Surgery, meds, I agree ARE apart of treatment/relief options. Never said they weren't or shouldn't be. Never even implied that.

IMHO they should be the LAST resort. Only used when all other honest efforts have failed. That's the key, honest effort.

At the risk of repetition I will give my bicep curl example....

During the years leading up to my dx, I noticed that I could do a bicep curl but that I had problems later. I didn't make the connection that that was the culprit or part of the culprit. I didn't know my anatomy etc. I didn't understand the interconnections. I wasn't always in pain as a result of doing a bicep curl either so there was no consistency.

I got my dx. I started to learn, on my own, about my anatomy so that I could understand my dx and what it entailed and what I might be able to do to help myself and the professionals treating me.

One of the things I learned was that the bicep has two tendons. One is attached to the humerus (the arm bone top) and the other to the front protrusion of the scapula...the front protrusion is called the coracoid process. Beneath the coracoid process passes the Brachial Plexus as it starts to branch out in the arm and form 3 branches that go to your fingers. When contracting the bicep (bending your fore arm up) the bicep tendon will PULL down on the arm bone and the coracoid process. This pulling down will reduce the space underneath for the BP to pass. This then increases the likelihood of nerve impingement/entrapment/injury/damage etc. The pain is usually not immediate. In fact, in my case it was never immediate but usually about 3-12 hours later. It took that long for the nerve to get ****** off yell at the surrounding muscles they in turn get inflamed and that's when the pain signals started.

Now with the above said, I wasn't happy to hear that "you can't do bicep curls." No one really said that but they did explain that unfortunately for me IF I wanted to continue doing bicep curls I had to INSURE proper form throughout. That meant NOT letting my shoulders roll/round forward. Let the bicep tendon pull all it wants but don't let the space be reduced by keeping my shoulders back. I guess it's a visual thing. Ah...so what helps me is I do bicep curls with my back against a wall or lying down...this helps to remind me to KEEP my shoulders against the wall throughout the range of movement. When I do this and don't slack...I can do bicep curls and have no issues later. Hurrah. Now this information applied to OTHER day to day activities because the bicep is used in day to day life, not just at the gym with the simple bicep curl. I need to lift things from time to time...carry a box of some weight. This involves the bicep...same principal....I noticed that when I carried a heavy box for some distance...say 50 yards...pain later. Ah...but what happens if I watch my posture and carry that same box keeping my shoulders back throughout...no resulting pain. Ah...I'm on to something. Try to maintain that while walking...bending over...tying shoes...bending over a sink to brush teeth, etc.,etc...after awhile the muscles get the message and strengthen (well I helped them get stronger with weight training designed specifically for the back muscles to..my arsenal of helpful modalities) to HOLD the shoulders back. When my PT explained in the beginning that with time this would become a relaxed and neutral position I thought "impossible" it felt so difficult in the beginning to maintain...it was a strain...big effort and I had to KEEP that??? Unreasonable...what were they thinking...but with time and patience and perseverence...yup...they were right...they are further back naturally and I still have some ways to go but it is more like when I relax after being fatigued they do not roll or round forward as much as they once did and I am not having as many flare ups. Hence my screams that please people CHECK your posture, check the exercises, have patience...it is tough...it is a lot of work...but it can work. And if you all have been there done that and it doesn't and you have no choice but to resort to meds and surgry...I support you. Again...honest effort.