Originally Posted by Nolina (Post 51781)

Hi Dabbo, ouch, that sounds just miserable, I'm sure you really didn't need this today. :Bang-Head:

The only thing that truly helps me when my traps/neck/head flare like that is a good trigger point/deep tissue massage. Other than that the next best thing for me is an ice pack around the shoulders (ice works better than heat for me - I know others prefer heat), and muscle relaxants as BarnBurn said.

These won't help tonight, but for future flares here are some of my favorite products/tricks to help:

1. ElastoGel Ice/Heat packs - http://www.elastogel.com/hand,_wrist,_shoulder.htm - i have 3 or 4 different kinds, the shoulder one, hand mits, etc - love them!

2. Trigger Point Massage Ball - http://www.tpmassageball.com/products.php - use this to work out tight spots on your traps and elsewhere by leaning up against a wall with the ball between yourself and a wall. You can also use a tennis ball but this works better.

3. www.massageenvy.com - membership-based massage franchise - $39 per massage! best investment i made for myself this year - has really decreased my chronically tight traps/neck muscles & decreased my headaches. According to the website they are opening one in Memphis soon - if it's near where you live, maybe it would be worth checking out.

4. Posture , Posture, Posture - i know you're working on improving this but this one's absolutely essential. Make sure you:
- Sit all the way back in the chair
- shoulders back, but relaxed (not hunched)
- if you have to, set a timer at your desk for every 10 minutes to force you to "check in" with yourself and check your posture, breathing,etc. Sorry to nag.......:rolleyes:

Hope you feel better in the morning. If you need to, STAY HOME and rest....
And if you ignore us here for awhile because you're resting & staying off the PC that's actually a good thing ........we'll understand :Zzzz:

Get Better!
Nolina