is not going to be able to change enough aspects of your life to 'cure' you. Additionally it would be unwise for them to try because the time it would take they could of prevent so many more people from entering chronic pain to begin with. That is not to say that they will be worthless by any means. They will always have the insight that their degree and years of experience have given them, and are in fact invaluable in this way.

While you may or may not have lower cross syndrome, this is not where I'd recommend starting. At this point it would be my guess that you're very tight in may places over your body, and have developed a plethora of compensation patterns. That's totally fine, they are very likely all reversible in time. One problem this presents though is the idea of 'of if I fix compensation X then I'll feel better' but they are all interacting with each other, so as you fix one another will change. But after you work over the entire body over significant periods of time it will start to come together. This is mainly because once you learn how a single compensation is happening you will eventually be able to get more and more corrections on 'auto-pilot' so that these corrections will be happening as you try to correct other patterns.

The first thing I suggest is learning about pain science. It's proven to actually reduce pain, and will help you make more informed decisions through the journey. I highly recommend http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Better-Movement-Science-Practice/dp/0991542304/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427501143&sr=1-1&keywords=better+movement . It's a good starting point and requires almost no background. It also has some good exercises at the end of the book based on the Feldenkrais method. Feldenkrais is certainly not a cure all, but I find extremely helpful, as it helps address the motor patterns in a very learning friendly environment.

Finally, if you are depressed don't forget the possibility of seeing a psychological therapist. You are depressed because you hurt all the time. That is inevitable, but being depressed can also prevent you from fixing the pain int he first place. You have to fight the war on all fronts. You may also want to consider picking up meditation (or find a mindfulness based therapist). It's also backed by lots of research and from my experience the way you learn from meditation and the way you learn to be pain free have lots of overlap. By mindfully observing and learning from your moment to moment experience you have greater ability to direct your future moments.

Best of luck on your journey.

What kinds of procedures have they done?

Oh wow, I didn't know that I'm sorry- you still have a lot of work to do. My hips hurt for a very long time from surgery but I couldn't tell the difference if they felt better or worse. Unfortunately over time they got much much much worse. 6 months is normally the time you should know though so you've got plenty of time with that.

I've gotten 4 surgeries total so yes I can relate to you, friend.

Yeah I totally know what you mean, you didn't lash out :) . Even though you look at me like I could workout, I can't do it for longer than 5 minutes. And yeah the RIC program will tell you don't worry you'll work your way up!! But, it just doesn't work long-term as a solution. At least for me. You'll learn a lot of tools there, but they use a book called Managing Pain Before it Manages You. It is the core of their program and it's all in this book. Take a look at it before you decide anything.

RIC doctors are some of the top docs in the midwest area, if not country. Seriously.

So, I heard about this from Joe Rogan's Podcast after experiencing the same thing. i put a pullup bar in my office just a few inches from the ceiling so at full extension my feet do not touch the floor. Twice a day i hang from the bar. try to disengage your shoulder muscles as much as possible. This is the clip from the podcast. Good luck!

I would say those talks and films are sort of on the extreme side of things, and are intended to illicit a strong response and a call to action -- not criticizing them, just pointing out their purpose. Since that seemed to work well for you, you may want to look into fitness communities that have strong beliefs in the benefits of fitness and the detriments of being sedentary. The CrossFit community is one example. I haven't tried it, but I've heard it varies wildly from box to box, so you'd have to do some perusing.

If you want to do some related reading, here's a book that focuses on how sitting is killing you.

However, you do not have to commit yourself to some group fitness regimen to get in shape. I completely second the idea that all you need to do is find a form of exercise that is fun for you. Bicycling, hiking mountains, swimming, powerlifting, running, olympic weightlifting, badminton, roller blading, whatever. That being said, if you're trying to lose or gain weight, eating correctly to meet those goals is roughly 80% of the battle.

