# Baker's Arm



## harpua (May 4, 2005)

I've had an intense job for the past month where I am constantly using my arms, especially my right one. I am mixing, scraping, lifting, always squeezing pastry bags, etc. Now, my arm falls asleep on its own when I am sleeping, and sometimes when I am awake. It's really scary. I got a deep tissue massage and that helped, but it is coming back. I try to do shoulder rolls when it wakes me up at night, and it kind of helps; does anyone have any suggestions? How can I prevent this from getting worse? It kind of feels like my funny bone is always getting bumped. So annoying.


----------



## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

It might be general tightness in your upper back that's causing some imbalance. You should go see a physical therapist. As weird as it may seem, the answer may be more exercise.

I think the basic exercises are the same though. My wife suffered a third degree shoulder separation and she did some of these exercises:

Your Orthopaedic Connection: Shoulder Surgery Exercise Guide

She started with low weights, a tuna can.


----------



## harpua (May 4, 2005)

Interesting. Thanks.


----------



## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

Wonder where kokopuffs went. He's a chiropractor.


----------



## andyg (Aug 27, 2007)

Advil also helps, not just as a pain killer, but an anti-inflammatory too. I know because I had the same type of problem.


----------



## gummy-bear (Oct 27, 2007)

If the case is inflammation, then the following herbal tisanes (herbal teas) will assist with that:
Calendula
Dong Quai
Licorice
marshmallow
Meadowsheet
White Willow


----------



## m brown (May 29, 1999)

When that happened to me couple months back I thought it was my heart!

But it was my right arm and same deal:
I would drive, it would sleep
I would sleep, it would sleep
I would type, it would sleep.

ALSO
I lost feeling in my ring finger, same arm - still not 100%.
About a month after leaving the job, fine. 

I used to see a DO in NY but have not even looked for one in Dallas.

Take care of yourself!:chef:


----------



## bluedogz (Oct 11, 2006)

Sounds like carpal tunnel syndrome to me. To a chiropractor with you. Time will heal it, but only if the stressor is gone.


----------



## harpua (May 4, 2005)

I figured that it isn't carpo tunnel because it is my whole arm. I think something in my back/neck is tweaked. I can't quit, but I just had the piping bag to my staff instead. However, what really scares me is transferring stiff frosting from huge mixer bowls to containers. I can feel my nerves popping and twinging when I do that. Looks like I'll be handing that over as well. At least I can still spread things and man the ovens!!


----------



## free rider (May 23, 2006)

I had something similar and went for acupuncture. The problem was solved within minutes and, several months later, has not come back even with similar activities as before.


----------



## smalltruck (Sep 27, 2007)

Quick note my GF is a massage therapist of 8 years and works in a chiropractic office and the following are her words....

It sounds as if you have either carpal tunnel, a pinched nerve or just plain muscle strain. Going to a chiropracter will help if you have a pinched nerve in the shoulder joint but the nerve could also be in your neck. With the type of work that you do, you could also have a repetitive motion strain. Constant mixing and stirring etc will do that to you. The best possible advice I can give as a massage therapist would be that you ice your shoulder and arm where you have pain, ie: forearm, wrist, shoulder...lots of rest so your muscles won't be so over taxed, take advil for the pain, see a chiropractor, get muscle work done. Not relaxation massage though because it doesn't go deep enough. You need theraputic massage. It should be slightly painful but not enough that you are wincing or gasping for breath. That's too deep. It should be enough for you to go "oh, that hurts but don't stop." A doctor will give you pain meds and likely recommend you wear a brace. You may need to see a physical therapist as well, depending on the damage you have. Pain is your body's way of saying something is wrong, but where the pain is is not always where the problem is. 

If you go to a chiropractor and have insurance, sometimes the insurance will pay for massage as well. It will help defray some of the cost. But not all insurance companies will do it. A chiropractor's assistant will be able to get that information for you.

If you remember only one thing, let it be this. Ice is your friend when it comes to muscle pain. Ice decreases inflammation and swelling. Heat INCREASES inflammation. The less pain the better in my book. Don't ice longer than 10 minutes a session or check to make sure you're not getting frost bite. 

Hope this helps...any questions, drop me a pm.


----------



## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

If you've got popping and twinging in your arm, that sounds more like tendonitis. This is a kind of repetitive use injury where the tendon becomes inflamed and presses on nerves as they both pass through the joints in your shoulder and arm, thus the numbness. 
Physical therapy, ice and ibuprophen will help. Also check out accupuncture-I've had great success with it. It's perfect for this type of injury.

Get help right away! Irritated nerves heal about 1" per month, though suffer injury much faster from repetitive strain.

You might also check out workman's comp since this seems to be directly related to your work. At least ask your doc about it.


----------



## m brown (May 29, 1999)

I am going to go to the ortho. My left shoulder is now useless, reaching, opening doors, lifting ~ bad.

