Question
QUESTION: Hello,Mr.Gold,
I have had lower back/hip pain for a very long time and have attributed that to hanging drywall for 18 years.But more recently the pain has spread over most of my body! I feel I may have a pinched nerve in my neck,and sometimes I go on a coughing spree and it feels like something has ruptured in the base of my skull.That has been happening for the past two years.More recently it takes me approx.10 minutes when waking to stand[put any weight]on my feet,they are very tender and sore to the touch.My left elbow is the exact same as my feet restricting my range of motion due to pain.Also both of my arms from the elbow to my hands are numb,tingling,and have intense pain!I cannot squeeze very hard anymore.I have bought braces for them to no avail. Two days ago I was in the emergency room because my right knee was swollen to the size of a grapefruitand extremely painful.I was recomende to an orthopedic surgeon and we did an M.R.I. I will get the results Friday but since even that my right foot has swollen up and is very painful.This has been my life for way to long I am getting to the point where I wont be able to take this any longer!because I have'nt had insurance I have had to go to e.r.'s for many different pains and have also been called a drug-seeker.Noone believes the shit I go through and the miserry I am in.Can you please tell me what is happening to me and my body?Doc, I am only 34 but I feel every bit of 70. please help me          Sincerely,      Hurtin in tennessee

ANSWER: Hello, Mike.

Medical health professionals have little sophistication about the relationship between repetitive motions and conditioning of the musculature.  Otherwise, they would draw correspondences between your work and your symptoms.

Your work involves positions that have become conditioned to have tight muscles:

looking up (base of neck at head)
reaching up (arms)
probably standing on tiptoe or leaning forward with a weight-burden (feet)

The knee and feet may be related to an injury, rather than to repetitive motion, with muscular involvement.  In any case, it sounds like you have muscular contractions and nerve compression (which usually comes from muscular contractions) behind your symptoms.  It would show up on an MRI -- and it would have to be recognized as significant by the radiologist.

You need a process that works more effectively than drugs or surgery:  I recommend somatic education (a brain-muscle training process).  I expect that the course of action would be clear, if you were my client.

May I suggest that you read the following articles of mine and take the recommended action.

http://www.somatics.com/recovery_from_injury.htm
http://www.somatics.com/movement.htm

Write if you want a recommendation for a self-help approach.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I also have a diastases in my upper abdomen and a hernia in my belly button.Could the lack of muscle strength in my stomach region be causing my back to over-compensate and work too hard and be causing my back and neck all this pain? Something else that worries me is that I have a sustained ringing in my ears.When I turned my head left or right the pitch of the ring fluctuates and on lot of occasion causes dizziness.I haven't had insurance in 17years so I haven't been to a doctor regularly in a very long time. I also have Hepatitis C.Do you in your opinion think that any of the symptoms I have relayed to you,could be attributed to that.

Answer
Hello, Mike,

Lack of muscle strength in the abdomen doesn't cause overcompensation in the back; it's the reverse:  when the brain causes contraction of back muscles, it inhibits ("weakens") the abdominal muscles.

The neck pain is probably muscular tension from years of looking up in your work.  Ringing in the ears commonly comes from tight neck or jaw muscles, which is consistent with turning your head changing the pitch and with the dizziness.

Please look up dizziness at the following page:

http://www.somatics.com/conditions.htm

See the following articles for back pain:

http://www.somatics.com/back_pain.htm
http://www.somatics.com/psoas_Q&A.htm