We're getting old (OO medical complaints)

[Daehawk]

Santa brought me cold sore for Christmas. I know you can get these from kissing someone with one but AFAIK Ive never kissed someone with one. Was always cautious of it. My wife never had one and I was careful not to kiss her when i had one. I have no idea how I got them. Im not sure how else you can get one. I remember it was years later I learned they were a form of herpes..ewww.

Also my right shoulder is really in pain these days. Its been getting worse for over a year. ill need a shot in it. Year ago when my wife was still alive my left one was like this. My pain clinic gave me a shot in it and its never hurt since. Im not sure what was in that shot or what will be in the one I get for this shoulder. Also not really sure why its hurting..guessing bursitis.

And my right knee is worse than ever. My left knee has always been my bad knee. Busted some thing in as a teen playing backyard football in the neighborhood. Now my right knee is going bad. I guess from compensating for my left. It doesn't hurt to walk and such but only when I try using it for more or put effort into using it.

And Ive had a crik in my neck for weeks now. Man its painful and annoying. And it got so bad it merged with my shoulder pain for a while. its a little btter but not all the way.

I think in falling apart in my old age. Im officially old now.

[Blackhawk]

Santa brought me cold sore for Christmas. I know you can get these from kissing someone with one but AFAIK Ive never kissed someone with one. Was always cautious of it. My wife never had one and I was careful not to kiss her when i had one. I have no idea how I got them. Im not sure how else you can get one. I remember it was years later I learned they were a form of herpes..ewww.

You can get it in a huge number of ways, and once you have it, you have it for life. It goes dormant for months or years, then pops up again. You could have gotten it decades ago and just had it appear for the first time now. And yeah, it's easiest to get it from kissing, but you can also get it by sharing a drinking container, sharing a fork, touching something infected and touching your lips, etc. And yes, it's a form of herpes, but it's a form that something like 2/3 of all adults get.

For now, whatever you do, keep your hands away from your eyes unless you have just scrubbed them thoroughly.

[Daehawk]

yep. And I always wipe my mouth and hit it..ouch. thats how I found I had one..didn't know until I wiped my mouth. I put neosporin on it and wait. Bout all you can do.

I guess theres Campho Phenique but ive never bothered using it...not sure how it would help any better than neosporin and waiting.

[Blackhawk]

yep. And I always wipe my mouth and hit it..ouch. thats how I found I had one..didn't know until I wiped my mouth. I put neosporin on it and wait. Bout all you can do.

I guess theres Campho Phenique but ive never bothered using it...not sure how it would help any better than neosporin and waiting.

That's like saying you don't know why Tylenol would be better for a toothache than just taking Rolaids.

Neosporin is an antibiotic, and herpes is a virus (which are not affected by antibiotics.) That makes neosporin almost useless, save for the fact that the gel itself is just petroleum jelly, which keeps it from drying out. You're basically just using expensive Vaseline. Well, you're using a form of Vaseline that you're not supposed to use on your lips or anywhere around your mouth.

(Quick research)

Campho phenique serves mostly to keep it moist and reduce pain, but won't help the healing.

Abreva will help the healing.

As a general rule, a medicine made for a specific problem will always work better than something that's not made for it. And that's assuming that the 'not made for it' medicine isn't useless, or doesn't make it worse. Making assumptions with medications is like going into the pharmacy and picking a bottle off the wall with eenie-meenie-miney-moe.

[Kraken]

I used to use Campho Phenique on my cold sores when I was a kid. Dunno if it helped but it felt like treating the condition, and I sort of remember liking the smell and/or taste. Do they still bring the "unclean!" social stigma that I remember?

Mine flares up every few years. Just had one a couple of weeks ago.

[jztemple2]

I had also thought that hand arthritis was in one's knuckles, but this is the joint at the base of my thumb where it meets my wrist -- a joint I'd never even thought about until my doc pressed on it and said "here?" OW! Yup, there.