On the rotator cuff issue, what you do about it may come down the specific nature of the injury. Generally speaking, though, I would pay attention to exercise selection. I have issues with my supraspinatus tendon (the one that passes over the top of the shoulder). I tend to floor press more often than I bench press, because it keeps my elbows from passing behind my back; I've injured my shoulder that way on heavy lifts. I also use a landmine, single or double arm, for shoulder presses more often than pure overhead pressing. I am 39 years old and I want to keeping getting strong, but I recognized that I may have to do things a little differently than if I were in my 20s. I am not advocating abandoning all potentially risky exercises, but you may want to reconsider how frequently you do them.

Also, this will sound weird, but I spend some time each day just hanging from a bar. Just a relaxed hang, as long as I can hang on, for a few sets over 10 minutes. An orthopedic surgeon named John Kirsch wrote a book called Shoulder Pain? The Solution and Prevention that advocates this approach. It's not a very long book, and it basically tells you to do the hangs and explains the mechanism as to why it works. In a nutshell, in a fully overhead hang the head of the humerus comes into contact with the acromion and, over time, reshapes the space between the acromion and the humerus to make more room for tendons, tissues, etc. Also, it's just a good stretch; you can feel it stretch out your pecs if you're tight there. Combine this with some accessory exercises that work the rotator cuff.

If you're serious about stretching I recommend this book, especially if you're feeling RSI symptoms:

https://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Carpal-Syndrome-Repetitive-Injuries/dp/1572240393

The book covers stretches across your full body since tension in other areas can affect your hands and arms. This book has so many stretches to choose from that you can really tailor a warm-up to suit your needs. After you try a bunch, you'll be able to see which stretches are the most helpful. I've narrowed it down to about 10 stretches that I do each night before bed and when I'll be playing for extended hours. Only takes about 5 minutes and I really feel a difference compared to when I slack off and don't do the stretches.

I mostly worked on my forearms with stretches like these. There's also a book called Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Repetitive Strain Injuries: A Self-Care Program that I found helpful. It teaches you not just what to stretch but how to stretch in a very gentle way.

BTW I found this book very good for working out which moves to do once you've got a proper diagnosis of your particular back problem from a specialist. It can get a bit technical but, but it's well worth it: https://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Keys-Back-Sufferers-Bible/dp/0091814944

If they are concerned about your joints, perhaps picking up Saint Pavel's book, Super Joints, and adding those drills to your morning routine will help, especially if you do the drills with them?

I am going to guess that you are a teenager and living at home, thus your parent's conerns have more impact on your life than they might otherwise. Do your research about the long term benefits of strength training. Performing your prayers as a teenager actually helps build up your bone density and can protect you from breaks up to your 70's. Adding muscle mass when you are young also protects you as you age.

Possibly, also, finding articles about aged body builders (such as the gentleman in India who just passed away at 104 years of age), and talking about how the leading indicator of mortality in the elderly is a lack of muscle mass- regardless of other health concerns.

If their concerns are really for your joints, ask them to join you on your joint mobility drills. Be cautious of your knees, mine are long gone and I miss them- my right knee is in nearly constant pain, so that is a very valid concern, as a parent, but there is much bad information out there on how our prayers are bad for joints. They are not. If you do, and present your research well, hopefully your parents will respect that you are making an informed decision.

From Kelly Starret's Deskbound:

“What about physio balls, BOSU balls, and kneeling chairs? We do not consider these to be great choices. While a bouncy ball does promote small movements with its constant instability, managing an organized spine for sustained periods is nearly impossible. Anyone on a ball chair will ultimately default to an end-range, tissue-limited shape as fatigue sets in or concentration is lost. The unstable surface accelerates postural decay and makes compensatory slouching or spinal overextension worse. Try to stand on a water bed for an hour and notice what happens. Add to this the fact that it is difficult to bear weight on your pelvis and not the soft tissues of your hamstrings. Most important, sitting on a ball is still sitting, with all of its pitfalls. While a kneeling chair does open up the hips, it provides limited dynamic sitting options and encourages spending time in an overextended shape. When it comes to sitting in a chair, your best bet is to go with a simple, rigid chair with a wide, semi-hard seat.”

