Excedrin’s Bitch

These last few days have been rough. I’ll admit that my chiropractor and I have been friends for over 18 years, but I’d sure rather get together with her under friendlier circumstances.

You see, I am Excedrin’s Bitch. I’ve had a helluva headache for six days – a headache so strong that I haven’t been able to focus on reading the written word, much less writing any. The base of my skull, on the left side, is experiencing a nerve-pinch that has resulted in a constant dull ache. It’s causing my left eye to tear up in a constant stream. Did I sleep funny?

Ha! – ’tis not funny now. Verily, mine head hurteth.

Image source: American Library Association

I’m running behind on responding to emails. And I don’t care to miss work when I’ve got lots to do there. Instead, when I haven’t been at the chiropractor’s office, I’ve been lying prone, flat-out on the floor, my bed, my sunshine-filled patio.

I certainly can’t complain about the warm and sunny weather this week, nor the fact that it’s been a good few days to miss work – weatherwise. But damn, it’s tough when all you can do is alternate between hot-hot showers, icepacks, laying down, getting up, walking around, moving the garden hose, reaching for the Extra-Strength Excedrin, laying down again, repeating the cycle in an effort to unlock this cervical subluxation. I don’t get paid for this, certainly. Indeed, four trips to the chiropractor isn’t cheap, either.

I went back to work today. Up until about an hour ago, I thought I was out of the woods. But that damn headache has come back this afternoon.

Will I be going to the chiropractor again tomorrow? Will I be leading Saturday’s scheduled hike at Montara Mountain? Do I wish I could enjoy a nice glass of vino without it tripling my pain?

Are they making bionic necks yet?

Whew! It’s been a rough, and expensive, few days. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. Now where did I put that Excedrin? Unhh….

~winehiker

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 15th, 2008 at 4:56 pm and is filed under grape squeezins. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to “Excedrin’s Bitch”

Benjamin Arnold
May 15th, 2008 21:10
1

Hi Russ,

Sorry to hear about the pain. Acupuncture has great results with this sort of thing. Is there one in your area?

I am actually a senior clinical acupuncture intern (graduating July) so if I can help, please let me know. I’m way out in Berkeley but I follow you guys on Twitter all the time.
David J
May 16th, 2008 08:05
2

Russ, I feel for you. I injured my lower back & left shoulder/trapezius when I was a wannabe performance artist in NYC as the 80′s dawned & recurring pain has been a lifelong prod for a serious consistent abs routine & light weights…plus i discovered acupuncture works better for me than chiropractic. You could try both? Take care, heal well, djr
winehiker
May 16th, 2008 09:26
3

Benjamin and David, thank you for commenting. Y’all get right to the ::point::, don’tcha?

I’ve considered acupuncture, and there are many practitioners in my area. Alas, my insurance plan does not cover acupuncture. I’m thinking more long-term, however: I’m already shopping for a Tempurpedic mattress. Those times I’ve slept on a Tempurpedic have come closer to making me feel like I have the energy of a child than even chiropractic does.

The good news is that, despite last night’s warm weather, I actually slept quite well and am feeling much better today.
Gabriella
May 21st, 2008 10:11
4

If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you that I’ve suffered a few aches and pains in my day (I love saying that at 32 years old!), and there has been nothing that has helped me more than yoga. Not to say that acupuncture, a chiropractor or a western doctor can’t fit the bill, but it seems that with a little intense stretching, combined with deep, focused breathing, has allowed me to figure out how to deal with, and sometimes overcome, pain – physically, mentally, emotionally and otherwise. Might want to see if a Tree pose or two will make a difference Hope you’re feeling better!!!
simplyRik
May 21st, 2008 10:29
5

I can totally sympathize with you on this. I just re-posted a blog last week about my own Sciatic/Chiropractic issues. Oh, and also, we did get a Tempurpedic and in three words

“Changed my life”

Rik
winehiker
May 21st, 2008 10:47
6

Gabriella, it’s nice to see you here again! I didn’t mention it in my post, but my neck troubles are the result of a springboard diving injury from 30 years ago. Often there’s a silver lining behind the dark cloud, and for me, that injury woke me up to many good things, yoga among them. I do practice a few pertinent yoga moves, and they’re great preventatives. But when the neck goes out, no amount of stretching or breathing will help until the bones are back in place and the tissues can subside – a recovery period that can sometimes take 2-3 days.

Rik, thank you for commenting! I have occasionally had to endure sciatica, too, and it’s just plain no fun, especially when you’re a hiker jonesing to hit the trails. Thanks for your testimonial on the Tempurpedic! Now that I’ve got my $600 tax break, I hope to have one delivered soon.

Funny, but my Captcha spam filter is just now suggesting that I type the words “wilderness Mr”. That sure beats “Excedrin’s Bitch”.
Matthew L.
December 7th, 2008 08:07
7

In the future, you may also want to try a deep-tissue massage for the superficial and deep muscles of the neck and base of the skull. Many times headaches can result from this tension. Check your diet, too. Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, sucralose (splenda), and acesulfame potassium) have been known to produce headaches like the ones that you are describing.