Neck Pain – RSI, The Repetitive stress injury, What your Doctors do not tell you.

Neck Pain – RSI, The Repetitive stress injury, What your Doctors do not tell you.

            I am a Radiologist by profession which involves working on computers all the time. Whether I report X rays, CT or MRI scan everything is over a monitor. Since all the computers are same with a keypad and mouse it does not differ from anybody who works continuously on computers.  I also do Ultrasound scans, where I have to hold a probe which I rub over patient’s body which is manual work with lot of pressure over hand and shoulders.   I will be bending my neck and extending my arms to do this job repetitively whole day, which I am doing for the past 13 years. And now I am paying for it.       

            Around three years back I developed severe neck pain, which I neglected initially and went on working, as there was nobody to do my work.  Over time when it got really bad I went for physiotherapy and it did not subside, I continued with physiotherapy like traction, TENS and some more with an advise of exercises. I exercised regularly, some time very hard, but my neck was getting worse. Working was difficult but I continued. When I used to wake up in the morning I just could not move my neck. It took me couple of hours to get to acceptable pain. Washing face was difficult as I could not turn or bend my head. I used to get shooting pain over my upper back. Both arms used to have needles and pins with severe pain in the fingers.

            Then my friend suggested me a new therapy which involved some ayurvedic oil and manipulation. I tried and within  a few days I knew this was nonsense and took off. Then another friend put me on to another Ayurvedic therapy, in ten days I took off again. Swimming was the next suggestion from the person who had gotten rid of his neck pain and there I was swimming paying nine thousand bucks. I swam for six months, neck pain did not go, except that I learnt the better style of swimming. By this time I was trying everything suggested by every tom dick and harry. My neck never got better and along with neck pain I had shoulder pain now.

        Finally I accepted I have a problem and took an X ray and found a bad cervical spine. Next was MRI scan of my cervical spine which showed multiple disc and vertebral degenerations.  Finally after months of denial I had to accept that I had problems. I consulted some surgeons who were ready to operate but could not guarantee pain less post-operative state. Again I was lost. I was living with this pain and still working. One day I mentioned this to my friend in his party. He is a Radiologist and a former colleague of mine told me that he had the same problem and how he just escaped surgery. This happened when his colleague told him not to have surgery as she also had just escaped from carpal tunnel syndrome surgery, accidentally finding out the solution.  Finally I had the diagnosis, RSI - Repetitive stress injury.

He told me so many things at that time, the problem was by then I was drinking with him, I just did not take that seriously as it was unheard in medical circle. I moved on and was back to work.

My neck pain was getting more and more nagging and painful. Every act was painful and there was pain continuously all the time. Every second there was pain and mind was only occupied with this pain.  Overtime my life was changing. After a couple of drinks, pain was not perceived and started getting dependent on a drink. It was simpler to drink and forget. It was  getting so common and I was drinking whenever possible at cost of fights and neglect at home. 

            I was doing aggressive isometric exercises, one day I really felt a sudden pain in my left neck while exercising and I thought I tore a muscle. It was so painful and there was nothing I could do. There was nobody I could tell, either a sympathetic ear or a doctor who could solve. At the same time my life was going crazy with lot of personal and professional problems. This stress  was adding on to my problems. Mentally I was unstable along with neck pain and I could not sleep.  I could get sleep only at 3 or 4 AM minimum when I was sober. I still had to wake up to be at work by 9 AM, which I did as I was always very punctual in life.  By now things were getting ugly; I was drinking and smoking more.  Finally one day I decided I have to do something for this. I called my friend and asked him about this. He told me enough of holding on to your job, forget it, your damn neck is more important, get out of your job and solve it.

Finally I took an appointment with a Doctor in Bangalore in his centre called Recoup. I took off for a week which I never did in life and I had a new diagnosis. Thoracic outlet syndrome and I was put on myotherapy. I did this for a week and I had to come back to Mysore.  Just before leaving the physiotherapists told me about their senior opening a clinic in Mysore. I got his number. Doctor asked whether I had any other problems for which I told him about my burning feet for more than a year.

            I had this burning feet for so long and I did not know what it was. I consulted all the specialties, including endocrinologist, dermatologist and Psychiatrist. They put me on so many vitamins and minerals which I promptly consumed. It never left me; I could not see any connection between my neck pain and burning feet at that time. 