Yup, my wife has had that in both hands and right now I have it in my right hand, although it's more at the nuisance state right now. Thankfully there is a surgery that can fix that. My wife has had it on both of her thumbs and swears by it. I'll mention it here in case your doc didn't discuss it, and of course if it is applicable for you.

The surgery is called a trapeziectomy. Your trapezium bone is removed from the base of your thumb. What happens next depends on your surgeon. My wife's surgery involved making an incision near the elbow on the inside of the forearm and cutting one of the three tendons that move the hand; according to the surgeon you can get by with just two after therapy. The surgeon then pulls the tendon down from the incision at the base of the thumb where they removed the trapezium bone, wraps it into a ball shape and puts it where the trapezium bone was removed so your thumb will still be the same length. Recovery takes some months until you are fully rehabilitated but as I mentioned, my wife was very pleased with the results, she has her original strength back and all the pain is gone.

Hopefully the above was helpful. If you were already aware of the details, well, maybe it might help someone else.

UPDATE: I looked it up and my wife's surgery was called a CMC arthroplasty

[Kraken]

Well crap, I'm kinda hoping for a cortisone injection and Bob's your uncle. I haven't had surgery, or even been hospitalized, since I was 13 years old and I want to keep that streak alive. I can cope with this much pain if it doesn't get worse. I'll know more in 7 hours.

[jztemple2]

Well crap, I'm kinda hoping for a cortisone injection and Bob's your uncle. I haven't had surgery, or even been hospitalized, since I was 13 years old and I want to keep that streak alive. I can cope with this much pain if it doesn't get worse. I'll know more in 7 hours.

I've had mild on and off pain in my right thumb/wrist for at least a couple of years. A year ago the doctor diagnosed it as the same issue as my wife had, but it was a lot worse with her, she actually couldn't use her thumb very well without major pain. I have no physical limitations with mine, just the occasional pain.

As I've mentioned, I was going to have surgery last July, but my wife's surgery preempted that. Meanwhile I've just been getting cortisone shots every three months for those two years and my doc says that as long as I don't feel like I need the surgery I could just keep getting the shots.

I did a bit of research in my calendar for the timeline of my wife's surgery to give you an idea of what might be involved. As you can see, it's basically two months from the surgery till the last PT. We went on vacation a couple of weeks after her last PT and IIRC she did just fine during the trip, never any issues. Note, that "Cast off" was for her soft cast; she had a hard case till the first post op visit where they removed the hard cast and gave her a removable soft cast.

CMC arthroplasty 2014.02.20
Post op visit 2014.02.28
Cast off 2014.03.21
Start PT 2014.03.24 2-3 times a week
Doctor Follow up 2014.04.11
Last PT 2014.04.25

[Punisher]

I had also thought that hand arthritis was in one's knuckles, but this is the joint at the base of my thumb where it meets my wrist -- a joint I'd never even thought about until my doc pressed on it and said "here?" OW! Yup, there.

Yup, my wife has had that in both hands and right now I have it in my right hand, although it's more at the nuisance state right now. Thankfully there is a surgery that can fix that. My wife has had it on both of her thumbs and swears by it. I'll mention it here in case your doc didn't discuss it, and of course if it is applicable for you.

The surgery is called a trapeziectomy. Your trapezium bone is removed from the base of your thumb. What happens next depends on your surgeon. My wife's surgery involved making an incision near the elbow on the inside of the forearm and cutting one of the three tendons that move the hand; according to the surgeon you can get by with just two after therapy. The surgeon then pulls the tendon down from the incision at the base of the thumb where they removed the trapezium bone, wraps it into a ball shape and puts it where the trapezium bone was removed so your thumb will still be the same length. Recovery takes some months until you are fully rehabilitated but as I mentioned, my wife was very pleased with the results, she has her original strength back and all the pain is gone.

Hopefully the above was helpful. If you were already aware of the details, well, maybe it might help someone else.

