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Taijimantis
01-24-2001, 09:46 PM
I recently had a reoccurrence of a neck injury. It is really not more than a muscle spasm, but it is so intense that most of the time I cannot feel or use my left arm or stand upright. I have seen an accupressurist, I use hot ginger compresses, soma for musle relaxors and an anti inflamitory, but because I dont use chemicals these knocke me out (literally) for thecourse of the day, It is now 3:00 and I have just gotten up. I am trying some homeopathic treatments as well. But thus far nothing. Not even a slight reduction in the tension or any kind of release from the pain. I cant work, I cant go to school, and I cant train. Worse I cant even pick up my children!

Any help? Please I am begging here...
When it subsides i need to make an appointment with Initiate to get the rest worked out...

Please... I am dyin here!

painfully yours...

Taiji

Robinf
01-24-2001, 09:56 PM
When I had a muscle spasm in my foot, including a not the size of a gum drop, I used heat and massaged it. I then wrapped it and kept it wrapped for a day. That was minor so I don't know if heat and massage will work for yours.

Sorry.

Kung Lek
01-25-2001, 12:17 AM
Hi-

I assume there is no damage to the bone?

If it is only muscle and not damaged bone...

Here is a method given to me.

Boil water and put terry cloths into it.
Ring out the cloths and apply to the affected area with the heat being as hot as you can stand it but do not scald the skin.

when the water is no longer hot enough that you can still feel the penetration of the heat, wipe the area dry and apply Dit Da Jow.

rub the dit da jow in only lightly and without too much pressure.

Now, apply Tui Na to the affected area or have someone apply Tui Na for you(recommended)

With tui Na, you lift the muscle up and roll it lightly with your hands at the ends of the muscle on each end, then bring the hands together and while holding the muscle up and away from the bone, press the hands together.

alternate the rolling and pressing.
do this to the affected area for between 5 and 15 minutes.

at the end apply more dit da jow and keep the area warm and dry.

I hope this helps, it has certainly worked for me on several occasions. You may need to reference some written materials with illustrations to understand the hand techniques of tui na.

peace

Kung Lek

Taijimantis
01-25-2001, 02:01 AM
Yes I have used heat, an Jow as well, the Tui Na techniwue Kung described is interesting and I would love to try though I am uncertain how it wil be done , as the muscle is so hard right now it feels like hot asphalt, that is barely maleable.
It is now nearly 7PM and I have applied more hot ginger compresses, and taken a long scalding bath. I am able to move for the most part, though my medication has left me very groggy.

I will try some of what you have suggested, but mt PA and my Holistic healer and my Sifu all tell me its going to be a while before I can train, and that sux, cause there is a competition coming up in a few months, and six weks can be a long time!

GLW
01-25-2001, 04:25 AM
I think that people recommending courses of action that do NOT involve a qualified medical person when the injury is in the neck area is not too good.

I trained doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine from someplace like the Shanghai College of Chinese Medicine would be good. They specialize in Orthopedics and Tui Na but do all modalities of treatment. (Beijing is also good). Beware that many who claim credentials in the west are not truthful.

The other option is a good chiropractor and of course X-rays.

An injury around the neck treated with massage or dit da jow / dit da shue can actually get worse if it is more sever than you think. Also, just because a person is a Chinese "sifu" and knows a bit of herbal medicine, does not mean they know enough for such an injury.

Neck areas are very dangerous to fool around with. If you do it wrong and the inury is more severe than you know, paralysis is a possibility.

Diagnosing over the internet by laymen, no matter how well-meaning, is not a good way to go.

Just my 2 cents worth...

kwang
01-25-2001, 06:07 AM
If I were you, and it doesn't get better in a few days, make a doctors appointment, sometimes holestic medicines and herbs dont work on some things :op at least get some xrays done to see if anything is wrong with the bone. May I ask how you injured your neck? Somehting that happened to my friend a few years back is he was popping his neck and he did it really hard, he slipped or soemthing :op, and he actually tore a muscle and dislocated his neck :op, it was REALLY bad, they popped his neck back into place but it took along time for the muscle to heal, especially because they didn't know the muscle was torn for a few months untill he visited the chiropractor. As GLW said, the neck is a dangerous place to mess around with =)

Be safe =)
Kwang

Kwang

obiwan
01-25-2001, 06:22 AM
Yeah, I agree,

You should definately seek professional help. I have had pains like that, but in my shoulders and arms.

I did, what the body builders call, "Hot cold" treatment.

Basically, get a hot terry cloth, (not sclading) and another one soaked in ice water.

Then heat the affected area with the hot cloth. As soon as the heat of the cloth starts disappating, then apply the cold cloth. Once the cold starts disappating, apply the hot again.

So keep applying, hot, cold, hot cold.

This basically makes the muscles expand, then contract repeatedly. So if you can't make the muscles move by force, use physics.
(heat expands, cold contracts)

This should loosen up the muscles enough, until you get professional treatment. Good luck.

The Force will be with you...always

Taijimantis
01-25-2001, 06:32 AM
I have seen a Doctor, and I only go to care providers (traditional Chinese, Holistic, Western or otherwise) that I have known personally and Trust completely. My Sifu I have no reason to involve (for one thing his therapy is so incredibly painful I doubt I would survive), my holistic guy is a close fried of the family, and my doctor is my sister-in-law. My Chiropractor probably wont due too much since I have recently had an alignment and it is a muscle injury, my spine is fine.

