Makes sense, 
We got the septic people out and we had to replace the pump. Ouch, at least we could afford it.
I ordered from the Copper Compression web site on Monday 7-18-2022, my stuff came in yesterday, 7-22-2022, very prompt delivery.
In the morning my right shoulder has felt like it had ground glass inside the joint. Last night I wore the Copper Compression Power Knit Shoulder Support Brace, and I was also sleeping on a folded up Fenwick lap blanket and a folded up BOT shawl. This set up worked a lot better. The shoulder brace was pretty easy to put on and adjust.
This copper compression gear seems to be made to be effective when it is tight against the skin. At first my shoulder brace felt a little bit irritating, then I realized that its reflected heat felt a lot warmer than the BOT or Fenwick stuff. After around 15 minutes I was able to lie on my right shoulder without it hurting much.
This morning my shoulder feels a LOT BETTER. Since I still have pangs of pain I put the shoulder brace back on, and I have a lot less pain than normal.
My hips were twinging a little bit when I got up. I put on the “Men’s Base Layer Compression Shorts” and right now my hips are fine.
When I started moving around my left shoulder started bothering me, sort of inside the inner rim of the scapula. I put on Posture Corrector which has the copper fabric going down my spine curving up over my scapulas and my back feels a lot better. This item is a lot harder to get on and adjust. It goes on like a back pack, I loosened the straps in the back so I could get it on easily but that meant that it was too loose on my back. I had to get my husband’s help to get the back straps tighter since I am not a contortionist. My back feels fine right now and my left scapula feels better.
I have not tried the Groin Thigh Sleeve Hip Support Wrap yet because the compression shorts worked so well. My husband may be trying it on later today. When I ordered it I failed to notice that this one has Neoprene in it and I get bad contact dermatitis from neoprene, so this one will probably be my husband’s.
I am definitely going to order more stuff from this company, I have a request in for notification of their neck gaiter when it gets in again, and I want to order their wrist, elbow, back, ankle and knee braces. This stuff is so much cheaper than the equivalent BOT items that they are easier for me to afford when I want to do a full body shopping spree.
The Copper Compression Far-Infrared Radiation gear seems to be as effective as the BOT and Fenwick stuff, and they have more specialized items for those pesky joints that plague our twilight years. They feel hotter on my skin than the BOT and Fenwick stuff so I do no know how much I will be able to use them later in the heat of the day, but they feel absolutely wonderful on my achy joints when I got up this morning and right now typing on my lap top.
I already know that the horses will not let me keep good contact wearing these, just like they don’t let me keep good contact with the BOT and Fenwick gear. This is because they make my body warmer and heat makes my awful nerve conduction much worse. I could “fake it” with contact without the horses cussing me out terribly, but the horses refuse to “pick up” the bit with their sensitive tongues and they will not play with the bit since they can’t trust my hands. Considering that it is the light, responsive, two-way communication contact that keeps me from being totally bored with just walking around the ring I just put up with my joint pain while I ride. Riding the horses does make the joint pain better.
I wish the Copper Compression people make horse stuff, but the guy heading it was a football quarter back so I doubt that he thinks that horses are “real” athletes that also need his stuff.
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It sucks to play the “what hurts worst now?” game. My list right now is major back pain, medium shoulder pain, intermittent hip pain, and I’m going to find a dumpster to deposit my feet. I think if my feet would just stop already, I could probably stand the rest of it better.
Hugs, and I’m glad your various items help you.
Rebecca
It does suck big time. Makes me nostalgic for my youth when most of the time only one thing would hurt for a short time.
My son got one of the Copper Compression things for plantar fascitis (sp?), the one with the strap from the toes to the ankle. He had just used it one day when I talked with him and he seemed to think it was helping stretch his plantar tendons and fascia even though he could not stand it for sleeping, just while he is inside and awake.
I am so lucky that my foot stuff is mostly twinges since I walk barefoot in the house all the time, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic started over two years ago.
