Is there a thread of self help remedies that people have come up with or been shown that DO relieve pain, discomfort?

Some for me:

1. Massage.
2. Acupressure
3. Chiropractor
4. Acupuncture
5. Cardio exercise
6. Lying on a foam roller and allowing my shoulders to bend back (opens my chest and shoulders).
7. Ice
8. Hot bath
9. Various postural exercises including some Yoga poses. Mostly those that open the chest, force my shoulders back and down

Most of the above, and Hellerwork has been of great help to me.

this isn't really self help but something that was a great help for me - it's also posted in an old thread but I wanted to add it here because it may be of help to someone else.

[copied from one of my old posts about top rib mobilization

top rib mobilization -by excellent PT guy-

He just took the time to do a full hands on evaluation - I had mentioned the "choking feeling" like my collar bones were being pulled up into my throat - so he said "let me try something".

He stood behind me while I was sitting on the table and pressed with steady firm pressure down on top of my shoulder close to my neck {1 side at a time} just a short time {20-30 sec} then stepped back to check - that area had lowered {1/2"}- so he did the same to the other side too. It didn't hurt a bit & I immediately felt looser in my neck & it relieved that costoclavical sp? compression.

I assume the top rib and the collar bones were pinching something and causing very limited arm use for me at the time. On the drive home I didn't need to keep changing my hand positions and my neck felt so wonderful.
I had been having "choking" feelings and extremely tight and fatigued neck muscles.

He also told me how to tell if the top rib popped up again and it did during my PT exercises at a different place.
I had told this other PT about it and he mobilized it with a different technique- diff position but same pressure & area.
He had done an eval on me 3 days earlier and didn't check for that even though I told him of the choking feelings and collarbone pulling into neck feelings.

You might have to just ask them {PT/MD/DC/DO} to check for elevated top rib - they may not check it on their own.

And the chiro did a top rib adjustment a couple times after that but it would feel weird/tilted for a couple days - but then fine & still now.

Now he rarely has to do any adjustment for that.]

towelhorse had some good info - links to those posts -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...3&postcount=32
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...5&postcount=33

Shoulder Tape trick info/ post-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...4&postcount=31

and another of my old ones-

I use one of those inflatable exercise balls to lay over - 26 inch size - I also have a Styrofoam cylinder 6" diameter and 30" length approx. {a rolled up towel or 2 will work also}

nearly anything that is comfortable to lean on and over will work.

lay with that the length of your spine {with knees bent} and let the shoulders drop down and also the chest will open,release and stretch.
do small movements with arms out at various angles for gentle stretches there too.

If pain is high, start flat on floor with knees bent or down if that is comfortable for you with arms outstretched - to your comfort range- or with very small small arm positions and movements.

diaphragmatic breathing is very good to use at this time.


the online videos are very good for seeing many things you might be able to do and the proper way to do positions and such.

Google videos or YouTube - for massage, therapy, posture etc.
here's a few-
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=physical+therapy
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=posture+therapy

1. Gatorade - don't overdue cuz of sugar, but it seems to help me cuz dehydration causes pain too!

2. Epsom salts - much cheaper than fancy bath salts, and really helps. Deb gave me this advice.

3. A visit from a good person - there are those who take our energy, but if you have someone who makes you laugh, an in-person visit can make you forget your pain, and even lift it or turn its direction.

4. Get GOOD vitaimns. I read that B6 makes neurological pain worse.