shoulder anomaly

[shepherd]

Hi
I work in telesales. Its not a career choice but it gives me the freedom to make computer based music , which IS my career choice.

So , my job requires me to phone numbers out of the telephone directory , for 5 hours , 4 times a week.
That would be ok , but my eyesight is bad , so i have to use a magnifying glass to see the numbers in the bad light.
This requires me to lean all the way forwardso that my chest is on the desk.

Last february my shoulders started feeling very fatigued. There is no pain , but there is a lot of discomfort that is as potent as a pain.
I went to the doctor and he prescribed me first with robaxin , and then with diazepam (2mg ). He said he was prescribing them as a muscle relaxant.
I was also using a standard laptopwhich seemed to exacerbate the condition because my shoulders were tense and kinda suspended in mid-air sonas not to accidentally press the other keys.

Anyway , the shoulder thing has gradually gotten worse and my shoulders are very rounded now.
It just feels like the muscles on the inner side of my shoulder blades , are worn out and fatigued , to the point where it is torture every day.
Even ehen i have a shower , my muscles on the outside of my upper arms , just below my shoulders , are tired and feel achey.

Lately , my thighs have been affected , about 3 inches above the knee. They feel weak , as if someone was syringing the energy from my legs and they feel like they might collapse beneath me.

I take the robaxin and it goes away. Some days when its more stubborn , i take the silver bullet diazepam , but i dont want to take any tablets at all , as they are masking the problem rather than getting at the root of it.

After getting a complete set of bloods done ( liver , thyroid , oxygen levels etc.....) they all came back showing nothing untoward.
My doctor initially thought it was a post viral infection after i got the influenza jab , but its been about 10 months now , so he has ruled that , and chronic fatigue out. A week ago , he admitted he was beat , and didnt know what it is , but has referred me to a rheumatologist ( which i feel is barking up the wrong tree ) , and also a physiotherapist.

Its extremely debilitating and im at my wits end. Over the past week ive also been experiencing weird momentary dizziness as im very anxious about it all and my shoulders and neck are very tight abd strained.
Would really appreciate any advice / help i could get here.

Thank you in advance.

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[specialisedsofttissue]

Hi there,

it's hard to give specific advice over the Internet as an assessment is needed to do so but generally speaking I think you are a perfect candidate for physiotherapy. From what you have said it certainly sounds like a postural problem driven by poor ergonomics that is progressing in severity. An assessment by a physiotherapist should identify the problem(s) with your posture and get you on the path back to normal. I would suggest that an ergonomic assessment of your work/music space would also be indicated so your not continuing to exacerbate the problem. I would also follow up the dizziness symptom with your physician if he/she doesn't already know about it.

Hope this helps,

SST

[shepherd]

Many thanks for your time.
I knew i'd need a physio , but i dont have a lot of money right now , which is probably the case everywhere.....unless you're a physiotherapist =p

I have to therefore wait for the doctors referral which could take months due to the waiting list.
Is there anything , besides lying flat on my back 24/7 , that i can do to alleviate the symptoms ?

Also , is the leg weakness normal with postural degradation situations such as this ?

Thank you

[specialisedsofttissue]

General advice I can give you is to do some research into correct computer posture, a google search of those words should bring up a picture with the correct set up requirements for your station and also sitting posture. I would also try and work out a way to stop you having to have your chest on the desk and shoulders unsupported, maybe a cheap pair of glasses might help as well. I would also try and schedule in some breaks throughout the work day and do some stretches, an Internet search of desk stretches should help you out there. I wouldn't think those symptoms in your legs would be caused by poor posture so that is one thing again to flag with your physician.

[shepherd]

Ok...just an update.I started attending physiotherapy with a really nice physio , but the first 3 sessions were more exploratory / fact finding and she told me she'd be doin some deeper work at the next session.I then got out of my posture-wrecking job and had to postpone the physio until I knew when I could be free again .The new job involved lots of walking , and i initially felt a big improvement , however , to cut a long story short , i then loathe job through no fault of my own , but due to company 'restructuring'.Since then , for the past month , ive been trying to relax by lying on my back using a tablet , but my shoulders feel worse , and the leg problem is also worse. Where there was no pain before , there is now pain.When i scratch my left shoulder with my right hand , there is a pain on the outermost side of my upper arm in a 3 inch area. Its the same if i use the other arm.Even a month after leaving the job that did all the damage , the problem has got worse instead of better. The shoulder weight / tiredness seems to have becone a chronic condition rather than just a symptom.I went to the rheumatologist. After examining me , she said her physio was coming in on her day off and she would want to take a look at me.She did , and told me not to go back to my physio as it wasn't clear yet what was going on , and has booked me in for an ultrasound examination but I have to wait 2 months now. She said I would be going onto her patient list , which , my doctor later informed me , is unusual in itself. The situation is already intolerable due to how it affects my breathing , my asthma , and also a hiatal hernia.I know its ridiculous but the only thing that helps is pacing up and down for hours at a time with a pole going horizontally across the length of my shoulders , behind my head , with both arms coming up and over it and resting them on it. I hold my breath and stand as straight as I can.I have had to do this when i've had panic attacks because of how its affecting my breathing.Someone please help. I dont know what to do. I feel the problem gets worse as a criminally overstretched NHS tries to get a fix on the problem. I need to be doing what I can In the interminable interim period but I find it very difficult to convey the symptoms..I seem to be tensing the big muscle right in the middle of my shoulder blades , but sometimes the outer side of the shoulder blades will be affected and sometimes above the shoulder blades