David, you said "........ The one thing I am desperate about is getting the old "Stickies: Useful websites" back. That was a precious resource for all of us that took years to build."

As I thought about this, I seem to remember a post about JL (I think it was in Forum Feedback). It had something to do with him walking home in the rain and realizing that he had these CD's in his pocket, that were the backups of OBT.
He then spoke about realizing that he was carrying thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people in his pocket. Then, something about it being a humbling experience and him being the sole keeper - in his pocket- of so many needs and desires of people with neurological problems.
He went on to state that he made these backup CD's regularly and they were not kept at the 'hastypastry' building, but taken home to his place. He also mentioned something about making space at this place for storage, as he was running out of place(s) to put them.
Weren't these CD's the OBT backups/archives?
Were they used for something else and then 'lost'?
I just have this nagging feeling that our info/data was not lost- and retrieval of it, lies just around some corner-somewhere. But it isn't worth the time or the effort to get it back on-line where we can use it.

Glenn, I guess you aren't the only one who could be accused of being 'long winded' in posting replies.
(So sorry about your arm/shoulder :( I hope you recover quickly)
I have been known to 'run off at the mouth' - frequently. ;)

glenntaj-
some of your shoulder pain and symptoms sound almost like thorasic outlet syndrome{TOS}.

weightlifters can and do get it - so be cautious- with your rehab.
plus it is a somewhat repetitive motion injury /posture related issue too.

If your interested in more info or links about TOS see out forum here and our stickys.
TOS info: the first links in our sticky list
http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/thoracic_outlet/
http://tos-syndrome.com/newpage12.htm
http://tos-syndrome.com

this has the weight lifter references-
http://www.acofp.org/member_publications/thoracic.htm

oh, Glenn...how awful for you...
 

This sounds very similar to my leg issue, from a year ago!

It takes a LONG time for these soft tissue injuries to heal and they are mega mondo painful. Are you getting
ultrasound and IFC treatments? These really took my pain levels down
dramatically.

My PT cautioned me over and over, about sudden movements, or sudden
strains. I have several health club no-- nos now, and weight limits on the machines. Even tho I am strong, and can do 240 lbs on the leg presses, I am no longer allowed things like that. You might have to sacrifice weight with more reps. As we age, we do not handle these strains well. Even with stretching. I also think the PN (autoimmune issues like Gluten) wear on the connective tissues alot.

And you might investigate Biofreeze. This topical gel has been marvelous for me.
They sold it at my rehab place. Now I buy it online. I even use it on my feet too.

When my pain was at its height I used Lidoderms on my lower back to intercept the pain signals before they hit the spine. Lidoderm might help you sleep etc.

But estimates for my recovery were grossly off target. I was told 6mos..and it has been a year now, and I am just getting my stamina back, and the limp is almost gone. The major pain left for me during the IFC and ultrasound..the 24/7 pain that is. Now I don't even need Tylenol except on very bad days. But my range of motion is not 100%, and I can still feel it if I move certain ways. So don't become frustrated if it takes longer than you expected.

There are some nutrients that may help
Vit C
SAMe
Tumeric/ginger for inflammation
silica (found in green beans and bananas-- and beer which you cannot have on your gluten regimen)

I would avoid continuous use of NSAIDs...even tho doctors give them. Every day use, suppresses the healing Cox-2 cytokines (yes some Cox 2 cytokines stimulate healing!) . This will happen at about 4-6 wks...so intermittent use for pain is okay and should not interrupt normal healing. Sometimes an icepack will do wonders instead of Ibuprofen.
Strangely, ibuprofen only started working for me when I reached pain levels of 3 or so. In the beginning it was useless! But now I can take 600mg of Ibu on a bad day or long shift at work and get a 8hr or more effect.

I have a website (provided to me by Jo55 a while back) that sells home units for IFC treatments when your PT runs out. It is nice to have it at home, and worked well for me. (about $140.) IFC is healing whereas TENS do not. What I was told at my sessions was that adhesions form with the fascia, and that is something that leads to pain with motion during healing.

Don't hesitate to email me.. if you need further support. I can really understand your plight... it was a totally rough year for me as well!

Love,

Thank you all for your concern.
 

I actually just came back from PT--today was TENS, ultrasound, and a lot of stretching. Acupuncture is scheduled for Friday.

Jo55, you're right--one of the first things I thought of was that I had created a thoracic outlet syndrome situation, in that I had overdeveloped muscles in the area at the expense of others and the sudden, traumatic "rip" had compressed that area. The physiatrist doesn't think it would be labelled such, based on the mobility and provocation tests--he did a lot of the tests outlined in the websites, and the neuro symptoms are only sensory and seem to concentrate on one branch of the medial nerve. But given my neurological history, and the fact that once a person has one neurological syndrome, s/he becomes vulnerable to many others, especially compressive ones, I'm being very cautious about my movements now. (I'm doing most of the stretches shown on the websites, and only the lightest weightlifting--3 pounds! I previously could twirl those on my fingertips--with fewer reps and some motions banned absolutely. Of course, I feel hilariously unfit. I've actually LOST a few pounds since this started. Has to be muscle weight.)

Given the location of some of the tightness, brachial plexus neruopraxia (nerve stretching) is also a distinct possibility. Conservative treatment seems to be the way to go, as I have no motor symptoms and full strength in the forearm, hand, and biceps. Where my strength is still lacking is in the trapezius/rhomboid region (I can really feel this when I'm flat on my back and I try to do a press), presumably where the muscles were torn. (Let's hope I don't need surgery.)

I am improved from two weeks ago, but I seem to have plateaued for now, at least neurologically, with symptoms still in the thumb/forefinger and the webbing and back of the right hand. Fortunately, symptoms have retreated from the wrist area. I may just be in for a long healing.

