Stiff muscles, need ideas for relief

Ok gang,,, I think I’m out of options but thought I’d run this by y’all to see if there is something else I can try.
I have cervical stenosis which causes my muscles to get very stiff and sore. Right now, the only fraction of relief I can get is from my tens unit,,, it does feel good, but I can’t leave it running constantly and it doesn’t break up the stiffness. Ice and stretching are the only other things I have.
I can’t take any anti inflammatory meds because I was put on blood thinners because of blood clots in my lungs,, I can’t go to massage therapist because they are afraid of breaking the blood clots loose,,, I can’t do acupuncture or dry needling either because of the possibility of micro bleeding into my muscles. I’ve tried lidocaine and tiger balm which does nothing,,, I can’t use muscle rubs that contain anti inflammatory meds like voltarin… I was getting steroid shots up until I got the blood clots,,, I can’t have the shots now because it could cause a hematoma in my spinal cord which could paralyze me. I can’t take muscle relaxers either because they don’t mix well with pain killers. I can’t take magnesium supplements because they interfere with blood thinners…. Is there something else I could try???

Would ice baths work? I use them after heavy weightlifting sessions and competitions. It really helps my recovery and almost eliminates muscle soreness.

I do use ice packs, but it doesn’t seem to help get the inflammation and stiffness out.. but it does feel good when it’s on there

Have you tried a complete ice BATH? Fill up the tub, dump in ice, get the water down to 35 to 40 degrees, immerse your whole body for 3-5 minutes.

Try Lidocaine roll on. You can get it in any drug store. I use it for sore muscles and stiffness.

Everyone is talking about ice baths, why not try something more comfortable like a hot tub?

Which color of the Tiger Balm did you use ? Some are better than others.

It says hydrogel patch on the box

Yoga. Yoga is basically stretching, it works and works well for me when I'm sore.

I see your in IL. Some people claim weed helps with pain. What have you got to lose?

A hot bath will help with the soreness but ice is better for inflammation.

Stretching will go a long way. Focus on hips and back. Those two can lock up a whole body. You’ll have to experiment to see what works. One specific tip is get a golf ball or baseball and roll under your foot, apply pressure where you find you need it. Crazy but it works in ways that will surprise. Then there’s the old stand by of having a kid walk on your back…or woman but she better be a spinner.

I'll take a picture of this stuff my wife bought me, my back is shot after the Army. This is CBD cream no drugs in it, I was skeptical but it works well for me pretty instant relief lasts a few hours. Sort of feels like icy hot but better results

Also, prolly a whole new thread but…I don’t agree with icing inflammation, either from injury or over use. All the ice does is constrict your blood vessels. Which while providing a temporary relief, is literally constricting that which will ultimately do the healing…life giving blood. I feel the same way about fevers. A fever is your bodies natural response to a pathogen, these pathogens require certain conditions. Your body knows this and raises the temperature to kill said pathogen. Yet we spend time and money to reduce our fevers, which are really there to aid us. Same with a sprained ankle, your body knows this is an injury and floods the area with all that’s required to heal it. Yet we apply ice which only restricts the blood. Completely understand there are some other things to consider but as a whole we can be our own worst enemies. Not too awful long ago physicians were convinced the way to help a patient was to let some blood out.

Yoga.

Holy smokes talk about side effects....Hypnotism maybe?

Keep moving
Doc's will tell you to use ice, pt folks tell me to use heat. Ice will make you tighten up.

try foam rolling.

I use horse liniment. We had it in the locker room when I played college ball. Have so much metal holding me together I have to carry a card.

John, I encourage you to read my post of Equine-Equiscope therapy. Your post was the reason behind me posting it.

Look into arnica cream. I think it comes in a gel and oral form as well. It helps with soreness and can almost magically prevent bruising.

Edit: I should elaborate about the bruising.. I have three young sons who occasionally do something worthy of bruising, you rub arnica on the affected spot,we are pretty sure it prevented a black eye or two.

"Arnica stimulates your body's natural healing process, facilitating blood flow through the area, which helps to alleviate pain, reduce swelling, and reabsorb bruising. As long as your skin isn't broken, you can apply Arnica topically in a cream or gel form."

finnish sauna with lots of steam, as hot as you can stand it for as long as you can, the finns say the sauna is the poor mans apothecary, you'll be as loose as a dish rag when you come out.