In the morning everything goes on my joints, and as the day progresses and my room starts heating up I start the long strip down of the far-infrared radiation stuff. Usually at the end of the afternoon all I have on is my Fenwick neck gaiter which is not terribly hot.
The front man for this company (and I think it is his company, not sure) is Drew Brees who was a MVP quarterback, so all the stuff is made for humans, especially humans who get injuries from sports with a lot of hard physical contact. This stuff covers the human body better than BOT and Fenwick because I think football incurs more frequent injuries than riding horses most of the time.
The physical therapist called back and said she had picked up the order from my doctor’s office so now I am more confused about that than ever.
But whatever, I have been working with her for a couple of weeks now, mostly walking and doing some stretching exercises. She is really working me! and that is good, it is almost nice to be sore for a change from exercise instead of just in pain from what I guess is degenerative bone/muscle/joint/age symptoms.
The walking especially has been good because it helps all my muscles including my heart, and my lungs. Now if this horrible heat wave would leave!
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@Jackie_Cochran. I’m not finding Fenwick products when I search. BOT yes. I’ve got neuropathy in my feet and balance issues, if I lose my center I have a lot of difficulty recovering so any kind of surface such as ice or gravel or something like rough terrain I try to avoid, and that’s really a bad thing because I exercise less, stress myself less, become less able etc. My doctor wouldn’t clear me for hippo therapy, the classic catch 22 of you could fall vs retraining my proprioception so I don’t fall or fall less. Neuropathy also means they hurt at night fairly often. What are the fenwick products sold as, or by?
@ReSomething, if you are not doing this yet get TWO CANES and always use them, at least until your body finally “tells” you that you only need one cane, or none at all. If for some reason this is not possible I find that if I am carrying something in each hand or carrying something in one hand and leading the horse with the other hand, that it is MUCH easier for me to move around without falling down.
Fenwick Farm Products are at https://www.fenwickequestrian.com/collections/apparel. I use the neck gaiter and the lap blanket the most and the skull cap . Unfortunately their socks are the worse designed socks I’ve ever run into, be prepared to need the bigger socks. No heel and the sock fabric just does not mold itself to my feet. I do use the socks folded up to put on awkward places, held in place by my clothes.
The neck gaiter is nice, not just for the physical therapy but because it works the same way as Fenwick’s Face Mask does on the horses, mentally and emotionally I feel better in my psyche when I wear my Fenwick Gaiter. If I get really anxious I put it over my nose and breathe a few breaths, not a cure for this but it does help me.
I have found that the Fenwick products are the most effective when they are layered with a BOT product. For this I have found the Fenwick Leg Wraps (in their Horse section), folded up, serve as a useful layer under my more tailored BOT products.
As far as riding horses my neurologist, GP doctor, the nurses, and my riding teacher are enthusiastic about me riding. My neurologist even told me to ride horses more last year (I was riding less because of the pandemic.)
My riding teacher got thoroughly converted the one day I came to the stable walking like a 90 year old crippled woman, rode her lesson horse (Arab mare this time) for 30 minutes at a walk, got off and walked back to the stable at my normal speed, using just one cane because I had to carry other things back.
My proprioceptive sense was destroyed by my MS. Over the decade, with my riding teacher getting after me when I lose my riding position (hunt seat), I actually have regained some of my proprioceptive sense. Not only can I now tell when I am in danger of falling and when I start to fall, riding has made my body strong enough so it can prevent the fall. Recently I’ve noticed, after more than 10 years of her lessons, I’ve noticed that my sense of balance has improved greatly. On horseback I can safely “practice” losing my balance and regaining my balance.
There are also five “safety” products I put on my saddle (RS-tor riding aid, Tech Venice slope safety stirrups, stability stirrup leathers, Rider Grip on each flap (large rubbery self-adhesive things), and a grab strap).
I wear a MIPS helmet (Trauma Void), a Tipperary vest, full seat silicone breeches or tights, and now I am just starting to wear the Q30 collar.
This helps settle the fears of medical professionals about me riding horses.