I injured myself 12 years ago (give or take)by standing on my head... just my head. Nothing else.
I came down in a manner that was quite unpleasant, and as I was rushed to the hospital strapped to a board, I vowed never to do it again.

Now it comes back every year or so. Just out of the blue, this time because my daughter slept with me and would not allow me to move (If I did I would have heard a three year old scream for hours) so I slept in an uncomfortable position all night. By 10:00 the next morning, I was paralyzed on my left side.

Days later and many treatments I have to say that te most effective stuff so far, (as I am realatively pain free now and able to move about) was the combonation of Arnica Montana, Hypernicum perforatum, Hot Ginger Compresses, and some Soma and Vioxx.

I am a believer in Balance. While I am not a huge fan of Western Medicine, I do believe it can diagnose and treat symptoms. My symptoms were causing me pain, the cause of the symptoms I used the compress, and the homeopathy. So far so good.

Well see what happens when I wake up in the morning...
Thanx again.

Goktimus Prime
01-30-2001, 01:32 PM
My recommendation would be to try a ketoprofen gel (such as orudis). I recently had muscle spasms in my shoulders and massaging this gel into my affected muscles worked wonders for me. (:

Consult a doctor or pharmacist and see if it's suitable for you.

"Wit is educated insolence." - Aristotle (284-322 BC)

Brian_CA
01-31-2001, 01:17 AM
I must agree with GLW.

Therefore let me give some preface to the rest of my post.

I am Yoga instructor and body worker who also is a long time Martial Artist. I deal with many sports related injuries in my practice and teaching. The studio which I teach at is know for have a good rate of success with the treatment of injuries.

Before I can give you anything to help yourself, I need to know how you hurt it to begin with. Have you lost a great deal of range of motion? What have your doctors said? Does the pain araise when your stress levels go up?

For the mean time ice it when it hurts. Avoid heat for now, as that will increase inflammation and the pain. Lay off doing you martial arts for awhile. If you do feel the need to train, do it slowly and focus on building good aliament rather then getting a hard workout. With an injury you must be respectful of it and let it heal.

Once I know more about you injury, I can give you a few simple streches to help your neck. Hopefully I can help you towards healing faster.

Let me know.

Brian Monnier
San Francisco, CA

Shane_Madigan
02-01-2001, 02:30 PM
REPEAT - See your chiropractor.
Ask any health professional if you should be taking anti inflammatory medications and applying hot compresses. You might find that it is not such a good idea!

No, it is NOT just a muscle spasm if you can't feel your arm. Muscles don't feel, the nervous system does.

Did I mention that the best idea in the entire world ever is to see your chiropractor? Do not ignore this advice. Whilst at your local friendly chiropractic clinic, ask for some education on the differentiation between...
a)crisis care and wellness care
b)symptoms and cause

Do it now

JWTAYLOR
02-01-2001, 06:03 PM
All of you that experience neck and back pain may want to check out www.mattfurey.com (http://www.mattfurey.com) or any of Matt Furey's combat conditioning books or videos. This man is very much the real deal. I have totally changed my workout over the last 6 months largely because of him and I'm having great results. Pay special attention to the back bridge.
And also pay a great deal attention the the previous post.

JWT

WCFish
02-02-2001, 08:44 AM
You sound like a candidate for regular deep tissue massage. I am sure you are aware of the number of muscles which are around the neck and upper back region of your body and how stiff they can become.
The nerve pathways to and from your arms run under and between these muscles and therefore if the muscles get too tight they can pinch the nerves and impair their function. The feeling can range from a slight tingling sensation to total loss of function. I have a massage once a month and would have them once a week if I could afford it. The problem is that they work best as a preventative not so much a cure.
Good luck, WCFis

Taijimantis
02-03-2001, 10:22 PM
I have a few more answers...
Yes there are some spinal problems now... A deteriorating disk, a neck with no curve at all, pinched and potentially damaged nerves.

I have been taking some meds for the pain, this is the first time in nearly 20 years I have cried out of pain, and they have done nothing. Well thats not true, they have kept me out of touch with reality enough that I dont notice the exquisite agony of hot pokers trying to slowly burn their way out of my arm...

I am scheduled for physical therapy, but not until the end of the month, and I cannot get a refill on the meds because they are "addicting"

It looks as though I may be bypassing the pharmacy and heading straight for the liquor store...

I am slated for ultrasound treatments, reiki, shiatsu, deep muscle, and stretching.
I also have aranged for private yoga instrction with a very well respected instructor.

More later.

WCFish
02-04-2001, 12:12 AM
Maybe you should talk to a Neurologist and a surgeon who specializes in this type of problem. From what you have described you are way beyond help from the treatments mentioned. Even if you don't want surgery it makes sense to hear the prognosis from their point of view. Also you might like to check out a web site called 'MedLine', it is a medical reference search engine. Sorry I don't have the link but it isn't hard to find. The site will give abstracts and references to medical journals which you can find at medical libraries, or pay a couple of dollars and have them sent to your email address.
Hope things work out.
WCFish

Brian_CA
02-04-2001, 12:17 AM
I would stop you martial arts training for at least 1 year. Make sure that the Yoga instructor has dealt with and healed you type of injury before. Check out www.bodylogic.com. (http://www.bodylogic.com.) It has some good info on Yamuna's Body Rolling. It may help you a great deal.

Good luck in you healing process. Have patience, and try to take it easy.

Brian Monnier
San Francisco, CA