Question
I'm writing to you for my boyfriend. He works out, lifts weights and runs on a regular basis. His normal routine is 5 days on 2 days off. After waking up one morning from his 2 days off his neck was sore and tight. He didn't think that much of it at the time and worked out that week. A few days later he woke up in excrutiating pain. He went to a doctor which gave him muscle relaxers and pain medication. It has been a month and his back feels somewhat better however he is still in pain when he lays down especially sleeping. He also has numbness that comes and goes in his fingers. He is incarcerated so he can't just go see a doctor anytime he needs to. They never did any x rays or looked into it any further even though he is still in pain. The doctor he saw told him it appeared to be a pinched nerve. Is there anything he can do to help himself? He has stopped working out.  

Answer
Kim,

Good he stopped working out; I would have suggested that.

Pinched nerves come from overtight muscles, hence the help from muscle relaxers, but they're a temporary measure.  He needs to learn to control the involved muscles enough to relax them.  The muscles are tired and sore from being too tight for too long.

There are self-help programs at somatics.com/page7.htm.  I can suggest a program, if you wish, but he has to want to go that route.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold