Coat hanger pain - any suggestions for relief please?

[Liv aka Mrs Sowester]

I've had coat hanger pain quite badly for a week now; the muscles have gone into spasm, nerve pain has increased, it's disturbing my sleep, typing and using the mouse are painful. I'm not a happy bunny!
I have OI quite badly, sit with my feet up and head supported during the day.
Ibuprofen gel is easing it a little, but not enough.
I take, amitriptyline, nortriptyline, gabapentin, mirtazapine and top up with ibuprofen.

What works for you?

 

[James]

Heat packs -wheaty bags warmed in the microwave give temporary relief.

 

[Trish]

I have coathangar pain but not as badly as you describe.

I find doing anything that uses the arms that involves tensing these muscles like knitting, writing, typing make it worse. I now type lying on a sloping pillow with a sloping tray so that I my whole arms are supported and I'm only moving my fingers. This means there's as little as possible need to tense the shoulder/neck area.

Would a gentle massage and passive movement to loosen the relevant muscles help? It would probably be painful while it's being done, but might reduce the tightness and therefore the pain in the muscles.

 

[Liv aka Mrs Sowester]

Mr S has been rubbing ibuprofen gel into the area for me 2-3 times a day now. I get this a lot, but it never usually lasts this long or gets this bad. Guess I'll have to have a few days away from the laptop.
Are there any meds that anyone has found helpful?

 

[Invisible Woman]

I have sometimes found applying magnesium oil or having soaking in a (not too hot cause of OI) Epsom salt bath helpful - it helps take the edge off. Given where the pain is, the oil might be a better option maybe followed with a heat pack?

Make sure that you rest with the whole body fully supported - if you resting with your head and neck fully supported, but your legs (under your knees etc) aren't then that still puts strain further up especially if the legs are extended.

I hope it eases soon.

 

[MErmaid]

@Liv aka Mrs Sowester

Have you tried taking oral prednisone? Also, have you had a Dexa Scan in the last year to determine if you have bone loss (osteopenia or osteoporosis)?

 

[Valentijn]

I have to fully support my elbows as well, so my shoulders aren't carrying any weight at all while I'm sitting. Basically I sit semi-cross-legged and slump forward, with my elbows just above the inner side of my knees. Then I can also rest my forearms on the desk or keyboard laptop while typing.

 

[Alvin]

Do you have a smart chiropractor in your city?
Not the kind that keep you coming back forever, but the ones who know what they are doing (not that their business signs differentiate )

 

[Trish]

How about CBD (cannabis) oil. It's supposed to be good for pain and is legal in the UK now. Maybe rubbing that in might help a bit.

 

[MErmaid]

I have to fully support my elbows as well, so my shoulders aren't carrying any weight at all while I'm sitting. Basically I sit semi-cross-legged and slump forward, with my elbows just above the inner side of my knees. Then I can also rest my forearms on the desk or keyboard laptop while typing.

I often think Women with ME, are the toughest Women on the planet!

 

[Jan]

Maybe you need a temporary fix for this such as diazepam, not a good drug I know, but excellent to relax muscle spasm in the short term? Maybe your GP could prescribe a short course, even a couple of days would probably help relax the muscles, just a thought. I had a disc bulge once that had sent my neck muscles into agonising spasm, diazepam was a big help along with physio.

I take tramadol for pain, not good I know, but I don't know how I would manage without it. Have you tried any anti-inflammatories, I find they can help with the pain that tramadol and Lyrica don't reach.

The epsom salt suggestion is a good one, I do think it helps to relieve muscle pain and relax the muscles.

 

[Luther Blissett]

Can't add much apart from massaging or applying heat to the area between the shoulder blade and the spine. (see 'X' on the right-side of this diagram)

Lying on a rubber ball gives me relief, but be very careful.

A helpful stretch if possible, is to place one hand on top of the other elbows by your side, arms behind your back. Start with the palms horizontal and slowly (if possible) turn the palms so they are facing downwards.

Hope it relents soon

 

[Jan]

Following on from what @Alvin said, a good osteopath can work wonders too. I was referred to one last year on the NHS I was shocked lol, he worked wonders with my back, it's just a shame he couldn't do much for my hip pain.

 

[Liv aka Mrs Sowester]

The delivery guy appeared with a huge box of Epsom salts I forgot I ordered last week!Just had a magnesium soak, Mr S has liberally applied ibuprofen gel and I'm lying flat.
I've phoned the osteopath and left a message for an appointment.
I'll ring the doctor for some hardcore pain killers if it hasn't eased up by tomorrow.
Thank you lovely friends

 

[soti]

Oh I'm sorry you're in so much pain.

I feel like I spent years treating my coat hanger pain as muscle pain and it never worked. Sometimes made it worse. The only thing that helps me a little is one of the isometric exercises in the isometric video that was posted on here a while back for a study. Not at all a cure (the researchers behind the video obviously hope it is but, uh, no) but I have to say the isometric + humming on the second exercise, where you turn your head to the side and put your hand against your temple--that helps my coathanger pain a little. Oh and also oddly the one where you hug your knees -- that relaxes the front of my neck which can help.

 

[Trails]

Another unrelenting symptom for me. Oral prednisone works for me, but I'm aware that this is a controversial treatment.

 

[Sbag]

use a "Shoulders back" - you can buy one but it's easy to fashion your own from a wide crepe bandage. Also called posture supports. I find the ones available cut into your shoulders though so I prefer the homemade version. If you sew two lengths together then it is much wider and goes round each shoulder. Then you cross them at the back and loop through the original piece which would be going across your shoulders. then bring both back round across yummy and tie. It sounds complicated but once you have it done once you can leave it in the right shape and just put your arms through the "wings". This works really well when you are doing lots of computer work or anything where your shoulders go forwards. Holding them back really helps ease them off although it can be painful it does help me a lot.
Also I use a spikey massage ball/ Another thing is a rolled up towel - lie with it pointing down your spine and let your shoulders drop either side of it and then put it across under your shoulder blades and do the same things that way. Or lie backwards with your arms up over your head on an exercise ball, or hang off the edge of a bed backwards like this. Basically anything that makes your back and shoulders stretch backwards to help loosen them off.

 

[Sbag]

I forgot - ice pack is the best at getting rid of pain. Horrible as its cold and that hurts but it really does take the pain away and reduce inflammation.

 

[Samuel]

Can't add much apart from massaging or applying heat to the area between the shoulder blade and the spine. (see 'X' on the right-side of this diagram)

Lying on a rubber ball gives me relief, but be very careful.

that spot you marked:

it is precisely one of my bad spots. one side. it feels like the source of much, including coathanger and ulnar nerve issues. worsened by typing etc. is that near the place on the spine above is c# and below is t#? i have a bulge there.

one doctor told me it was common with retroviruses. but i don't know where that information came from. hiv- htlv-.

 

[Luther Blissett]

Sorry Samuel I have no idea about the spine, it's near and slightly up from the place where the bottom of the shoulder blade is visible, and halfway between the bone and the spine. I'm really pathetic at anatomy.

It is one of the 'trigger points' if that is of any use, although I'm not sure if trigger points are accepted science or not, just know that it helps me.