Physical Therapy, Massage, Can't Lift Anything More Than 10 Pounds!
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
United States
August 7, 2012 5:30pm CST
About 2 weeks ago I injured my neck. Because it was done while I was working it is a worker's comp case. I convinced myself that I could get through it withe ice packs and Tylenol. I was wrong.
Yesterday I woke with more pain in my neck and shoulders. This even after getting a nice massage from my husband and also resting well. I could barely move. I took a long hot shower and more Tylenol and trudged to work.
Once there I realized I couldn't put it off any longer and needed medical assistance. My boss was not pleased with the fact that I waited so long to report it. I explained that I thought it was just muscle strain and thought it would go away in time. So we filed a report and I scheduled an appointment with Occupational Health.
They advised me to either go to the emergency room or see my family doctor. I chose my doctor. She said it was DJD (degenerative joint disorder) and muscle spasms. I have to go to Physical Therapy for a month, not lift anything over 10 pounds, cannot reach, twist, pull or push anything. This limits what I can do at work and poses a problem as I am a personal care attendant and I clean homes, shop, cook, and provide personal care.
So for the meantime I work in the office and see clients who are not too involved. Now to figure out a way to convince my husband to vacuum!
4 people like this
10 responses
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
19 Aug 12
hi Erelief.lusive butterfly oh my can I sympathize. aweek ago I did somethiong I do not really know what but I got a stiff neck
and hurt oh boy. finally I got under the shower and ran hot water not burning, over my neck. them borrowed some Ibuprofen from my roommate and went to bed. It loosened up and quit hurting bu t
I have some constant pain from myleft shoulder ever since I had to have a shoulder joint replacement due to a bad fra cture. I had a lot of physical therapy bu t still I never really got back much u se of my left arm.so I learned to cope anyway .for you that one about not lifting over ten pounds is a must as it wo uld undo allk the physical therapy . being a personal care attendant really makes it hard. I hope that after the therapy you will find fully
my husband loved toi vacuum but he ref used to do the dishes not ev ever but it was a good trade off as i did the dishes and he vacuumed for me.I had been working in the library when I had the bad fall and after the physical therapy I s till co uld not use my left arm to even shelve media. so my job was gone.I was forced to retire for sure.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (157946)
• United States
19 Aug 12
Hatley, I think they are leprechauns as they do some silly things. I think they want the twinkle from your blue Irish eyes. Elusive, please be sure to keep us posted and rest as much as you can.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
19 Aug 12
typo I hope that after the therapy you will fully recover. thats what I meant to type,. find fully is nonsense I do not know why I typed that but as I was having to copy this line by line I think some phrase got moved to the wrong place. some gremlin had wiped out three comment attempts before I copyed this to clipboard and past ed .
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
30 Oct 12
I am still in therapy. Not liking it. I had another episode with the muscles going into spasm. Back on light duty again.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
8 Aug 12
YIKES!
I am a home health aide and today I burned my finger. I won't be calling the office, because I don't want them to decide I'm not good, but I also have to limit some things, like I can't immerse my hand in hot water - however, if I go by the office and get larger gloves I can have my finger wrapped with the meds on it and still do my job.
This happened before, but I didn't injure my finger at work - I had a cat perforate it (like 18 puncture wounds on mostly my right index finger).
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
9 Aug 12
Home health aides always are at risk for injuries. I am always cutting my fingers, or pulling a muscle, or bruising something. Rewarding work, but such a pain!
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
10 Aug 12
That is always my fear. When you injure yourself at home the injury can be more severe!
1 person likes this
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
7 Aug 12
I am so sorry to hear that you injured your neck. I sure hope that therapy workes for you. I also have a neck problem going on over 3 years and its not getting any better. I went to a chiropractor for 7 weeks and he did not help me at all. The chiropractor put me on this machine that streached my neck and I did not like it at all. I dont think I will ever get any better with my neck problem. I just woke up one day and it was there,
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
9 Aug 12
I haven't gone to a chiropractor yet. Physical Therapy first and then we will see what happens.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
10 Aug 12
I guess this is one of those times when wives wish they didn't have a husband because there is no way he is going to do those things around the house that you normally do.
It doesn't matter how necessary it is he won't do it. Okay, okay, he might try.
But trying to do a chore only makes it worse because they pretend they don't know how to use the washing machine. The vaccuuming will be a token gesture and we wont mention any other chores. If you try and help by explaining how to do things an argument will ensue.
Your injury sure sounds painful and I hope it's getting better. As far as your boss is concerned, the injury should not have happened in the first place. I reckon you're in a can't win situation...lol. Get well soon.
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
19 Aug 12
I am on the mend. The therapy is helping and also being on light duty.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
19 Aug 12
am glad you are on the mend and please do be careful in lifting'anything as it can undo all the good that the
therapy is doing.been there and done thatafter a hysterectomeyh I lifted my little daughter and pu lled out the stitches so ended up having to be stitched up withou t novocain or deadner u ntil he c ou ld stop; the artery from spurting blood then they deadened the spot. so I learned the hard way .
1 person likes this
@blue65packer (11826)
• United States
9 Aug 12
Sorry to hear that! It sucks that that you can't do much for the time being! At least you had the problem looked inot and are getting therapy done. I have a freind who has a neck problem that affects his right shoulder. He found out he has 3 slipped disks in hiis neck and it is causing the shoulder pain! Therapy didn't realy help. It sounds like to make this all better is to have surgery. Not sure if my freind wants to do that! I hope you get better soon!
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
10 Aug 12
One of my clients keeps telling me that I will need surgery. I don't dwell on the subject. Trying to keep positive!
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
19 Aug 12
I would be hesitant if they suggested surgery. Thankfully it is only muscle strain and the therapy is helping.
1 person likes this
@bjc66bjc (6730)
• United States
7 Aug 12
wow Elusive, OUCH,,, I feel your pain....I have the same thing and
its extremey painful...
I can't lift hardly anything without an ouch...
So I hope you are better after the PT...it didn't help me
at all, so I am hoping better for you.
.Good luck with hubby!!!
.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
9 Aug 12
Hubby has been great with the massages. Last night we were both zapped and I didn't ask him to massage my neck. Man did I feel it this morning!
@BarBaraPrz (45702)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
8 Aug 12
Husbands only vacuum the centre of the room, but they sure look sexy doing it. 
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
9 Aug 12
I love to watch him when he is doing housework. Unfortunately the only thing he does in the house is dirty it!
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
9 Aug 12
Not having a great time when I wake with the pain!
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
6 Nov 12
hi i am three months late Elusive so how are you now? that sounded really very
painful. did you get a lot better and are you coming back her e more often.
'I h ate to think you are in that kind of pain.Will workman's comp pay for
your physical therapy"? I would hope they would. I hope you stayed in
office work til your
neck healed.
neck healed.
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
9 Aug 12
Have been doing less work, and still no relief from the pain.
