Lynn, OT
I hate drugs myself and almost never take 'em and sympathize, but in your case, whatever you've got, they could actually heal you. Don't be scared of a few weeks of anti-inflammatories and painkillers, you might also try a muscle relaxant at the same time. The reason is that once the nerve/muscle gets in a chronic pain situation, it creates a vicious feedback loop, where inflammation causes pain, which causes inflammation--the biochemistry of the body is such that it keeps releasing inflammatory chemicals in response to the pain, which then causes pain...and so on. By breaking the cycle with the right drugs you can allow the area to quiet down and it will start to heal. In that case, several weeks of daily drugs is actually necessary, because if you go off them too soon (when you start to feel better) the body won't actually have had a chance to repair the damage done by the inflammation. Also, if you're feeling better on the drugs, still be very careful, don't "overdo" it. Just rest and be quiet.
Whatever you've got, sometimes a combination of stress and a virus (which can settle in muscle/nerve--that's what happens when people get shingles, for instance) can set something off like this...I'm sure you'll get over it fast, probably recover before the market does!
Jill |