Gonna get some x-rays to see if its a thing or just a thing. :smiles:


----------



## chefelle (Feb 17, 2007)

Man--am I glad to hear that I am not alone!!! My baker's arm started out with pain in my right elbow that would radiate up into my shoulder and wrist depending on what I had to do that week for work. Lifting, kneading, whisking, cake decorating, folding...you name it it all aggravated my condition. Even playing the piano at church on Sunday.

I sought treatment through various different means. A chef at work recommended Tylenol Arthritis--that worked for about a week--now I have built up a tolerance to it and it's useless to me. I then went to a chiropractor but the one that I visited was very, very agressive with me and not only was I uncomfortable with the type of treatment he gave me I left in so much pain I could barely move for three days--it was about 100 times worse!!!

So I gave up on the chiropractor and went to my family doctor who prescribed ice and ibuprofen as well as an x-ray and a follow up visit. The ibuprofen worked for about a week too and now it no longer works unless I take a ton of it. So it looks like physio, Deep Cold, and stronger pain meds are the way I am going to have to go.

Currently the pain is in my entire right arm and back. At times I will lose all feeling in my right hand. The pain is so intense I can't sleep at night and can barely walk in the morning. Once I take a hot shower, rub my arm and back with Deep Cold and take about four ibuprofen I can go to work and do my job. But once I get home the pain starts right back up again. 

Anyway--I say all this to say--I really do feel your pain!!!! And I hope we will all be able to find a way to heal our injuries and soon!!


----------



## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

I'm so sorry you fellows are experiencing so much pain. I've been there, and I'll say it again:

ICE!, PHYSICAL THERAPY!, ACUPUNCTURE!

Twenty-two years ago I ruptured a lower disk carrying a 50 lb box of flour through a swinging door at work. Had surgery, and it worked, but it always gave me trouble. 

Twelve years later, while moving to NY I re-injured it. I was in so much pain that if I walking down the sidewalk and the pavement dropped 1/2 inch, that little step would send searing electric pain through my back and out my head and down my leg. Physical therapy, cortizone shots and many meds later, my orthopedist suggested acupuncture (he was licensed to do it.) I had 3 20 minute treatments for the first 2 weeks, then 2 treatments for the next 2 weeks and 1 treatment per week for 3 more weeks. Sometimes it felt bad for a few hours after the treatment. But...

IT CURED ME!

Ten years later and my back has never been better. It gets tired and sore sometimes, but never does it give me the constant discomfort that I suffered for 12 years. Now ice and ibuprophen seem to do the trick if I over work it. 

Acupuncture will NOT cure a cold or flu, it won't smooth out the wrinkles on your face or cure cancer. But nerve-tendon-disc-muscle problems-it will help significantly. Just get a good practitioner-not some flakey, hippy-dippy new-age type. Find a clinical technician that uses it. It works!


----------



## harpua (May 4, 2005)

Wow I can't believe I haven't followed up on this! 

Just for the record, I went to several sessions of acupuncture, and I would recommend it for anyone. It really worked wonders. It's been awhile now, and it's 100% better. Thanks for the recommendations!


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

chefelle's problem sounds like it begins with tendonitis and has some other issues mixed in. We tend to add problems as we work through pain and compensate by abusing other areas of our body. 

Blue's carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis has got to be one of the sillier ones I've ever heard and based on a very sketchy knowledge of what CTS is -- or for that matter what and where the carpals are. That said, almost all of the complaints in this thread sound like they're based on, or include some sort of repetitive stress injury. Maybe RSI is what Blue meant.

Proper stretching, warm up, warm down, make a big difference. Cold (ice)/heat treatments are very helpful in managing inflammation -- which is quite often one of the biggest sources of pain. So too the use of anti-inflammatory medications. I'm not an expert on accupuncture by any means, but have heard good things. Chiropracty not so much for repetitive stress, tendinitis or arthritis. 

The biggest problem is re-establishing a healthy, non-inflamed condition so a new regimen can be imposed. 

It can take a lot of time and/or an interruption in the type of work performed. And sometimes things just don't ever get better. I've got pain from old injuires incurred forty years ago in highschool and college sports. The tendonitis I have in elbows and knees from swimming and playing water polo is particularly irksome -- although useful in forecasting the weather. And the brain damage from boxing is not exactly ... 

I forgot what I was going to say. 

Oh yes. Stretch and warm up before work. Stretch and warm down afterwards. Treat inflammation with ice, ASAP. Use heat only alternating with ice. Take anti-inflammatories as needed. Develop and use your other arm and hand. When I say "break," break clean. 

Defend yourself at all times, 
BDL


----------



## chefelle (Feb 17, 2007)

For me the cure was simple....get laid off and mysteriously the pain goes away!

Since opening my patisserie in October I've had the odd flare up but nothing like I was experiencing this time last year. I think I've learned to work smarter. These days the only thing that hurts is my feet....oh....and my brain!