I tend to trust K-Star on this kind of stuff. Of course, standing is even better than sitting, but if standing isn't an option, I'll often kneel at a standard-height desk (shifting between a one-knee-down lunge shape and a two knees down shape).

I heard this episode as well and I am still very sceptical. The guess is the author of this book: John M. Kirsch M.D. Shoulder Pain? The Solution & Prevention, Revised & Expanded https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Solution-Prevention-Revised-Expanded/dp/1589096428?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-fpas-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1589096428

I haven't read the book myself. There are reviews online, but I haven't read them either. So you can find a lot of information on this stuff.

I personally don't find hanging to be effective at all.

> Every business person has to figure out where the point is that money gets you the rest of the information. We all have to eat, sleep, and save for rainy days/retirement/children, etc.

Absolutely, but if injury is to come from it... that is a dishonorable method. This is all conjecture though, right? I mean, Ido sincerely believes (from Dr. Kirsch's book) that hanging is the way to go toward improving shoulder health. So, maybe the people who are getting hurt are anomalies? I sure hope so!

Are you doing a shoulder health routine for preventative reasons or do you currently have an issue with your shoulder? There's an orthopedic surgeon that wrote this book stating that he treats many of his patients by telling them to do dead hangs every day. It's good for preventative care and recovery. I've started doing deadhangs about 2 weeks ago and I've noticed an improvement in my weak rotator cuffs already. Sorry that I didn't really answer your original question, but I figured this would be worth mentioning.

Free + Style by Carl Paoli http://www.amazon.com/Free-Style-Maximize-Performance-Movements/dp/1628600209?ie=UTF8&keywords=freestyle%20movement&qid=1464045956&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Deskbound by Kelly Starrett has made me feel much better at my desk job.

Hard Cover on this one could last a lifetime with proper care:

https://www.amazon.com/Deskbound-Standing-Up-Sitting-World/dp/1628600586

What do you guys think about these books?

BTW, there should be a book review sticky section, sidebar, where people can specifically ask about books, programs, and videos.

Here are the books I'm asasking about:

Idk if anyone read them, hopefully they did but what do you have to say about these books?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0938045628/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1420824655&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SY200_QL40
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JOCT3IK/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1420824685&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0983602816/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_15?colid=20SPZ6UZ33ESF&coliid=IVIG5JPTOOQPS
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00OSLHQ7M/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_7?colid=20SPZ6UZ33ESF&coliid=I3KZDPK6OOBBK4
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00GVG1UWY/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_6?colid=20SPZ6UZ33ESF&coliid=IUPBJZDZ158P8
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1492139408/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_2_4?colid=20SPZ6UZ33ESF&coliid=I2EGJHCM0OPEN3
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1628600209/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_4?colid=2MM3AADBHAZQ4&coliid=I3BX8RGVL6H73R

I'd also recommend checking out deskbound from your library.

I took Alexander Technique in college and this book is highly recommended to help with all these things: http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Posture-Stand-Modern/dp/1594771243

It gives you many exercises to learn how to properly hold the body and to let go of tensions and habits that we carry all the time.

The class forever changed the way that I think about my body.

u/sfcnmone "Fighting The Migraine Epidemic: Complete Guide: How to Treat & Prevent Migraines Without Medicines" It is a white book. There is a green book with similar title, that's my 1st edition and now hackers are selling "new" copies or used copies for a lot of money... don't go for that one. Here is the link to the correct one on amazon https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Migraine-Epidemic-Migraines-Medicines-ebook/dp/B076BZG2V3/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1553898414&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

I have. I had to stop doing any kind of horizontal pressing. This guy makes a pretty compelling case for hanging as a treatment:




Shoulder Pain? The Solution & Prevention, Revised & Expanded https://www.amazon.com/dp/1589096428/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1TJfAb14CXZ3M

Pilates instructor here, not sure I can offer any serious advice without seeing you in-person. From what you've said, I wouldn't be surprised to see a kyphosis and a slight scoliosis and getting you pain-free would involve focusing more on your hips/core and breathing technique to get permanent pain-free results. Consider a lesson at a Clinical/Classical Pilates studio (avoid the cheaper mat classes offered in gyms and the like).

