81. Bouncy Ball Therapy

Unfortunately not a space hopper, just a regular gym ball :(

Finally I have a physio who really knows what is going on inside my body and has identified and recreated that tingling, numbing and insane stabbing pain I get in my elbows these days. Although she doesn't want to say the words "yes, this is a complication from your surgery", it is. She says the neck and back problems are from carrying my injury too long and sitting still too long. Obviously, the only reason I have been careful and taking it easy like everyone keeps drumming into me these past 18 months has been detrimental to my physical condition. I have been active, more active than most would like but have also had injuries from just doing things or overdoing things. Like carrying my laptop in my rucksack for 2 months, it screwed my neck. Moving a too-heavy-for-me bag of plaster finally tweaked it into lock up mode back in November 2009 but I think it was culmination of things and not just one injury, which is also the opinion of my physio.

Positive Recovery

So, this is a positive step, one towards a pain free world? Having a constant niggle in my neck is driving me nuts. It prevents me from doing so much stuff I could sit down and cry about it all but I can't, I just pop some painkillers and try and do my stretches and hope that it will fade over time.

Coping mechanism

I have a red bouncy gym ball that I use stretch out deep in my back. I have to stand in front of it with my wrists sideways on the ball and roll the ball up the wall, lifting my chest as I go. It may sound like bliss, and it is, for the relief that it gives me, but I now have to hassle my poor husband to massage my neck everyday. Over the day my neck muscles tense, more so because of the pain and so, if I don't manage it, I get sickening headaches and ludicrous tiredness. So boring.


Why do I hurt?


My physio says it is neurophysiological complication, trapped or restricted nerve movement through my neck and effecting my shoulders, elbows and hands. Problems with C1-C7 on the chart below, T1 and T2 problems seem to have relaxed now (middle back pain). She thinks the lack of movement has caused over-stiffness and naturally we will carry an injury but the last physio thought I might have a slipped disc so for the last 10 months I have been extra careful and made my situation worse. An MRI showed normal nerves thankfully but I still suffer and although my movement is better than back in November/December last year, I feels like it has just stalled now. I have good an bad days. Typing doesn't do me any favours at all and I suffer a lot after any reasonable typing session (like a blog post) and have to stretch out.



Neurophysiology: Hand and Elbow - Nerve Entrapment info

I hope this will finally sort things out, hydrotherapy in the pool with the hospital next week for a 6 week period of twice a week. Quite looking forward to it. I should stop there, my body is telling me to stop before I get all hunched up like Quasimodo on drugs again ;)