I ended up being able to ride safely by finding a stable with lesson horses, running a 4-H horse program, with a very open minded teacher who likes learning new things. I take private lessons since it is very challenging for me to keep track of other horses since my riding takes my full concentration. I ride hunt seat, I find the jumping saddles to be the safest for me to ride in with my disabilities. I told my riding teacher at the very start that I NEEDED her to be a position Nazi so I could eventually get my body back. It has worked well.
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Sort of an update.
The skin on my shoulder was feeling borderline sensitive with the Shoulder brace. I took it off for most of a day, put on my BOT Neck Dicky sideways (so the flaps cover my shoulder joints) and put the Copper Compression Shoulder brace back on. It feels A LOT better, and as with the BOT or Fenwick stuff used by itself, it seems like the Copper Compression stuff may well work better with either BOT or Fenwick stuff under it (I have not tried the other stuff over it yet.)
I just ordered more stuff from the Copper Compression people, a calf sleeve, a foot sleeve, a Heavy Duty Knee Brace, and adjustable 1/2 finger arthritis gloves with a strap to adjust the tightness on the wrist.
I also have asked them to notify me when their slim back brace, their elbow sleeve and their neck gaiter get back into stock.
To give you all an illustration on how combining the Copper Compression shoulder brace and the BOT neck dicky:
The Copper Compression shoulder brace–my shoulder joint went from feeling like it had sharp shards of ground glass in the joint to feeling like there was some sand in my joint.
BOT neck dicky by itself–same results.
Both of them together–resting my shoulder joint feels fine, moving my arm makes the joint just feel a little sore with no feelings of ground glass or sand in my shoulder joint.
I do not know WHY layering the Copper Compression, BOT &/or Fenwick stuff works so much better than each of them alone, but it does help. I thank the Arab-Welsh mare Cider showing her owner and I that the BOT Poll Cap & Fenwick Face Mask with ears work better together when we LISTENED to the mare! By showing us that Cider has saved me a lot of pain in my life from my joints that can go snap, crackle and pop and my muscles that sometimes feel like fire is going through my nerves.
This is what I use. My two sticks are trekking poles and they work much better for me than a single cane. People are always teasing me about them, asking me where I’m going skiing – especially in July! – i notice people never tease others about canes or walkers or rollators, however.
The two trekking poles have worked for me; and the last couple of walks I’ve taken have been pretty much pain-free.
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Thanks for the info. I do OK on groomed surfaces so gave up the cane out of pride really, even though I am just lately getting to be able to run (jog trot really). I’d have to say I’m pretty rigid? Where if I hit something with my toe I do more of a front fall than stumble and fall on my knees or hands.
I’d rather be able to hop and save myself but not sure my time for that will ever return.
Using the poles is a great idea but you do run into a lot of discrimination even among other less abled, my DH escorted me into the grocery with my Walker, settled me on the one power chair that had a decent charge then took the Walker out and parked the truck, and while I was setting there waiting some woman came in loudly proclaiming her DH needed a chair, staring meaningfully at me, and maybe they should get their wheelchair, thankfully her DH hushed her. I determined to get out of the Walker asap and took DH’s grandpas carved cane even though leaning on the cart works pretty good, as the cane was better for keeping drivers in the parking lot from running me down, and just having it was helpful when I needed to ask for assistance. It’s so difficult when it’s not something really obvious like a Walker or other overt medical device or missing limb or something. Pain and reduction in mobility are tough.
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I just want to tell you all on here about the superior level of help I am getting from the Copper Compression people.
The Power Knit Shoulder Brace I got from them worked wonderfully well the first night, then some problems started and my body started indicating that it was too tight on me. I e-mailed the Copper Compression people and they are sending me the bigger one for no charge (I probably will give my riding teacher the one I have right now.)
This company has been a complete delight for me to work with. I just wish they made stuff for horses too!
I had a riding lesson today. It was hot and it got hotter. I was not wearing any of the far-infrared radiation gear, it was just too darn hot.
My back started spasming when I was doing 2-point, and wearing my ice vest did not help my muscle spasms at all.