UPDATE: I looked it up and my wife's surgery was called a CMC arthroplasty

My wife and I have this on both of our thumbs I think. I know I do and IIRC that's where a lot of our pain is. I had the issues start right after a fall at work, but the workers comp docs insist nothing is wrong and refuse to budge on it. my attorney says there is nothing to do at this point because of my medical adventure last year (They are now treating ALL of my symptoms as related to that even though they are documented as starting way before that. My personal doc has commented that it doesn't seem likely but since he wasn't officially treating me for it, he won't say it on record.
My wife also has that pain I think plus her wrist from carpal tunnel at work. Her workers comp basically cut her off from any and all treatment and it got bad enough that we went and did the surgery on our own a few years back. Her case is STILL open with no treatment.
Both of us are just looking to get our cases settled finally so that we can officially go back to our own docs to get stuff treated.
My case is from 2017 and I think hers is from 2015 or 2016.

[Punisher]

Yup, my wife has had that in both hands and right now I have it in my right hand, although it's more at the nuisance state right now. Thankfully there is a surgery that can fix that. My wife has had it on both of her thumbs and swears by it. I'll mention it here in case your doc didn't discuss it, and of course if it is applicable for you.

The surgery is called a trapeziectomy.

Forgot to ask.
How long ago was the surgery and did it affect anything like driving or grabbing or anything at all? My wife is still working and needs her hands.
Also, how long was your wife out of work (if she was working)?

[Anonymous Bosch]

yep. And I always wipe my mouth and hit it..ouch. thats how I found I had one..didn't know until I wiped my mouth. I put neosporin on it and wait. Bout all you can do.

I guess theres Campho Phenique but ive never bothered using it...not sure how it would help any better than neosporin and waiting.

That's like saying you don't know why Tylenol would be better for a toothache than just taking Rolaids.

Neosporin is an antibiotic, and herpes is a virus (which are not affected by antibiotics.) That makes neosporin almost useless, save for the fact that the gel itself is just petroleum jelly, which keeps it from drying out. You're basically just using expensive Vaseline. Well, you're using a form of Vaseline that you're not supposed to use on your lips or anywhere around your mouth.

(Quick research)

Campho phenique serves mostly to keep it moist and reduce pain, but won't help the healing.

Abreva will help the healing.

As a general rule, a medicine made for a specific problem will always work better than something that's not made for it. And that's assuming that the 'not made for it' medicine isn't useless, or doesn't make it worse. Making assumptions with medications is like going into the pharmacy and picking a bottle off the wall with eenie-meenie-miney-moe.

If only there were some sort of searchable global network of electronic documents and information Daehawk could somehow utilise to discover such knowledge and resources with his own volition? But alas…

[jztemple2]

Yup, my wife has had that in both hands and right now I have it in my right hand, although it's more at the nuisance state right now. Thankfully there is a surgery that can fix that. My wife has had it on both of her thumbs and swears by it. I'll mention it here in case your doc didn't discuss it, and of course if it is applicable for you.

The surgery is called a trapeziectomy.

Forgot to ask.
How long ago was the surgery and did it affect anything like driving or grabbing or anything at all? My wife is still working and needs her hands.
Also, how long was your wife out of work (if she was working)?

She had one thumb done in 2009 and the other done in 2014. She wasn't working, but as far as physical limitations it is more that for a week you have a hard cast on. Your fingers are exposed and the top half of your thumb as well, the cast is to keep the bottom half of the thumb immobilized. After that week she has a soft cast which she could remove for showers and for resting, the soft case was just to keep her from banging the base of the thumb into something. She could drive with the soft cast if she needed to. Two months after surgery she was basically back to normal except that she still had some weakness in using her hand due to having one of the three tendons removed. That passed pretty quickly.

[Kraken]

Got cortisone shots in both hands and a Rx for physical therapy. Should start to feel some relief within 48 hours. Doc doesn't think surgery will be necessary in the near future. He characterized it as mild arthritis in my right hand and moderate in my left. I won't schedule the PT until I see how well the cortisone works. Our insurance plan is changing on 1/1 so I'd wait until after New Year's anyway.

[MHS]

Has anyone ever had to deal with an insurance denial before?