What is your diet like? Ever tried a Keto type diet? I cut out sugar and simple carbs like white bread, noodles, and potatoes. I know regular inflammation is nothing like what you are experiencing but maybe it would help some? I can't believe the improvements cutting sugar did for me.

Best money I ever spent is a hot tub. If your physical condition won't prevent you using one GET IT !!!! I put mine in my detached garage and installed a ceiling fan over it. Building is insulated and has central heat and air in it. I use it year round and in really cold weather pull out of house garage and into other one.

Ice is good for inflammation in the joints
Heat is for opening blood vessels to get more oxygen to muscles and help them relax....

I’ll check it out mark

I practically have cut 65 percent of carbs out of my diet,, I don’t use sugar anymore, very seldom eat anything sweet,, I eat oatmeal every morning and eat a banana or two before bed.. supper is fish, turkey or chicken and low to no starch vegetables

I have used Topricin Cream for several years after fusion in lower back. That said what Mark has posted is very interesting.

What happened to Mark’s post ? Didn’t watch video last night was going to this morning

Yoga, lots of Vit D, sauna and daily use of a soft-sided hyperbaric chamber works for me. It’s a huge tool in the fight against inflammation of all types.

Do you have a health club/ fitness center/YMCA nearby? You could see if they have an introductory membership and use their ice tub, whirlpool and sauna to see if any of them work for you before you make an investment.

Have you seen a physical therapist? Helping with physical problems is what they were trained to do.
I do about an hour exercise regiment on machines every day. 7 different machines.
Except during trapping season. (no time for it.
Started again today. Amazing how much strength and mobility you lose not doing simple execises. I really think it helps with my arthritis.
My buddies there tell me that its just because i'm old. lol
just

Yes, I WAs seeing physical therapy for about two months,, my insurance appraantly thinks that was long enough. My last day was last Tuesday.

Unfortunately I can’t use arnica either,,, it’s got ingredients that interfere with blood thinners

I’m still researching this cream to see if it is safe to use with blood thinners

Magnesium.

Yoga is a wonderful mind body exercise and practice.
Tai Chi and Qigong are also good practices to lear. The body is meant to be moved and both Tai Chi and Qigong are gentle practices. The toughest thing is find a good instructor. Good luck

Mac

A buddy of mine has spinal stenosis in his neck. It is pinching his wiring harness pretty good. He has a hard time standing still without shaking.
When he hands you a tool, you have to give him time to turn loose of it so that you don't drag him across the shop.
His doctor took an xray and an MRI and doesn't understand why he isn't in a hospital bed staring at the ceiling, only able to blink his eyes.
His medicine of choice is weed. As needed. It helps him out immensely.
I have heard a lot of good about CBD oil for chronic pain. It is absorbed through the skin.

Stenosis is a horrible condition,, I’m really suprised that more people have not heard about it,,, there is no cure and it gets progressively worse,,, when the compression on your spinal cord starts causing you weakness in your arms or inability to control your bladder,, that’s usually when you have a lamenectomy with fusion,,, you may or may not regain the strength in your arms,, it depends on how much damage was done to the spinal cord. Lamenectomy is the removal of a section of your vertebrae. Unfortunately I cannot use any weed or cbd with eliquis,,, right now it’s not known if it’s safe or not because not enough studies have been done to see if theres an interaction with weed and eliquis.

I can’t take magnesium anymore either,, I was taking it to help me sleep,, magnesium had interactions with eliquis

I located a yoga instructor here on my town,, going to go that route.

Swedish health spa.

I like Absorbine- not the "Jr" but the old original formula horse liniment. It works great on muscle aches and pain.

I have actually heard of this,,, but I don’t know what the ingredients are,,, some things I can’t take because it affects blood thinners,,,

Hyperbaric oxygen treatments stop inflammation, CBD balm helps, painatrate from melaleuca too
Heating pad

Try Lidocaine roll on. I'm on blood thinners too. It sure helps me with sore, stiff muscles with no ill effects.

Do they still make Absorbine Jr? That stuff was great for Athlete's foot.

A bottle lasts a while so it has been a few years but I got it up in a vet supply store in Nebraski last time.

Constant workout. I get sore muscles if I don't use them regularly.

Older fella at deer camp use to get up and do calisthenics every morning and I thought he was kinda off, but as I got older I see why he did that.

Banimine. Works on horse’s too ! They used it on = Yellow Stone.

Magnesium

X 2

If I sit around the office for a day doing paperwork then go build something the next day, I pay for it the following morning. Gotta keep moving.