Those Of You Who Have To Work Through The Pain....

[SpcDearman]

Can anyone that is currently working through the pain of your service connected injury help me find ways to manage pain. i really hate to put this out there but i am at a point to where if I dont manage it I WILL be involuntarily looking for different employment.

I wake up at 5:00 am every morning with both shoulders locked up. I take about 100 mg's of ibuprophen (I refuse to take tramadol at 6:00 am) to attempt to alleviate the pain. I attempt to use my artic thunder (ok i got that from Tropic Thunder) cream about 10 times a day to maintain but its starting to not take affect as quickly and intensely. I maintain a work cubicle and do have to type quite a bit which does add strain to my traps. After about 6 hours, i literally have to type two sentences and relax for 5 minutes and then continue.

I am not rich. I have never been able to afford health coverage. I have dealt with the pain for 15 years but it is becoming quite unbearable.

I just want to be able to take care of my family by working until the VA sees fit to award me. If i cannot sit here then I cannot take care of my family.

[john999]

Have you been to the VA's pain clinic?

[deanbrt]

Do you have a claim in process or are you already service connected?

[abadboy]

Osteo Bi-Flex / Triple Strength / 2 caps a day works good after a week or two of taking it.

[Hoppy]

I had the same problem caused by an high neck injury. My entire upper back would go out. I told the doctor it feels like there is a 150 lb person sitting on my shoulders. When I woke up in the morning my arms would be locked against my chest and my wrists would be locked and my fists clenched. . The only way I could manage the pain is with bed rest. I would spend 16 hours a day in the prone position. I quit working because there were not enough hours in the day for me to commute to work, work and deal with daily activities. The symptoms did resolve to some degree over time. However, I continue to have excurbations that level me from time to time

I went to the VA pain clinic and rehab medicine and they gave me braces to wear on my wrists while I was sleeping. I started seeing people in the cafeteria wearing the same braces. I guess it is a pretty common problem. The folks I talked to in the cafateria did not have carpal tunnel. It was caused by neck injuries.

I applied for social security disability and was awarded. I had a diagnosis of disc herniation confirmed by MRI and ridiculopathy confirmed by EMG. I know four other people who were awarded ssd for a neck injury. I do not know what your diagnosis is. However, it sounds like you are dealing with a severe disability. Consider social security if you decide you cannot work.

[rdawg]

ibprofen 800mg every 6 hours. alternated with tylenol 1000mg every 4 hours. nyquill at night dayquill during the day. tiger balm. hot massaging shower. massage chair (not the vibration one) with heat.

[SpcDearman]

I apologize for the late reply. Yes I do have an active claim in process. i have not been able to use the VA's pain clinic. i have a comp and pen appointment on Friday and will ask what this is. Thanks for the advice guys. I am going to speak with VA to see if i can use the pain clinic. I have shoulder issues so I dont think that I can get a brace for that. lol