What's good for back spasms?

[SHRED]

My wife's right scapula/back area is in pain. She just started getting a sore throat and cold.
We tried a heating pad and that made her back worse.
Tylenol and laying down help.
I told here that she just needs to rest and let the muscles relax.
Any other ideas?

[CatBoreal]

1. Get your wife some...

Patchouli Oil, the higher quality the better. Soak a wash cloth in water that's as hot as she can take it, then sprinkle some patchouli onto the cloth and apply to her back. Leave it there until cool and then repeat as often as necessary.

It works marvels for me.

Good luck

[oregonjen]

2. Ibuprofen works much better for pain-it's an anti-inflammatory drug

[SHRED]

3. We have "Aleve"

Is that better than Tylenol for this?

[oregonjen]

5. I'm not sure if Aleve is ibuprofin, check the bottle to see

I know Advil is. Advil is my drug of choice for all kinds of stuff.

[SHRED]

9. Aleve active ingredient

ALEVE is the nonprescription strength of Anaprox®, a fast-acting form of the medicine in Naprosyn®.

[AuntieM1957]

7. Aleve is an anti-inflammatory

probably better than Tylenol if area is inflamed.

but I wouldn't take it on top of the Tylenol - be careful not to mix the two.

[oregonjen]

8. Just googled Aleve-yes that is an anti-inflammatory drug, I think it would

work. Hope that helps.

[MrSlayer]

4. Flexeril works wonders.

Loosens you right up but if you don't have any of that getting good and drunk works for me as well.

[Kali]

6. is it a spasm in the muscle or pinched nerve?

muscle should respond to heat, massage etc

I get pinched nerves all the time, if somebody knows how to fix that I hope they post - I have had massage relieve it but not reliably. Mostly seems like rest/sleep and time.

[SHRED]

10. Thanks everyone

:grouphug:

[MrScorpio]

11. Heat and massage

Can't hurt, right?

[stellanoir]

12. Yee olde cure. . .

get some epsoms salts, get some baking soda, get your fave oil
(mine's lavender) Make a hot bath with 2 parts epsom salts to 1 part baking soda, and as much oil as you like.

Then take two tennis balls and put them in a sock, everbody has a lonely sock somewhere.

Tie a knot as closely to the two tennis balls as you can. Lie flatly between the tennis balls, cradling the bone that protrudes at the nape of the neck. . .that would be the one at the top of one's spine, at the bottom of one's cranium. The surface upon which one lies upon must be flat. NO pillows are allowed.

It aligns ones entire skelton. I swear.

You'll feel as though you've grown at least two inches. It's truly amazing.

[kedrys]

13. Interesting idea...

I'll try it! I already use the single tennis ball trick to unkink my spine, but I never thought of two. Thanks!

[Liberty Belle]

14. wine is a muscle relaxant, but don't mix with Tylenol.

heat, rest, massage, pain rubs (hot and cold types) can all help. Also anti-inflammatories. If it doesn't improve, consider chiropractice or accupuncture.

Note to anyone with scapular pain that doesn't improve after a few weeks: Get an EMG to check for nerve damage. I have a winging scapula and permanent nerve damage becuase no doctor suggested this until it was too late. Surgery can fix in the first six months.

Causes of nerve damage in the scapular area: virus that lodges in a muscle, trauma, or a stretch-type injury are the most common causes.