It hurts, what to do? General Pain Management queries

[jax]

That sounds like good advice Chloe&hearts. I'm sorry to hear about your
aunt. That is terrible. I mean the cysts and must be so painful.

It's good to remind ourselves of these steps we should take to manage as
best we can.

Jax
x

[alice-emma-louise]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help me, sorry if this is the wrong place.

I just started a job as a waitress, I did waitress for 3 years previously and although I did ache by the end of the night I was never too bad as I was mobile the whole time. However this new job is at a posh place, you know where they have staff on every corner just incase your drink needs topping up? Well it's a lot of standing still....not good! My first night, last night, led to lower back pain (I have a slight curve in my spine and standing for too long causes a lot of pain), knee pain (which isn't one of my normal joint issues), hip and shoulder pain...and that was during a 2 and a half hour shift so I'm dreading longer shifts.

Does anyone have any suggestions on preventative pain solutions? I have co - codamol, diclofenic and the usual over the counter painkillers,I also have grips and pain killer gels. My TENS machine is too big to take to work. I'm not sure whether its better to max up on painkillers before I go to work or to take them as and when...advice would be much appreciated

It really doesn't help that my only form of transport is a motorbike (and my new job is a 20 minute travel), my shoulders will never forgive me!

In the meantime, I'm looking for a new job! But you have to take what you can right now.

Thanks

Allie

[Zoe*]

hellooo.

As someone who works in a hotel as a front office supervisor, it took me a while to figure out a way which works well for me with all the standing etc too. so here are a few things i have learnt. which may or may not help. (but i hope they do)

Shoes- what shoes are you wearing? I found that whilst standing for a length of time a shoe with a small heel not only looks better, but helped my posture which in turn helped to stave off the back pain a little too (I also have a twisted spine)

Taking painkillers at the correct time- You will know better than i do how long it takes for you pain killers to hit your system. mine is twenty minutes so i take it twenty minutes before my shift and then every //// thereafter.

heat- when i found these i was in heaven. they are a little expensive but wow, do they ever help. They are super skinny so no one will ever know you are wearing it, [and despite it saying 8hrs relief, they can lst up to sixteen http://www.thermacare.com/products-back-hip.aspx

Clicks - i rave about these. there not to expensive and they can be used over and over again. these might be useful. I use mine on a break on various sore area's jsut to give me a boost http://www.heatinaclick.com/tabid/580/l ... fault.aspx

Keep on moving- if you find the standing mroe difficult than moving, then keep moving. Walk around the resturant, keeping a eye on things but also will distract y ou from the pain. the more you do the less your pain will become as your mind will start to focus on other things.

Talk to your boss- sounds strange, but i struggled on without telling anyone for ages but i fond nothing but a ton of support from everyone at work. at quiete times i ould sit and do admin work so that i could give my hips a litte rest. This could work for you, you could polish silver sitting in the back (or similar!)

Try splinting your knee. there are a great range of splints out there. its always best to discuss with a OT ot doctor but it might be worth looking into.

I hope this helps, but feel free to contact me if you would like any more tips i find!

best of luck, lots of hugs

Zoe

Mod edit - dosage information removed, please read the site rules.

[alice-emma-louise]

Hi Zoe,

Thanks for your advice, definately will look into getting better shoes, the ones I use are just a cheap flat pair and they do seem to put pressure on my ankles, hips and back. I take as many painkillers as I can but with riding the motorbike I like to take care not to take them too close to finishing just in case. I will definately get some heat packs for my back, they would be fab for uni too! I do have some clicky things but I always forget to remelt the gel in them so I don't use them often, will definately give them a go though! And I have definately learned that keeping mobile helps, busier shifts are easier, but on quiet shifts my boss likes me to stay still so customers can ask for whatever they need, with it being a new job I'm a bit anxious about telling him about HMS, I wouldn't want him to give me fewer shifts if he thinks I'm struggling.

I was having a bad week the week I started, things have been improving this week and I'm back using the gym so hopefully that coupled with your advice will make work more bareable! and I only have to keep it up until I'm back at uni.

Thanks again, I'm still coming to terms with the HMS so it really helps to have advice from someone with experience!

Allie.

[SAMMY]

Sorry guys. I can't find a space for this. Move it if you like. Does anyone get free prescriptions for HMS and related conditions?? SAMMY

[SAMMY]

A question on pain killing gels??? Because of horrible side effects with drugs, I take gaps to adjust again. I would love one of us painies to recommend a heavy duty 'slap it all over!!' SAMMY

[EmilyJ]

Not sure what to do at moment, in lots of pain in joints possibly due to increasingly cold and wet weather here in Wales (as per lol). Came off pain meds a while back cuz I really do not like taking them. Began on voltarol and co-codamol and after four years of being on them new doctor said i needed to come off them and put me on tramadol, they worked but not as well as I would have liked. Doc gave me low dose co-codamol cause I needed pain reliefe a month or so ago and I have already used them all not sure that to do now. The co-codamol did not really work but want to avoid voltarol as they make my heart beat funny.

