Bra Strap Injury? - Page 2

Helenback · 10-09-2009, 11:32 PM

My friend is the yoga teacher and she would come over and nudge me with her foot. It made me instantly really annoyed, because of course she was waking me up.

momlove · 10-09-2009, 11:46 PM

If you really did damage a nerve, then I don't think ice or even massage are really going to help you.

From Webmd:

Quote:

In many instances, nerve damage cannot be cured entirely. But there are various treatments that can reduce your symptoms. Because nerve damage is often progressive, it is important to consult with a doctor when you first notice symptoms. That way you can reduce the likelihood of permanent damage.

My son just had severe nerve damage to his arm about 6 weeks ago. It is very slowly getting better, but we have a followup appointment with a neurologist because the progress is so slow and this affects his writing hand significantly.

Initially he was diagnosed with nerve damage and they gave him a splint to wear (so he can write). After 3 weeks he went back to student health because he was not seeing much improvement, if any, and the doc put him on a 6 day course of steroids to help reduce the inflammation, which he said would help the nerve recover.

Hope this is helpful. Don't know if it's applicable to your situation, but I would keep the appointment with the doctor if I was you.

GA2012MOM · 10-09-2009, 11:48 PM

I don't have any advice for your sore shoulder, but another option to your "coverage" problem is to use nursing pads inserted into any bra that may not have enough coverage. I think Hanes carries them for $7.99 for a package of 36, which should last quite a while since you wouldn't be using them for their intended purpose!

Mary13 · 10-09-2009, 11:55 PM

Helenback, while you’re waiting for your shoulder to heal, try changing the position you normally sleep in (which might be harder than it sounds—we are creatures of habit!) I have arthritis in my shoulder, which improved considerably when I completely “rearranged” myself at night, on the advice of my doc.

littlegreenmom · 10-09-2009, 11:59 PM

You could always add those little silicone pads to your bra to hide your assets.

NJres · 10-10-2009, 12:05 AM

This could be the next spanx! If you figure out the solution to the problem you can name it.......... Hell&Back !

Consolation · 10-10-2009, 12:10 AM

Quote:

But how do I heal the shoulder? Any thoughts? I know--go to the doctor, right? But I think I have to see my regular doctor first, and then he might refer me to an ortho guy, who might send me to a physical therapist. I'm willing to do all that, but I'd rather you all just tell me how to heal it over the weekend so I can skip all those doctor's appointments. Suggestions? Ideas?

Continue to wear the bras that do not put pressure on the spot and do nothing. It will probably eventually go away.

I haven't had affordable access to healthcare for years. (First, I had "insurance" with a 15K deductible, now I have none.) Over that time, I have had several painful conditions, all of which resolved without any medical attention.

I had significant hand pain due to scraping paint from our house. I sometimes could not turn the key in the ignition of the car, and couldn't carry anything heavy in that hand. Now it is fine. No medical attention. I just stopped doing what caused the problem and waited.

I had what a physical therapist I know told me was probably an inflamed tail bone due to sitting on a chair that put pressure on it while working on the computer. It was acutely painful to rise from a sitting position, and I found it difficult to sit through a movie in some theaters. Now it's fine. I got rid of the chair, and made an effort to sit up straight in a way that reduced pressure on the location. No medical attention.

In each case it took something like a year or more for the condition to fully disappear. But I have friends who have consulted doctors for various problems and they haven't gotten relief, although they have spent plenty of $$.

anothermom-w-q · 10-10-2009, 12:58 AM

I damaged nerves in my shoulder carrying a heavy purse. Now the first thing I look for in a handbag is it's weight. I do not buy anything with hardware as it just adds to the burden of carrying the bag. I look at these young women carrying huge bags and think that someday they will be crippled by both their shoes, and huge purses.

ghostfire13 · 10-10-2009, 01:55 AM

I'm going back and forth between being envious of everyone's "problems" and feeling lucky to be (much) less endowed. I guess we always want what we don't have.

emeraldkity4 · 10-10-2009, 06:20 AM

my first thought is if your bra straps hurt you- you have too much weight for them to support.
I got a breast reduction 10 years or so ago & I wish I had done it before. I didn't even have pain, but my Dr suggested it ( she had, had it done). My insurance paid for it and although I still have to wear a bra ( I had told the surgeon I didn't want to anymore), it is much easier to find bras and clothes that fit right.

I often wear camis with only a shelf bra, much more comfortable than underwire, which isn't really good for us to wear too much because it blocks the lymph glands and can cause all kinds of problems.

busyparent · 10-10-2009, 10:05 AM

Have you taken an over the counter anti-inflammatory like ibuprofin? 4x/day every day for some days

PackMom · 10-10-2009, 10:44 AM

I did the dept. store prof. bra fitting several years ago and was amazed that I had been wearing the wrong size for years. The woman who fitted me also said that the straps of the bra should never be responsible (tight enough) for holding your bra up in place. That should be entirely taken care of by having the proper fit. She also told me that if you could pull the elastic in the back more than two inches away from your body that it was too loose and not supporting you correctly leading to more stress on the shoulders.

toneranger · 10-10-2009, 10:59 AM

helenback...
I had a shoulder injury years ago from lugging around a heavy briefcase in NYC. Doc taught me an exercise that involved laying on a couch and stretching a dumbbell over my head. Worked like a charm. See your doc to find out if there's something like that you could do. Ibuprofen and ice are also good ideas.
I am lucky enough to be small (lol...i really do consider this lucky), and I've taken to wearing camisoles with shelf bra. So comfy I can sleep in them. I have about ten. Love them!
Regarding yoga, I am a regular attendee at a local class, twice per week. Did wonders for a bad knee...better than weeks of physical therapy. But you do need to take it slow cause it's possible to make things worse. We had a women who would snore during corpse pose too...lol...I always thought that would be embarrassing. For me, doing a long yoga class feels like a massage...and it's cheaper.
Speaking of massage...that's another very good alternative. Did wonders for a stiff neck I had years ago.
And throw those bras out!

dbwes · 10-10-2009, 11:21 AM

Oh, helenback, poor you!
We had a discussion at work recently about how most women, when properly measured, realize that they are wearing bras SEVERAL sizes too small. I am not at all well-endowed but my proper size was two number sizes and one cup size larger than what I was wearing.
I get nice smooth, seamless-looking bras with light underwire at Target, for 14.99 (10.99 on sale) -- Gillian O'Malley or something like that? Never put them in the dryer, and replace before they get too raggedy (which you can when they are cheap).
Also -- see if your doctor can give you a scrip for a physical therapist. I had ongoing neck pain, and a chiropractor did squat, but the PT cleared it up in a couple of months. You just have to commit to doing some easy exercises and stretches at home between sessions.
Good luck!!

Helenback · 10-10-2009, 12:12 PM

Oh, to be able to wear a camisole with a shelf bra without looking like a hooker......

I really can't fathom women getting breast implants to make them bigger--unless they're filled with helium. Why would you want to haul those around?

I think the problem with a regular bra is that the strap sits in a little groove where the trapezius muscle thins out before it hits the shoulder joint. The new racer back bra strap sits more across the muscle, and the straps are much wider so it's infinitely more comfortable.

Also I was definitely wearing the wrong size. I measured myself a bunch of times and then ordered the racerback bras online from Land's end because they were in the overstock section so they were really cheap--which is what kills me about those other bras--close to $80 each. Maybe that's why I was so slow to realize the bra was the problem--I was in bra denial. They did look great under a t-shirt--but you have to weigh that against the cost of having a functional right arm.

I am going to get the doctor to send me to a physical therapist, because I think that muscle has shortened itself in response to the constant pressure. I have a groove I can still feel after not wearing the evil bra for four days.

And it is very embarassing to be snoring in yoga, but not as embarassing as passing gas, which I also did once. Completely mortifying. We did have a woman in her seventies who would just fart relentlessly and it didn't seem to bother her at all. Perhaps this is one of the joys of aging, so we've got that to look forward to in our later years.

And I would love to be taking ibuprofen but I'm not supposed to take it with my other medicine I take for polycystic ovary syndrome.