Favourite Heat Therapy For Muscle Soreness/Cramps?

[Ceylon_Star]

In the desperate search for relief from the extremely debilitating nerve pain in my left thigh, I came across something called Mirror Therapy, which is frequently used with amputees experiencing phantom limb pain. The basic idea is that the affected limb is placed in a box ith a mirrored side, or hidden behind a large mirror, and the paired limb is reflected in the mirror making it appear as though there are two identical, normal, limbs. From what I understand, the patient then performs a series of movements or exercises with the good limb while watching the reflection in the mirror, and this is supposed to trick the brain into thinking that the affected limb is doing those movements/exercises without pain, thus reducing/eliminating the pain in the affected limb.

Has anyone tried it? Did it actually work for you?

In all honesty, it seems a bit too hokey, and with me needing to go out and actually buy a mirror that’s the right size to use to block/reflect my leg, I’m a bit apprehensive to just jump in. But it feels like it may also be one of my last hopes. At this point I have tried medication (both drugs that are used to reduce neuropathic pain and painkillers (narcotics) and anti-inflammatories (OTC and prescription), benzos, made an attempt at massage therapy in the area where the nerve is pinched/injured (and passed out from the pain), hot and cold therapy (increases the pain exponentially), I have started physio and the PT is completely stumped, tried swimming but my fear of water caused me to panic and sink which then became a vicious circle (had a “friend” try to drown me when I was in the 7th grade. been terrified of water ever since). If after 4 physio sessions I see no difference I’ll try accupuncture. I also see a therapist (though lately have been seeing her via skype due to being unable to get myself to appointments since I can’t drive and my parents both work, and I can’t get myself up my steep driveway to catch a cab [local cab drivers will not drive down it for some stupid reason]) every week and the focus on our sessions for the last 8 weeks has been on coping with the pain and focusing on recovery. I’m on a waiting list to see a neurologist because the pain has been getting worse every day since my initial injury (fell off horse, left hip took full force of landing, pinching at least 2 major nerves in the process [lateral cutaneous femoral for sure, other has not been diagnosed]). Family doctor and PT both want me to get an MRI but because the hardware used to repair my dislocated ankle (tore the ligaments in my fall, see other thread) is magnetic, I can’t have an MRI.

So yeah, while desperate for some relief, trying mirror therapy does require me getting out of the house and searching for an appropriate mirror, which causes me a lot more pain than I already feel while resting, so I don’t really want to cause MORE pain, just to find out that the mirror therapy theory is total hocus pocus.:no:

[beaujolais]

http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-901-900-Flexible-Auto-Off-Heating/dp/B004GOH1YO/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1386519511&sr=8-8&keywords=sunbeam+heating+pad

It’s really great.

The mirror therapy sounds worth trying. See if there is a way to try it using what you already have in your house, imo.

[independentalter]

For heat therapy, I like the heating pads that you just get from CVS - mine is a “Thermalon” brand back wrap. Lovely moist heat that I use all the time - sometimes even just when I come home and I’m feeling stressed. It feels so much better than just normal heat.

Have you tried massage? I would get a referral from one of your current docs (physio people may have a recommendation). I’ve never had anything as severe as your type of pain, but it can be lovely.

I think that a lot of the success of acupuncture & the ilk is the placebo effect. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing! - if it makes you feel better that’s good.

Has anyone mentioned removing the hardware in your ankle? I don’t have time to read your other thread to know if it’s a good idea, but it can be done in certain circumstances.

[Ceylon_Star]

Crap, Somehow my Mirror Therapy thread double posted, but this one has a different title (from a post I was going to start a couple weeks ago, before realizing that heat makes it hurt WAY worse)? Ugh, that’s what I get for posting on an hour of sleep. Sorry!

massage is a no-go, it made things worse as well, making my entire left thigh numb, rather than just the outer side, and causing the pain to extend into my knee joint (when before it was localized to the area from inside to outside across the front, up to a hand’s width below my hip and 2 fingers above the knee).

Hardware is coming out in the new year, sometime between end of January and mid MArch (depending on when the surgeon has an opening).

[equisusan]

My Dad swears by Neuragen topical cream for his peripheral neuropathy pain. I’m so sorry. I know nerve pain is so terrible.

[kookicat]

Does swimming help at all? I know you said you’re not keen on it, but if it helps, you might be able to find something like it. Hot tub? Swimming with a floatation device?

[ChocoMare]

Hydrocollator Heat Packs… it’s what physical therapists use. You can buy the pack, put a big pot of water on the stove to heat & get the same effect.

[beaujolais]

I used to have hydrocollator packs but they would never dry out fully, so they got moldy quickly. I think they were expensive, too.

Moist heat is the way to go for sure. I wet my sunbeam heating pad for each use.

[HeatherCK11]

I deal with nerve pain due to a back/spinal injury. Strangely enough,my electric blanket has been a huge asset.

[Ceylon_Star]

[QUOTE=kookicat;7301266]
Does swimming help at all? I know you said you’re not keen on it, but if it helps, you might be able to find something like it. Hot tub? Swimming with a floatation device?[/QUOTE]

I don’t own anything to wear in a public pool, which is another part of the issue. I’m physically unable to go out to try stuff on (and pulling things up/down over the leg hurts super bad anyways). The public pools in my area are VERY strict about not allowing street clothes in the water; bathing suit/trunks or wetsuit only. A friend of mine is potentially getting a hot tub at her house in the near future, and has already told me that I’m required to join her and her partner for hot tubbing and hang out time though!

With moist heat packs, just how much water comes off of them while they’re on you? is it something I’d need to strip down to underwear in order to use comfortably (since the affected area is my thigh and it’s not exactly possible to pull up a pantleg to expose the skin to treat it)?

Heather, funny you mention electric blanket! I went to pull mine out after lending it to my mum during her latest MS attack, and I found the controller button had melted and it no longer works She’s going to replace it for me though, it’s just a matter of her finding time to get out to find one, she’s been working 12+ hour days lately while one of the employees at the daycare she manages is screwing her around.

My orthopedic surgeon is still claiming that the nerve pain is all in my head, or that my weight is causing it if it is in fact real. My family doctor and physiotherapist both called him an a-hole saying that if it was weight related (or weight exacerbated) that it would be worse laying on my back (and it’s not, it’s worse if I’m on my side) or that it would be bilateral and would have started before my fall. Family doc says it’s only one nerve that’s affected (lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh), but PT thinks it’s that plus another (he’s just not sure which other it would be since the pain is still fairly localized and not all the way into my toes or up into my groin or back). It really does suck, and I have a whole new level of respect for folks who deal with it too. It’s not a feeling that anyone could possibly imagine unless they’ve felt it before. Having my ligaments tear and my foot detach at the ankle was a cake walk compared to this :eek:

I was having muscle spasms that were making the nerve issues worse, and found that increasing my magnesium/calcium supplement REALLY helped with that. I no longer have the seizing feeling to pair with the shooting/stinging/burning/zapping of the nerves (seriously, best way to describe it is that someone put local anesthetic on the skin so the very top layer is numb, but I’m being stung by hornets, injected with hot sauce, sliced with a razor, and poked with a cattle prod, all at the same time. Some “flares” are worse than others, and I find it way worse at night.)

Thanks to the nerve pain sufferers for your input, you make me feel a lot less alone right now. And thanks to everyone else too!