This book might interest you, it's by a Pilates teacher with hypermobility : Hypermobility Without Tears: Moving Pain-Free with Hypermobility and EDS by Jeannie Di Bon

When you feel stressed, try practicing lateral (Pilates) breathing. Long, gentle exhales will relax the Parasympathetic nervous system, taking your mind out of Fight or Flight mode and lessening pain sensations. Here's a link to a Pilates breathing Playlist, you might like to practice some of the other Pilates exercises on her channel.

I back the foam roller/lacrosse ball recommendations, and some focused area yoga. Also look up some of Christopher Somers' Gymnastic Bodies programs, they have a lot of exercises for shoulder strength and mobility.

Another thing that might help you are deadhangs from a pull up bar. Dr. John Kirsch wrote a book about his studies treating shoulder pain, and as I understand it, the crux of it was that he found that doing consistent dead hangs (with the thumbs disengaged) helped alleviate a lot of the issues over time. I have rotator cuff syndrome in my left shoulder and doing the hangs has definitely been helping the pain from it https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Solution-Prevention-Revised-Expanded/dp/1589096428

Yes, thanks.

One thing about the comment about the RC muscles getting smashed up. I read this book on shoulder pain a while ago and the author actually recommends dead hangs for shoulder pain. While I'm not sure that's the best recommendation for everyone, one thing he does address is RC impingement in the overhead position and he claims it's not possible as the RC will have completely cleared the acromion by the time the arm is straight up. So I assume something else must be getting pinched here like the bursa or bicipital tendon.

Personally I do get some pain in my left bicipital groove with some overhead presses and occassionally with a hang. Would that be remedied by the same thing, more external rotation?

I know Kelly Starrett has a bunch of stuff on this. Not just supple leopard but another book called desk bound.

https://www.amazon.com/Deskbound-Standing-Up-Sitting-World/dp/1628600586

I haven't read it so I don't know what it exactly covers but I assume it at least covers ergonomics and combating sitting for hours

The New Rules of Posture by Mary Bond

Science! followed by some Older Science!

https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Solution-Prevention-Revised-Expanded/dp/1589096428

Freestyle by Carl Poali is my second favourite to OG. It's more if you are into the theory of movement & biomechanics

https://www.amazon.com/Back-Pain-Permanent-Healing-Understanding-ebook/dp/B01L2NWZ3S/

https://www.amazon.com/Deskbound-Standing-Up-Sitting-World/dp/1628600586/

Check this book out. It's helped my posture a lot.

https://www.amazon.com/Deskbound-Standing-Up-Sitting-World/dp/1628600586

Here is the mobile version of your link

like this?

No problem. Similar techniques can be used in the hips and shoulders. Additionally, cryoablation (cold), pulsed RF, and chemodenervation (destruction with alcohol or phenol) can be used to ablate nerves, especially in patients with pericranial neuralgias, meralgia paresthetica, and various points along the sympathetic chain. If you're into it, Waldman's Interventional Pain Management (http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Interventional-Pain-Management-DVD/dp/1416099948) contains a lot of great info.

I don't know much about low back pain. But Kit Laughlin has written a book on solving back pain. My library has a copy, maybe yours does too. It has a chapter on assessment and the rest of the book is stretches.

If the outsides of your hips are tight then you might find foam rolling the area will help.

Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World https://www.amazon.com/dp/1628600586/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GEeIybBKSRWH0

Becoming a Supple Leopard 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance https://www.amazon.com/dp/1628600837/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_gFeIybZ03PF2R

Here ya go
Shoulder Pain? The Solution & Prevention, Revised & Expanded 1st Edition
by John M. Kirsch M.D.

I was diagnosed with early Tendonitis last year. Went to the doctor, he just prescribed me some anti-inflammatory, and absolute no guitar playing. The no guitar playing for almost a month drove me nuts. I also used (on my own) this book which I believe helped - I still use many of the stretches in there daily.