            I was back to work; my pain had reduced mildly with reduced stiffness. They had advised me at least one month of therapy which I could not do.  I found this therapist in my place and started on twice a day myotherapy. The problem was chronic and complicated.  By now I knew about this problem and referred him many patients who also referred him some more.  I did this therapy for almost two years, yet my neck pain did not resolve. He was frustrated about my pain more than me. It is little irritating if your patient keeps coming back to you for years.  My problem was bigger, he was always reading new and I was also reading, but we still could not solve me.

            I started Yoga which went on well for some time and I got a little better but the pain was there. Six months of yoga with stopping smoking for six months. One day I burnt my leg in my bike and I never went back to yoga. By now personally I had so many problems. Now it was pouring problems as if there was nobody else. I had problems everywhere. I had problem with everything, because neck pain is such an irritant every moment of life, everything turns in to a problem. Pain used to get better after  treatment only to reappear with work.

        By now I had bought exercise ball, multigym, dumbbells, theraband and many others. I bought a powerball for around 3.5k which had life time warranty. It broke down after three months.  I was doing all kinds of exercises. I was exercising everywhere all the time. With all this I got fitter and slimmer. Looking at me nobody could believe internally how I go through. Life was living hell. Finally I went to one quack to break my neck; which he did not succeed.  My neck pain increased after his manipulation. I had to use neck collar to work. I have six of them.

        By now I had changed in life. My life perception had changed. I started viewing life in a different perspective. I had lost interest in life. The happiness of life was not there, nothing brought me joy. Only thing I was doing was drink and smoke. I did not want to mingle with people as I could not listen to anybody. I could not talk to people standing. I could only talk after getting drunk. Talking over the phone was difficult, within 20 seconds I used to get irritated. Over time people stopped calling me. Within 2 minutes of sitting on a computer I used to get severe pain.

        I am writing this to educate many of you about the real problem which can come to anybody. I thought of writing this when I read an article How I overcame RSI written by James  http://www.howiovercamersi.co.uk/

The problem of overuse syndrome has caused loss of so many jobs of people around the world. Medical professionals are unaware of this. In medicine these problems usually go to neurologists, neurosurgeons and orthopedicians. If these guys do not solve, you may end up with psychiatrists. Most of the pain in back and neck are caused by muscles. We have all specialties in medicine, except muscles. Nobody has understood the physiology of muscles. We also have never read or heard something called trigger point which happens in muscles.

There are few people who have researched about this. RSI cannot be solved by anybody other than the people who know about this. If you have RSI and it is not solved anybody within six months by people around you, that means they cannot at all.  

        RSI is simple. The muscles which are put to continuous use in one posture get tired. Over time they get in to spasm and develop a trigger point. If you continue working with this, other muscles start to work and get tired earlier and develop a trigger point. Over time without releasing trigger point if you continue working secondary trigger points develop as other muscles are affected due to altered posture and biomechanics.  If you continue working it only gets worse, and most of the muscles are connected across the head, neck, upper back and shoulder. They contract and compress causing degenerative changes. Finally discs start to degenerate or burst out. If seen by a surgeon you may end up with discectomy and may not be relieved of pain later except the pain caused by the disc itself.

       

If you are working with computers, over time your muscles of the shoulder get tired and weaken. Continuing work may cause other muscles to come in to action and over time neck muscles also come in to action. Along with this constant bending towards the monitor will add to the problem. There are so many muscles around neck, upper back and shoulder which all play in cycle of events.

Only way to treat this RSI is, first accept you have problem. And take this seriously as the medical professionals do not know about this at present. Read about it extensively. Everything is online. You need to find the people who know about this to treat this. If nobody is solving, you may have to think of trying all your best to treat yourself. There are so many people who have overcome and written about it. Google them and read. You have to read it seriously. And learn all the things he talks about and practice. Then you have to read about strengthening each muscle properly. 

The Trigger therapy workbook by Claire Davies, is an excellent self treatment guide. You have to buy this.



Along with that you have to buy a theracane or body back buddy to treat yourself. 

        I have not overcome RSI as yet. I have more to talk about this. I can't go on as you will get bored. I went through hell; I have educated hundreds of people and got them treated by directing to right place.  If you are developing this, run to the professionals who know about this. If you are in denial or neglect can ruin you.  I am just trying to help those who need help. I am in the process. Read my next blog

( Updating now in July 2019, I am planning on starting a practice to solve RSI
I can help those of you who have not been solved. 
I will help how to solve and guide. 
You will have to visit me.  )




PS: All the pictures are copied from the Google search and are used for illustrations only.
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