This is a new page strictly for useful tips for managing cervical spondylosis. Please don't clutter with anything else.
My first tip is:
To shift a headache or muggy head, try taking a nap on a sofa with a soft pillow (Ikea tubular neck support pillow good here) and your head leaning on the sofa arm (as long as it's not too high).
Hiya Gerry,
My tip would have to be heat, when the pain and discomfort really gets too much apply heat via hot water bottle or those gel packs you can heat in the microwave.
My second tip is to buy some anti-stress shoes, I find these really help, as I've been told CS causes our \"Shock absorbers\" to become worn and shot.
Em
When your'e fed up trying to explain to people how you feel try this \" Let me put it this way. What I call a good morning...you would probably call a bad morning and what I call a bad morning...well, I feel bad enough already, so don't go hurting yourself trying to imagine it\". Might raise a smile. I haven't tried this yet to test the response.
Soaking a hot bath for 30 mins seems to ease some of the suffering and relax some of the neck tension too !
If ever you have to take nurofen/ibuprofen, always have a small snack within half an hour of taking to ward off any future upset stomach.
My rheumy doc advised I take extra calcium, I also take a good vitamin tablet, this conditon seems to take its toll on you. :roll:
I also use a memory foam pillow when sitting in an armchair, stops any pressure and helps your posture .
Keep well
Em
Another tip. If you normally sleep..say..7 hours a night, try this as an experiment - set your alarm for 6 hours sleep )or even 5) and, when you get up , assess your aches against what you would normally experience. You might be surprised! There again, I know this can be difficult because c/s makes us so tired...but its worth a try just to see what is going on when we sleep.......and don't forget to report back!
Gerry, I fully endorse your latest suggestion concerning sleeping patterns. For the past month or so, I've been waking up naturally after about 5-6 hours sleep instead of my usual 7 hours. If I get up and have a wander round then return to bed, I often feel better when a decent hour arrives despite staying awake. After all, it's no fun getting up at 4.30 or 5am if there's no reason to do so. However, if I stay in bed - and especially if I go back to sleep - I feel noticeably worse by 6.30 or 7. The downside is, of course, that you feel tired for most of the day. The aches and pains tend to come back at some stage and it doesn't work absolutely every time. Sometimes, I have to make a conscious decision whether it's best to feel tired or in pain. That's not always as straightforward as it seems. Soaking in a bath, as suggested by In Pain further up this thread, is something else that I do every day and it pays dividends more often than not. My own home remedy is to do as little as possible after getting up. Sit in a comfortable chair and see if the pains subside. Follow this with a gentle soak in a bath. It may take an hour or two to feel any effect but, if you're not going anywhere, give it a try. The effect may not be immediate but, after a few days, you may feel some benefit. Of course, I realise that this suggestion is not practicable for everyone and, if you're anything like me, the pains won't disappear. They will just diminish to a more manageable level.
Exactly. Well put. Although I'm a serial bath dodger everything else you describe is bang on the button. Gotta go have a bath now!
Another tip. Don't do any strenuous tasks with your arms raised above shoulder height. Also, don't look upwards or tilt your head backwards if possible.
A tip. Last week I bought some pillows at Homebase. I do this a lot (twice a year) and am usually disappointed. However, this time, surprise, they were really comfortable...soft, so the head sinks in just the right amount (always a problem with me). They are Non-allergenic, £14.99 a pair. I recommend. Also, am now thinking hard about sleep therapy, as a way to reduce pain and stabilise symptoms. Early days.
I tried taking a teaspoon of +10 Manuka honey at breakfast time !
Weirdly enough - I didnt need to take any of my pain meds until 2pm !! (which was when my old pain med dependent body started to make me hot foot it in three steps to the loo !)
Maybe there is something about this honey ... I will try it again tomorrow and post back :idea:
Wish you all less pain with your CS too
A lifestyle tip. Get a cat as a pet/friend. They are very user friendly for c/s sufferers. They are intuitively good at guageing irritability levels and will demand a rethink of any moodiness. They mean well, mostly!
Looking for some mood altering experience to brighten up the morning blues? Try these two breakfast recipies. I swear by them!
A) : Fried Halloumi cheese, Egg and Tomato. Cut tomato and onto pan with olive oil, naturally. Add 3/4 wedges of halloumi. Add 1 Egg to fry. Sprinkle halloumi and egg lightly with cayenne pepper. Turn halloumi when brown and do other side. Serve with salt/pepper and toast. Turkish...is veery good.
B) : Asparagus with poached Egg and Cheese. Break up asparagus into 1 inch pieces and boil gently with a dash of salt for 4 minutes. Add egg to poach amongst the asparagus. Before it's too hard, drain and serve with grated cheddar or parmesan and loads of black pepper. Classic Italian. Mama Mia!
Enjoy.
[quote:44da38168a=\"Gerry the neck\"]A lifestyle tip. Get a cat as a pet/friend. They are very user friendly for c/s sufferers. They are intuitively good at guageing irritability levels and will demand a rethink of any moodiness. They mean well, mostly!
Would love to get a pussy, but am scared as they do love to get under your feet, and as I am wobbly to astart with, dont want a fall
Give him/her a stroke for me
Tony
hello adrian 18, i have had cats all the time that i have suffered with cs, and rather than get under your feet, they seem to know when we are suffering, my cat jess has been with me all the time i have been unwell, and generally cuddles up to mee to comfort me.
Another tip. Try and ensure your sleeping environment is draught proofed thoroughly. A constant cold draught on the exposed neck, as you sleep, will cause worsening stiffness. If anyone needs advice on draught proofing, I can post it here. Also, be wary of window draughts whilst driving, or even as a passenger. Best not to open the window nearest you ( and certainly not a little bit )....just open the opposite window for airing.
If you've had a few days of neck stiffness, and it feels like it's calming down...try these simple exercises (advised by an osteo ). Stretch one arm out horizontal with the shoulder and to the side. Slowly rotate your hand clockwise and anti-clockwise. You might hear some cracking / crunching in your shoulder. It's just the built up tension being released. Try with other arm as well, but not both at same time. I've found that this exercise doesn't work when the neck is full on.
Try, by whatever means you can, to keep your neck warm, I wear a chiffon scarf constantly, which is fine for a laydeeee chaps will have to come up with something else :P
Don't carry anything heavy, I have a small shopping trolly ( yeah I know, but do I care? Not a jot :lol: ) this serves two purposes for me, not having to carry anything and when I go a bit do-lally ( dizzy etc) it becomes a very useful tool for me to lean on, until everything settles down, and I can get on my way. 8)
Take Care
Em :lol:
Hi fellow sufferers,
I get through the day mostly pain free just by using my T.E.N.S machine, and for a good nights sleep, copious amounts of Dublins finest liquid does the trick :guinness: ......Prescribed painkillers did nothing for me.
regards,
Paul