That's a fair question. I'm a massage therapist and I found my way into studying pain science for fun as much as anything (I used to be an engineer). Pain is an action signal from your brain - stop doing this, protect this, move this, or seek help. It is not a damage meter. And the brain isn't always good at risk estimation.

In your case my wild guess is you have a lack of flexibility and your back muscles are hitting their end range of motion, so your brain says, "hey be careful, we don't want any strains or sprains."

I will say this - the human spine is far stronger and more resilient than people give it credit for in this culture. Chiropractors and doctors in particular are a big culprit. Chiro's for business reasons along with their hundred years out of date models about how the body works. Doctors because when you go to your GP with low back pain all he really has at his disposal is an x-ray machine, so he does a scan, finds some disk degeneration, and declares that to be the issue, and says no more golf for you. If you're lucky your doctor has a background in modern neuroscience and has read papers like the one I referenced above. But the odds of that are low.

While we're at it, go pick up this book. He goes into more detail with pain science, why movement is important, and why all this really centers on the nervous system.

There is a book by Dr. John Kirsch, M.D. Shoulder Pain? The Solution & Prevention

https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Solution-Prevention-Revised-Expanded/dp/1589096428

Basically, the point is there are some tendons in the shoulders and due to the bone deformations with age they start to touch the bone and you get shoulder pains and crackling. The remedy is to hang for 15 minutes a day.

Here is a video on youtube and there are more where this came from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae9nW7acekk

What a shitty system, they should have done an MRI a long time ago. Please push for an x-ray, if they don't find anything there ask what other imaging methods could help. Paying out of pocket for one would set you back around 200-250 euro.

Not a doctor so that sounds like it could be anything to me, but you could try dead hangs as per this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shoulder-Solution-Prevention-Revised-Expanded/dp/1589096428

Its called Brachial hanging.
It was on one of the steve maxwell episodes (probably the latest one.) He tells Joe about a book he read on the subject of shoulder pain.

John M. kirsch book:

https://www.amazon.com/Shoulder-Solution-Prevention-Revised-Expanded/dp/1589096428

its good shit. also check out John E. Sarnos book for chronic pain issues:

https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446557684

I have a Kinesis keyboard but was still suffering some wrist pain (presumably due to all the gaming/drumming I do outside of coding at work) and found the stretches in this book helped quite a bit:

http://www.amazon.com/Conquering-Carpal-Tunnel-Syndrome-Repetitive/dp/1572240393/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/002-8075426-2858431?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181978967&sr=8-3

You could try reading this book, Shoulder Pain? The Solution & Prevention, Revised & Expanded https://www.amazon.com/dp/1589096428/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_DmGkybTFSYDFW , if money is the issue. But if it hurts a lot I would stop doing exercises that hurt. Don't want to permanently injure yourself.

Let me ask you - HOW are you doing your stretches? I learned a new way of stretching where you have to first feel the slightest bit of tension then wait 10-15s for it to go away (if it does go away. If not repeat the day after) then go ahead and start further extending the stretch. A single stretch can take up to 15 minutes like this and way longer (weeks) to full do the stretch but it pays off A LOT. If you just go ahead and do the stretch all the way with lots of tension then you actually make things WORSE which blew my mind. You also have to do multiple types of stretches, every other day so it has to be consistent (that's a big thing, it can take a week or two for me to fully get rid of a flare up. If I just do it every now and then it won't do too much). Another thing you should consider is isometric exercises that will toughen you ligaments and tendons. If you do any heavy weight lifting, you need to rethink that also. Your muscles may be ready for the job but not the rest of the body so switch to body weight exercises and master them before moving on. Another thing that helped A LOT is a lacrosse ball that I roll around on my forearm focusing on tense/semi-painful spots (myofascial release) for 15m. It made a world of difference. I've attached the resources that really helped me out. Things that only helped a but not as much as the above were playing in the classical position and trying to pick NOT parallel to the strings but perpendicular ala Michael Angelo Batio.

