Neck/ Shoulder/ Hip- pain and mobility issues
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Hello, I am here seeking advice on pain and mobility issues that I have been have for a few years now. My issues stem from overuse, not a single traumatic event.
My background-
I am a 28 year old white male, 5'10, 165 lbs and have no underlying medical conditions
My current symptoms-
Pain in neck, left shoulder, both hips, uneven posture/ cant 100% straighten my right leg and my right shoulder sits slightly lower than my left.
My story
I believe that my pains and mobility issues stem from my previous job and overworking myself in general. I worked full time in a busy kitchen in a large city as a dishwasher for about 4 years (left December 2019) I didn't have noticeable recurring pains until I began working there. The pains and mobility issues were gradual and I did try to address them, but nothing seemed to counteract the fact that I had a s****y job and I was overworking myself. I am now self employed and my self-employment income really kicked off about 4 months before I had to leave the kitchen job. This sped up the process of my mobility issues and pain (certainly in my neck). I make things by hand, and this is a fairly physical task which requires repetition, standing, and staring down at a work bench (I was already dealing with these issues at my kitchen job). So trying to balance both and toss on as much work as I could quickly put me unable to continue working at the kitchen. I barely made it through my final shifts and had trouble walking and was mostly bed bound for a few weeks afterwards. I am currently walking around and doing everything for myself but my pains and mobility issues are still there, preventing me from squatting easily, cant lift my arms past a certain point and have some limited movement with my neck.
What I think happened
I remember as a teenager finding out that my spine is very slightly curved, but it was never an issue growing up. Not until my kitchen job. Possible the job aggravated it and made it pronounced?
I feel like my shoulder and hip pains are joint/ cartilage related and my neck pain is due to spine curvature and shoulder issue. I haven't gotten any scans or anything but a chiropractor as well as my wife mentioned that they can see a noticeable curve from behind.
Possible arthritis? scoliosis?
Treatments
I am an American foreign worker currently living in Canada and do not have health insurance and currently cannot afford it. I have went in a few walk-in-clinics for assessment but the advice is very generic and usually revolves around telling me to rest and take pain killers. I can get that info from google...and for less than $100.
I have tried/ am trying the following things-
-Chiropractor- Tried this for a month in late 2018. Did nothing for me. A bit of a placebo effect in the beginning and some generic advice about resting and exercising but thats it.
-Massage Therapy- I did this for a few weeks. Definitely relieves pain and tension, but it is only temporary, doesnt really get to the heart of the issue. Cant afford to regularly do that.
-Arnica gel- Found this to be useless. Possibly some pacebo effect in the beginning.
-Magnets- My aunt swears by them and sent me some and I didn't find them to be effective.
-Icy-Hot- Works decent for my neck and shoulder. Doesnt last very long and doesnt address the issue.
-Voltaren- Helps a bit, but isn't super effective.
-Glucosamine Sulfate 500mg- I think is helping a bit. I have been taking it for 4 months now twice a day and stopped for 4 days and I think my pain was worse without it. Hard to be sure, but I think it does provide at least some relief. Could just be placebo tho.
-Painkillers- I have used Tylenol, Aspirin, and Aleve with success. Tylenol is an occasional go-to for bad days, but it doesnt get to the source of the problem and I don't want to rely on drugs forever.
-Exercise/ Stretching- I find this helps. If done regularly, and is followed by proper rest/ nutrition it does help. But maybe there are some things I should be doing or should not be doing that I dont know about.
-Turmeric- I was adding turmeric to my meals and not noticing any noticeable changes, but maybe I was adding enough and not frequently enough?
-Neck heating pad- This does provide temporary relief and allows my neck muscles to relax so I can stretch and exercise them.
-Posture corrector- I got a brace that straps over my shoulders in an attempt to keep my posture straight, but this thing only cost $20 and I got it off amazon. The velcro doesn't stay attached very long and is a hassle to get in place.
Suggestions ???
I am trying to weed out what doesnt work, keep (and improve upon) what does work and to add new things that I might not know about since im not a medical professional.
Preferably looking for things that are at least somewhat affordable that can be done from home.
Things I want to keep:
-Exercise/ Stretching- Any specific stretches/ exercises I should look into?
-Supplements- Should I try Glucosamine Sulfate with Chondroitin?
-Heating pad-
-Painkillers- (trying to limit this to bad days)
-Pain creams- Are there better pain creams out there that I haven't mentioned? Or should I try voltaren extra strength?
- Dietary additives- I feel like my diet could play a helping hand, any suggestions?
- Posture correction- Can someone recommend a posture corrector that would be efficient? I dont mind spending a little bit more. Also, would you recommend placing something in my right shoe to balance that side of my body with left?
Any and all information and help to what I have described above would be greatly greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
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