I have extreme pain in my shoulder and bi-cep area. Ice & heat have not helped. I have no insurance??

Question

I don't know what I could have done to hurt myself. I cannot raise my right arm above my head. The pain is burning and runs down my arm, turning my fingers numb.

Answer 1

Ooh. Painful.

Well, I'd say start taking Alieve - it's a muscle-relaxant - or it's equivilant - naproxin sodium - every 4-6 hours. 3 tablets = Rx strength.
Add to that IBprofen. It's an anti-inflammatory. Take up to 500 mg every 4-6 hours.
I'd stagger them, taking one or the other every 2 hours.

And keep alternating heat and ice.

Now, it the pain feels like it's in the joint, start taking glucosamine sulfate. You can get it anywhere - WalMart, the grocery store, etc. Take one in the morning after breakfast and one at night before bed, and when you feel better, drop to one a day and take it for another month.

If the pain doesn't get better, you may have something serious, like a ruptured disk or a torn ligament. Think about getting some health ins, even if it's just for a while, or a health plan. There are many. Including: http://www.basichealthinsurance.com
http://phsdiscountcard.com/

Most importantly: baby yourself for a while. Give your body time to heal. Don't use that arm for awhile.

Answer 2

You could try 2 cups of epsom salts in a hot bath, daily, for a week to 10 days. Keep doing it even if you feel better after one or two baths - the magnesium in the epsom salts helps your body eliminate swelling, which could be putting pressure on nerve endings, causing the numbness. Also, buy some castor oil and rub it into the area that hurts at night. It's messy buy it's high in omega-3s, which again help with inflamation.
I'd use good old asprin rather than alieve, personal choice.