Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Suggest Treatment For Bone Spurs In Neck And Torn Rotator Cuff
Question: I have bone spurs in my neck and a torn rotator cuff, I have no health insurance and financially live day to day. When I had insurance I was prescribed vicodin, took 2 per day, never abused it and was able to function as a normal person. For the past 4 years I haven't had anything for the pain and live like a hermit because I can only force myself to work a couple days a week and I'm usually in too much pain to have a social life. Without insurance or money what can I do legally to feel better and get my life back?
Brief Answer:
rather over constrained
Detailed Answer:
Ok, reasonably if someone is on a minimal amount of narcotics one could continue that course indefinitely. It would reasonably cost a minimal amount for doctor visits, following up to make sure the underlying condition and the medications are not getting out of hand. Then a minimal amount for medication. If someone is not going to get any medical care and no medication... tricky. That's quite constrained.
Lowering pressure onto an area of injury.
Several aspects to this. Certainly limiting the amount of exertion. This includes perhaps limiting activity, but certainly limiting the types of stresses onto the area. Walking on a hard surface is the worst. Having padding where one walks, having padding in one's shoes. Various modalities to train oneself in body awareness so one walks more gracefully (dance class is quite good; ironically the same exact motion of feet is used both in bolero and in ju jitsu).
There are some odd features. "nothing for the pain" often anti-inflammatories are used for this. Implying the person is not trying over the counter anti-inflammatories. Unclear why that would be.
Too much pain to have a social life. generally activity is helpful for pain manangement. Indeed, the mainstream is that looking at overall functioning is an approach that is more likely to be successful in outcome than focusing on pain.
Indeed, "do legally", "vicodin ..able to function as a normal person" seems to push the discussion toward a medication, and indeed, a narcotic, direction when that seems actually not a major issue at all. Indeed, 2 a day covers only a small part of the day since the medication is short acting.
So... narcotics were never a major part of the issue. It is unlikely that 8 hrs of coverage per day is that much of an impact pharmacologically and a placebo effect of it seems more likely. A more reasonable approach would be increasing activity while not increasing stress on feet. That includes nearly all of my day, including currently typing on a computer.
rather over constrained
Detailed Answer:
Ok, reasonably if someone is on a minimal amount of narcotics one could continue that course indefinitely. It would reasonably cost a minimal amount for doctor visits, following up to make sure the underlying condition and the medications are not getting out of hand. Then a minimal amount for medication. If someone is not going to get any medical care and no medication... tricky. That's quite constrained.
Lowering pressure onto an area of injury.
Several aspects to this. Certainly limiting the amount of exertion. This includes perhaps limiting activity, but certainly limiting the types of stresses onto the area. Walking on a hard surface is the worst. Having padding where one walks, having padding in one's shoes. Various modalities to train oneself in body awareness so one walks more gracefully (dance class is quite good; ironically the same exact motion of feet is used both in bolero and in ju jitsu).
There are some odd features. "nothing for the pain" often anti-inflammatories are used for this. Implying the person is not trying over the counter anti-inflammatories. Unclear why that would be.
Too much pain to have a social life. generally activity is helpful for pain manangement. Indeed, the mainstream is that looking at overall functioning is an approach that is more likely to be successful in outcome than focusing on pain.
Indeed, "do legally", "vicodin ..able to function as a normal person" seems to push the discussion toward a medication, and indeed, a narcotic, direction when that seems actually not a major issue at all. Indeed, 2 a day covers only a small part of the day since the medication is short acting.
So... narcotics were never a major part of the issue. It is unlikely that 8 hrs of coverage per day is that much of an impact pharmacologically and a placebo effect of it seems more likely. A more reasonable approach would be increasing activity while not increasing stress on feet. That includes nearly all of my day, including currently typing on a computer.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