----------



## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

of course, yours might be due to something entirely different, but years ago, i had a similar problem. parts of the arm without sensattion and sort of tingly (thumb and first two fingers) and pain in shoulder and elbow. Doctor said it was the neck vertebras and they were pinching a nerve. She prescribed a soft cervical collar (they;re made of foam rubber(. It was hot and annoying (it was hot summer) but it did the trick.


----------



## american_suisse (Mar 9, 2007)

I spoke to a doctor friend of mine here in Lausanne. He said it was probably the nerve (only he used a couple of words that were really long and I can't spell!) in your elbow being irritated due to repeditiveness. His recommondation was to see a doctor right away as permanent damage could result without treatment. If you were here, you would be fitted with a brace to wear while sleeping to keep your arm from bending. After a short period of time wearing the brace, the numbness should go away.


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Your doctor apparently guessed cubital tunnel syndrome aka ulnar nerve entrapment. Cher Suisse ami, curiosity impels me to to ask whom you addressed with your post since all past sufferrers seem to have been cured by rest and/or treatment. 

BDL


----------



## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

As a former chiropractor, let me inquire:

1. Paresthesias located throughout the arm or just the hand?

2. Could be carpal tunnel (hand) or shoulder involvement: costoclavicular or scalenus anticus syndrome (perhaps another shoulder malady but then I've been out of practice for more than 10 years.)

3. Obviously it's a repetive stress injury.

The fact that you're experiencing nocturnal paresthesias indicates that blood supply is returning to the nerves and so I feel we have a nerve entrapment problem. You need to ease off the intense baking prep and allow the tissues to heal before it get to the point of no return, that is, possible surgery to relieve pressure on the nerve(s) and other involved tissues.


----------



## american_suisse (Mar 9, 2007)

I was replying to the op - Harpura. 
The doctor I spoke with is a transplant specialist. He in turn spoke with an orthopaedic surgeon. Both recommended that a doctor be seen as soon as possible because of the chance of perm damage if not treated. 
Here the person would first be fitted with a brace molded to the persons arm from the wrist to just below the shoulder. It covers the inside part of the arm and is positioned in a manner that would prevent the arm from being bent during the night while the person slept (that's usually the only time it is worn). A sort of half sleeve cotton material is worn over the arm and the brace is put over it and held in place by three velcro straps.
I didn't see it in actual use but was able to see one that was completed and waiting for the person to come back to pick it up. My friend said that usually it's made and the person walks out with it the same day. For some reason that person didn't wait. I think it's because of the idea of trying to sleep with that thing strapped on!


----------



## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Sometimes special positioning with rest is THE best way to go. Allow the swelling to subside in order for the tissues to heal. Don't remember anything about cubital syndrome.


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Location, location, location. Largely the same thing as carpal tunnel syndrome but in a different place. With carpal tunnel syndrome, the primary irritation is located in the wrist. With cubital, it's further up the arm. 

It seemed clear from OP presentation that the problem was not carpal.

BDL


----------



## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Just give it a rest. ...I hate getting old and forgetful it sucks really.


----------



## chalkdust (Feb 18, 2009)

talk to a Chinese traditional doctor

do u get exercise?

i would do something that focuses on flexibility as well as body alignment and core strength like yoga or tai chi. make sure it is good quality instruction. couple this with the acupuncture and diet/supplement ideas the Chinese doctor tells you.

this will cure/prevent the problem, and not just treat it.

cardio is always a good thing to do a few times every week too, form and breathing is VERY important, the yoga and tai chi iwll help u with that. if u start running/doing cardio (iif you do not already)

hope this helps!


----------



## chefelle (Feb 17, 2007)

Funny you'd mention running. I was training to run a marathon and actually found it aggravated my tennis elbow. Of course that could be my totally non athletic, supremely pathetic running form!!!!


----------



## chalkdust (Feb 18, 2009)

I hear that. Running can be dangerous since it is aggressive and relatively high impact... If you run in such a way that does its best not to jar anything as your body absorbs the impact of the ground, then im guessing that aggravation MAY be minimal. I have a bad shoulder that gets injured a lot (dislocated a few times) and I used to irritate it with running, then I decided to implement what I had been learning in yoga and karate. (Im recommending tai chi and yoga over karate since the principles of posture and body form are the same, karate comes from the core just like yoga, pilates, and tai chi, but it is way more explosive and its ultimate means can be quite violent...)

I like running because It forces the runner to have good form and posture and it also forces them to engage their core, eliminate superfluous movement/tension (waste of energy, bad for joints and breathing) and make proper use of all their stabilizer msucles and support tissues! Humans were meant to be physically active, so nurturing that part of life can help in many other areas as well. (propensity for injury, mental clarity, stress and emotional balance, and ENERGY)


----------



## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

It all boils down to whatever works for the patient. I myself just happen to offer a certain style of healing therapy that works for some and maybe not others.


----------

