Anyone deal w/ pinched nerve pain? | Arthritis Information

 

I have been diagnosed with arthritis in my back, neck, feet, big toes and elbows. From time to time, and now is one of the those times unfortunately, I have had to deal with pinched nerve pain in my neck and down my arm (have had it from the lower back and down the leg too - sciatica). Does anyone else here with RA have these types of flares? If so, what do you do for it? I am miserable right now so any advice you have would be great. The only medicine I am on for it is Relafin, which doesn't seem to make much difference.

Thanks!

NancyI had the same thing.  Pinched nerve in upper spine which affected my left arm and sciatica in both legs.  Rheumy sent me to PT last summer.  Haven't had a problem since.Muscle relaxants are great, if you can use them! I can't take them and mix them up with what I am taking (prednisone, mtx * remicade), but I found them terrific for years, before.  If you can get them from your doctor, I'd suggest them. FeelingBetter

YES! I have had those and I hate 'em. I go to a chiropractor on a regular basis and whenever that flares (neck, mid to upper back with streaming intense pain down my back and arm, or lower back and hip pain with the pain down my leg, my ankles and my big toes) I go back in for an alignment/adjustment. I just go in to his office, he does his gifted expertise and pops it gently and I am fine . Mostly I will gain immediate relief then it calms down to  a very dull pain in a few hours and nearly gone the next day.

I used to be on muscle relaxants and they are a huge help, I have been thinking about asking to go back on them. I took Skelaxin, it made a world of difference.

I had a pinched nerve in my neck between the C5 and C6 vertebrae (spelling?).  It caused referred pain in my shoulder.  I tried physical therapy but it only set me back.  I had three epidurals and that seemed to do the trick.Thanks for all of your advice y'all! I have been to the chiropractor and it does seem to help, but it also seems to take forever to make a difference. I do have some muscle relaxers prescribed for me last summer so I think I'll take one of those before bed tonight. I hadn't even thought about that till I read your posts.

Thanks again!

Nancy Be sure and check for interactions with other drugs before taking the muscle relaxants. They are powerful. I thought i had nerve (the brachial)damage after open heart surgery in Dec., I had severe pain in my neck, down my right arm and both shoulders. I went to a pain guy and he suggested GABAPENTIN, it worked. He had me take xrays, the whole thing, but as soon as I got on my RA meds, everything went away?! I'm taking prednisone, mtx and remicade, currently. Prednisone works. So if you have RA, you HAVE RA. , and must take the proper drugs for it. YOU can't ignore this stuff. FeelingBetterI get that kind of pain.  I take muscle relaxants.  Sometimes Telaxin sp? or Soma.  Heat also helps a lot.  That is horrible pain.  Feel better soon.  I agree with Roxy, stretching the affected limb can help immensely too. As in if it's in your leg, sciatica, stick your leg up in the air, while on your back of course Hope your better.  Very interesting about the stretching. When I am at home my DH will sit on one side of the table while I sit on the other and I have him pull on my arm as hard as he can. It feels wonderful and the pain is gone for several minutes afterwards. I have a friend who will do it for me at school. I just go to her classroom (when the kids are not there of course, LOL) and tell her I need "a pull". I thought it just felt good. I had no idea that it would actually help! Thanks!

NancyPhysical Therapy!!!!!
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