I got home, let the air-conditioning cool me down some, then I put on two pieces of the Copper Compression stuff, the men’s “shorts” (which are more of the length of bloomers), and my Posture Corrector. I will wear them until my body says to take them off &/or I will take them off for when I sleep.
I don’t know for sure how much they help me until I wake up tomorrow morning–getting up the morning after my lesson incurs much groaning usually because my upper thigh gripping muscles and my back muscles hurt.
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I went for a walk outside the other day with my physical therapist and was really surprised when, after walking only about half the distance, I was in too much pain (hips and knees) to continue. She said that humidity can cause pain.
I’d had no idea. But I’m glad to know this now. Apparently barometric pressure can affect joints and bones.
Today was less humid and I didn’t have any unusual pain.
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Ah, yes, the humidity.
Lately down here in the mid-southern part of NC, going outside I feel like I am trying to breathe soup. Thick moist air, saturated with moisture, sometimes I can see it before the air warms up.
My experiment with wearing the Copper Compression stuff yesterday after my ride did work, I groaned less when I got out of bed. I was even able to do some extra housework early this morning. My hip twinged, I put the CC Shorts on, my pain went away, and after an hour my body told me ENOUGH, my core body temperature was rising. My gripping muscles and my thigh muscles feel fine.
I had a good, mostly pain-free walk this morning. I meant to get out there just after 6; finally made it about 9. Had to feed the cat first, you know!
Very nice morning, 70-ish, a little humid, but not painful.
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I never experienced pain until the last couple years and find it to be a REAL buzzkill. Just got my barn built two years ago and have lots more projects to complete. Daily pain really shuts me down! I have mid foot arthritis and my cystocele is causing groin pain. When walking is painful it’s hard to get much done.
The last week I feel depressed about it all and wonder how the heck to have my hobby w chronic pain.
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I am sorry PaddockWood.
Amazing how physical stuff and/or crippling accidents wait until a person FINALLY has everything set up for some good progress.
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I am sorry to hear about your pain. It’s bad enough by itself but then it’s also so exhausting. I’m getting to where I can take Tylenol or Advil without feeling guilty (although I do worry about their side effects). Sometimes it is just so good to take some and be able to relax for awhile.
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@Jackie_Cochran
@Rackonteur
You’re so sweet. Thank you. I know you both have issues worse than me and I’m a wimp and low threshold because I never had pain. You sure develop empathy for other people once you can relate. Yes, we know you can’t take Tylenol or Advil without future other problems, right? I don’t take anything but CBD oil because I don’t want future GI or other additional problems.
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I got into the Far Infra-red Radiation (FIR) fabrics when I searched for SOMETHING not requiring regular expense (vets, chiropractors, supplements, prescriptions) to help a lesson horse I rode several years ago. I felt sorry, so sorry for the poor horse, he his back hurt right behind the saddle, but he was an Arab and kept on putting one foot in front of the other (he was not visibly lame).
That was when I learned that this stuff could also help ME, my family and my riding teachers deal with pain, pains from old or recent horse related injuries and the pains that seem to be inevitable when a person gets older.
Now I am sort of viewing them as investments, investments that in the long run have the potential of saving me loads of money on pharmaceutical pain remedies, on physical therapy (which I really need most of the time, thank you horses for giving me physical therapy). They also help me avoid the organ damage &/or addiction potential that effective pain remedies have as undesirable side effects.
The fact that once I own one of these products I can treat the pain I got it for whenever and wherever I may be, and whether or not I can afford the pain medicines and the doctor visits necessary to get them. This additional control over my pain has really helped my depressive tendencies since I no loner feel totally hopeless and helpless when I start hurting. My pains are not major major, but dang it they plague me and effect what I can do. Plus the Fenwick products also have a mild anti-depressive effect (horses, humans, empirical evidence). All of this just really helps to make my life MUCH more pleasant in my old age.
Yes, the BOT and Fenwick products made both my and the horses I ride lives BETTER, and now the Copper Compression gear is also helping me.