Mrs. D, I'm hitting the C and SAMe with my usual vigor--I didn't know about the ginger, though. Excuse to eat more Chinese take-out, LOL. Since this started, I've only taken about a total of 18 ibuoprofen; it wasn't doing anything in the early stages, anyway, and the pain calmed down enough that I rejected anything that would have required a prescription. I was/is teaching/tutoring a full schedule, and needed what faculties I have (though many of my students were amused by the interesting positions I had to sit/stand in for a while, and my driving position resembled that of a recumbent biker's more than anything else).

What I'd REALLY like to get--and I'll call Liza Jane for this if needed--is a good, long myofascial manipulation; where I'm now being treated they'll do it for a few minutes as part of a therapy session but it's not a thirty-minute going-over intended to place the tissues back where they should be. Also considering a neurological chiropractic consult (might run into Alan); I'm thinking I really need someone at this point who'll understand the future neurological implications of biomechanical dysfunction in one such as myself.

hmmm...
 

Why are you getting TENS instead of IFC? I'd ask this next visit!

My rehab did not use TENS in therapy. They used IFC. My therapist was
trained in India, and was honest with me about that. She did not believe in
IFC as they don't have it there. But she sees alot of improvements with it
in USA. TENS is for pain relief, but when turned off, the pain returns for many. Two therapists there insisted I buy the IFC unit, not the TENS. Oh, well, opinions vary I guess!

So I would ask next visit. Maybe you are getting IFC and they just call it TENS for convenience?

Glen, i have a permanent injury in the cevical part of my spine that gets aggravated very easily, when it starts up on me, my neck & right shoulder is all affected, its extreem pain and even pain right down my arm to my thumb.

I have tried everything and every specialist thats out there, you name it it iv'e tried it, physio only makes it worse, only accupunture gives tempory relief, but the good old strong magnets work every time.
might be worth a thought.:)

Nice to see everybody settling in here:cool: :D

Lanny
 

Was that a smirk on your face? :p Yes we are all settling in. At least some of us. Others are still missing and we aren't sure how to tell them about this one. I figure it would be taken off if we posted this address on the OBT. I feel sure that a lot of people didn't know about this one and are posting where they found people gathering again. I've bounced back and forth, but really like this one.

Now, where were we? Discussing muscle damage I think, I saw a massage therapist for what I thought was to be a one hour massage. That very experienced woman gave me a myofascial massage. She went over every muscle and joint in my body. I was there over two hours. Loved every bit of it. I am a little like Mrs. D. But I don't know why, it just happened. The muscles on my left thigh (outer and inner muscles) and back of the calf are in rigid spasm. I feel as if my leg is twisted. It's been this way for ages. It has just gotten worse. It started some time after knee replacement, I was left with a footdrop on that side. Only a slight one and I never have been able to move that knee like I should. That knee was the worse before the surgery. I can't lay that knee down flat on the table, the knee will not flatten.

I just finished having an MRI of my lumbar spine and sacroilliac joints. I haven't seen them yet. Also had a bone scan of my knee. The doctor suspects the artificial knee prosthetic may be loose and it is keeping the whole area inflammed. After the massage today, I could walk a little easier, but I'm reallllllly sore now. I see the doctor about those tests on Monday. Pray it's not loose. We can live with that, just badly, but can live. I'm planning to have these massages once a week. I know from past experince tha a good massage therapist can work wonders.

Mrs. D- I know I shoudn't take anti-inflammatories but the rheumatologist has me on Indomethecin twice a day for the arthritis. I'm also anemic. Have been for the last 2 months. The rheumatologist knows it and said he was going to wait until the next blood work and see what it shows. I didn't change anything except I stopped B12 today because of the bloodwork on Monday.

Wish I could see Alan's chiropractor too. Glenn ask him if he knows a good massage therapist specifically myofascial.

I've wandered all over the page and wrote a book. Take care all and good luck.
Love,
Billye

Glenntaj
 

Your post reminds me of something I'd been meaning to do---make an appt for acupuncture. Somehow I can get lost reading here for chunks of time and just forget what I needed to do in the real world.

My short update---(s/p laminectomy and fusion L3/4/5 in Feb)--I'd made gains with Feldenkrais but seemed to hit a plateau, so I went back to my old myofascial PT last week, and that helped get me some more movement in my back and hip. Then for some strange reason my shoulder hurt---and I didn't do anything that I know of to it. So, today I am seeing "alan's chiropractor", the famous Dr T, in the hope that he can help with the shoulder and get me some more movement/less pain in the back. My neurologist is saying I have a "failed back", which I take to mean basically that surgery hasn't worked. I'm not ready to give up the battle, and I do think there are small gains every few weeks.

It's so nice to see more people collecting here...Feels like home.

Wow...indomethacin....
 

This is a very dangerous drug... you could have a hidden, non-symptomatic
bleed from it.

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/indometh.htm

Most doctors are unaware of long term NSAID use and poor healing.
It is usually after the 4 week mark that this begins. Since this involves
cox-2 cytokines, and this concept is complex, it is not generally known.
(remember Vioxx? -- even with warnings, it was misunderstood).
example:
http://ajs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/29/6/801
and this:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/72w112h1mq218451/
I had a CE (continuing ed class) where this was brought up in relation to osteoarthritis treatment long term with NSAIDs.

People on long term NSAIDs should try and use a proton pump inhibitor daily.
There can be some protection afforded this way, but not 100%. Some studies show benefit in preventing GI bleeds.

Indomethacin is the highest bleeding causing NSAID in the whole family.