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pinched nerve
Nov. 19th, 2022 02:03 pmAbout two weeks ago, I was carrying something heavy, and pulled my arm the wrong way. The muscles in my shoulder tightened up and pinched a nerve. It felt like tendinitis in my upper arm. It was uncomfortable sometimes, for over a week. It bothered me at night, and I had trouble lying in a way that didn't cause any trouble. But then this past Tuesday, the feeling became real pain. It was intermittent, and it moved around. I still had the same trouble at night. Wednesday morning it still hurt and I decided that since it was not tendinitis, I needed to go to the doctor.
He confirmed it was a pinched nerve. Wrote me a prescription for Prednisone, and signed me up for physical therapy. The Prednisone helped right away. The physical therapy... not so much, yet.
I had an hourlong appointment so far. He figured out the extent of the trouble, and gave me some exercises. I have not been doing them as I should. I didn't even do them Thursday night after the appointment. It's like it never occurred to me. I took the instructions with me to the office on Friday, but I didn't do them. Friday night I tried, and the instructions weren't very helpful. If I'd figured that out sooner, I could have messaged the therapist and asked for guidance.
There are three exercises. One doesn't seem quite like I remember it. And it bothers my arm, and he said to not do them or back off, if that happens. The second says to see the instructions in the handout, and there is no handout. I can't quite remember it, but I looked it up online, and the instructions are definitely not quite like what he told me to do. This one also bothers my arm a bit. In certain positions, the left side of my hand and forearm get kinda numb and tingly. The third exercise is fine, though I'm not sure it's doing anything.
My only appointment next week is Tuesday. I'm worried this numbness will become permanent, like it is on my left hand. Not serious, but noticeable. And it's been in a lot bigger area than on my left, which is only one side of one finger.
He confirmed it was a pinched nerve. Wrote me a prescription for Prednisone, and signed me up for physical therapy. The Prednisone helped right away. The physical therapy... not so much, yet.
I had an hourlong appointment so far. He figured out the extent of the trouble, and gave me some exercises. I have not been doing them as I should. I didn't even do them Thursday night after the appointment. It's like it never occurred to me. I took the instructions with me to the office on Friday, but I didn't do them. Friday night I tried, and the instructions weren't very helpful. If I'd figured that out sooner, I could have messaged the therapist and asked for guidance.
There are three exercises. One doesn't seem quite like I remember it. And it bothers my arm, and he said to not do them or back off, if that happens. The second says to see the instructions in the handout, and there is no handout. I can't quite remember it, but I looked it up online, and the instructions are definitely not quite like what he told me to do. This one also bothers my arm a bit. In certain positions, the left side of my hand and forearm get kinda numb and tingly. The third exercise is fine, though I'm not sure it's doing anything.
My only appointment next week is Tuesday. I'm worried this numbness will become permanent, like it is on my left hand. Not serious, but noticeable. And it's been in a lot bigger area than on my left, which is only one side of one finger.