What can I do?

[SAMMY]

Hey sweets. I was in a stand up job for ages before my diagnosis and it was agony. The best pain killer I am back on is nortriptyline. You normally are given amytriptyline first but like me and all others it makes your eyeballs hit the floor. No good at work or play!! I take nortriplyline at night. It is a build up pain killer and once it is in the system, I don't hurt as much, I can get out of bed and walk. One thing I hate about most pain killers is you have to keep taking them and they keep wearing off. At least while I am on this, I have a chance to forget how bad I am and stop feeling so low. Of course there is only one real way to stop the pain!! Get a sit down job. I do regret the hell and damage I have put my body through and looking back should have just said no! Enough!! I have probably said this too much already. GET OFF YOUR FEET!!!!! SAMMY

[Rosie]

Hi Emily

Unfortunately, we sometimes have to accept that we need pain meds. I used to hate taking meds, but that is long past. Have you tried other forms of pain relief? Like TENS, heat, ice, acupuncture, physio, pacing and other techniques, bracing and supports. Pain relief sprays and creams can also help, and are an alternative to swallowing meds (sorry, can't think of the right word for this). Some meds work much better when taken regularly, others are more suitable for occasional use. Maybe worth asking for a referral to a pain management clinic?

Rosie

[lisa.w]

hi
my daughter was diagnosed with hms at the age of 11 she is now nearly 16 and the last 2 month her pain has changed she still gets the hm pain but she now has got a differant deep achey pain in her hips,ribs,spine,both shoulders and knees.it is worse in the morning and does not really go all day she says she feels stiff and the pain feels throbbing all day.so i took her to the doctor he gave her a check over and said her shoulders sounded a bit rough and grinding .she also had some blood test and one for rhematoid factor.does your pain hm pain change as you get older or do you stiffen up and the pain change because she says this pain is worse than the hm pain.
thanks lisa.

[jax]

Hi Lisa,

I think sometimes things can stiffen up and cause pain. My rheumatologist/Hypermobility
specialist has said my joints are not that hypermobile anymore! I am
35 years old although and hms affects us all differently and at different ages. It's
sort of crept up on me! I get very stiff these days. This causes it's own type of pain.

Then there is the muscular type pain or aching that can occur too.
Sometimes that kind of pain can get worse during the pre-menstrual
phase due to circulating hormone. It could be your daughters pain has
changed due to hormones and she may benefit from a contraceptive pill.
Does she have times when it is worse? It may help to ask your doctor
about this or have her referred to a hypermobility specialist.

Sorry your daughter is going through this so young and I hope
you can get some more answers to help to try and improve
the situation

Jax
x

[naama]

I'm finding the sudden change in weather (cooler, damp, low pressure, high humidity) really difficult to deal with, not least because my regular pain medication doesn't really touch the deep ache of this weather. I seem to spend my whole day focussing on the pain and not being able to think beyond it. I feel a bit of a fraud, not least because I've just done a pain management course and ought to be doing better! I also don't count 'achy' pain as bad pain. Having said that, it's the type that I find the most difficult to deal with, probably because I can't just medicate it away but also because it's quite general, so it's difficult to pinpoint one spot to put a heat pack on or such like. I tried the jacuzzi at the gym which, not surprisingly probably, didn't help, since it was damp, humid air that caused the problem in the first place! The sauna helps but I have to keep taking my butrans patches off to go in the sauna, which is too much hassle to be bothered.

[Rosie]

Hi Lisa

There are vaious types of pain associated with HMS including muscle aches, ligament strain, joint pain, nerve pain and soft tissue damage due to dislocations or subluxes.
It is possible that your daughter had one type of pain before, and is now experiencing another type that is not so familiar to her. This would explain why she considers it is not 'the hm pain' that she was used to. Unfortunately as we get older we can come to experience more types of pain from HMS. It is worth having any new pain checked out as there may be some treatment or physio that could help

Rosie

[SAMMY]

Hello sweeties. I see my doctor again next week but I still wonder if it worth asking for anything else?? I have been to a pain management clinic and tried everything going. I get progressively worse as the years go on. I'm not sure how another pain management clinic can offer me anything new, even if it is the most envied Bath clinic?? Suggestions please!!! SAMMY

[alice-emma-louise]

SAMMY, I would say, give the pain clinic a go, can't hurt to try! Anything that keeps you off the painkillers or on the lowest possible dose! I don't imagine you want to become painkiller dependant!

I'm in so much pain I want to cry my shoulders are agony because I have been doing some new physio exercises that get into parts of my shoulders that have never been worked before I really really really want to curl up in a ball and hide from the pain any advice anyone? It's like, directly inside the joint, really localised and really like a constant, slicing feeling

Ax