https://www.amazon.ca/Conquering-Carpal-Syndrome-Repetitive-Injuries/dp/1572240393/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505499105&sr=1-3&keywords=carpal+tunnel

https://www.amazon.ca/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505499312&sr=8-1&keywords=supple+leopard

https://www.amazon.ca/Convict-Conditioning-Weakness-Using-Survival-Strength-ebook/dp/B004XIZN5M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505499327&sr=1-1&keywords=convict+conditioning

I'll tell you right now, that not only have I greatly reduced pain from tendonitis (which has been with me since my teens) but also carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome but I've also been making measurable gains in high speed soloing. The worst thing you can do is take some NSAIDs and "wait it out". It took a year and a half of waiting with a tonne of desperation that lead me to dedicating my mornings to my overall health. Oh and forget about just guitar man...you'll need to take care of this if you want to be able to even work a desk job.

have you tried yoga? I am not recommending this instead of, but in addition to, seeking professional help.

Previously i had a back and rotator cuff injury from a car accident. the doctor has done multiple rounds of imaging, and i've tried many things to relieve this pain Rx naproxen, celecoxib, indomethecin, also physio, chiro, etc. I've had coughing spasms violent enough to pull back muscles, and was given codeine for this. i have gone through the mattress replacement, and pillow replacement ritual.

i found the basic chiro stuff - stretches etc. were not enough. the drugs did not stop acute, breakthrough pain that would keep me up at night, and in the evenings my back muscles were so sore from being sore, they were twitching. I remember crawling to the bathroom some nights because it was too painful to roll out of the bed and stand up and walk. I felt i was lost in physical therapy and at times the therapist was just chasing symptoms, and had even forgotten about the car accident that got me there in the first place. with two physios and a chiro, i felt i reached the point where they were just milking me for repeat visits with no improvements. After faking politeness at my last physiotherapy/acupuncture session with no relief, I decided to take a more active role in decision making re: physical therapy.

i started doing a yoga routine of just child's pose, sphinx, upward-facing dog. i didn't go to classes but looked at poses and gradually learned from youtube videos for me it took weeks to get to the third pose; my back was in too much pain for me to even curl up into a ball, and my knees also had to get their flexibility back over time. i started trying to hold a pose for 30 seconds, and then build up from there. i also did intermediate poses until i could get my flexibility back in my joints.

One thing i noticed doing this solo was i could finally start targeting specific areas based on how painful or sore they were. i mainly picked positions to try, using my back pain as a diagnostic tool. i gradually noticed there were different kinds of pain - the kind of soreness that could disappear after about 30-60 sec. in a pose, and the ones that lasted longer. i worked on the pain i could make go away with stretching poses, and it felt so empowering to be able to see some of my pain could be managed with stretching, and to see improvement over a few days or a week. The more i did yoga, the less i relied on the NSAIDS for pain management.

for my shoulder, i did the pectoral stretches and arm stretches, posture exercises i learned from my physiotherapist. i also read the John Kirsch book on Shoulder Pain: The Solution and the Prevention, which recommends hanging by your arms from a tree, and simple exercises, to slightly remodel the spine and shoulder over months through the normal stresses of statically hanging from a bar. i'd highly recommend this book if you have shoulder trouble; all of the treatments/exercises are free so he it's not like he's selling you on Zumba. When i started seeing improvements in my shoulder, i started sleeping much better.

i think what helped me the most was a good night's sleep. i went from about 3-4 hours of sleep to 8+ hours every day. I think this helps me as much as the stretches. I think once i started getting more sleep every night, i felt i got more benefits from the yoga stretches and hanging from a tree. it took me about a year and a half to get to this point.

n.b re: mattress: i still get a sore back every fucking night, but i am too poor to buy another. but i get out of bed and do my yoga poses, shoulder stretches, and by then the coffee is ready. I still need to figure out how to get less painful sleeps, but otoh i am actually sleeping now, albeit bit sore.

I encourage in addition to the tests, try to explore and restore the flexibility in your back with stretches and exercises. They are free and can be learned on youtube. i also want to encourage you to keep trying things until you can start getting quality sleep. Chronic back pain is a discouraging thing to go through and it has almost broken me many times.