I went to urgent care the weekend before Christmas and they sent me to the ER, who hospitalized me for 2 days. I'd been having diarrhea and nausea for 3 weeks and was worried because I felt like it was affecting my kidneys with the dehydration and all. I was in pretty bad shape at the ER, needing a wheelchair because I couldn't stand up, and in some discomfort. The ER did a CT scan and labs and found indications of an infection in my GI and my kidney function had dropped to around 42%. They elected to admit me and kept me there for 2 nights, during which my kidney function went back up (to 76% the next day and >90% the day they released me). I have an appointment with a GI doc tomorrow to discuss what exactly is going on because my stool samples showed no infection despite my labs indicating some kind of infection and the CT scan confirming that. Anyway, I got a notification from my insurance (Cigna) that they have denied the hospitalization as not medically necessary; they say everything done for me with fluids and observation could have been done as an outpatient and that I wasn't in pain, could take meds orally, and could walk on my own. That last part is questionable and I know they required I have a nurse assist me to the bathroom and alarms went off on my bed if I tried to get up by myself. I'm just not sure about next steps. Should I call the hospital and ask them to respond? Write the insurance company on my own? Wait and see if the hospital responds before doing anything? I kind of don't blame them, I wouldn't want to insure me either given how frequently I end up costing them money, but I definitely don't have the funds easily available to pay for 2 nights in the hospital out of pocket, and clearly the doctors felt it was medically necessary so I don't know what to do.

[LordMortis]

Does your provider of your insurance (the agent and their provisions, not Cigna) provide an advocate? If so, go straight to them. I've had literally perfect "luck" with an advocate and being denied. I've had literally zero "luck" with going to health insurance companies and advocating for myself and being denied (For an ambulance ride, for a mouthpiece, for meds, misclassifications on coding, and for other stuff I can't think of). When I advocate for myself, I just get tossed from one headset script reader to another and never get anywhere as they mail one re-review and denial after another. When I've had someone advocate for me, I just gave them everything and they dealt with it. Less stress. Less time. Better results.

So, if it were me? I'd talk to my HR and have them talk to the provider of your insurance to get your options first. I hope you have a better provider than I had my exit. We went from top tier to bottom tier so fast it made my head spin and it was all about the provider.

[Isgrimnur]

If your health insurer refuses to pay a claim or ends your coverage, you have the right to appeal the company's decision and have it reviewed by a third party.

[MHS]

Does your provider of your insurance (the agent and their provisions, not Cigna) provide an advocate? If so, go straight to them. I've had literally perfect "luck" with an advocate and being denied. I've had literally zero "luck" with going to health insurance companies and advocating for myself and being denied (For an ambulance ride, for a mouthpiece, for meds, misclassifications on coding, and for other stuff I can't think of). When I advocate for myself, I just get tossed from one headset script reader to another and never get anywhere as they mail one re-review and denial after another. When I've had someone advocate for me, I just gave them everything and they dealt with it. Less stress. Less time. Better results.

So, if it were me? I'd talk to my HR and have them talk to the provider of your insurance to get your options first. I hope you have a better provider than I had my exit. We went from top tier to bottom tier so fast it made my head spin and it was all about the provider.

Thank you, this is really helpful. Neal suggested getting his HR involved right away (our insurance is through his work instead of mine) but I said I thought it would be better to ask the hospital to deal with it since they have the vested interest in getting paid. I'll ask him to reach out. (Update: I didn't need to, he'd already emailed her. )

[gilraen]

Cigna is currently being sued for their automated software denying claims without anyone reviewing the medical records. Hopefully you get lucky in that the first step in this process will be human review, which may be enough to revert the denial. Sorry you have to deal with that.

[MHS]

Cigna is currently being sued for their automated software denying claims without anyone reviewing the medical records. Hopefully you get lucky in that the first step in this process will be human review, which may be enough to revert the denial. Sorry you have to deal with that.

I had looked it up and saw that of the top 10 insurance companies that deny claims, Cigna was the top 3 of them, so this makes sense. Thank you.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Has anyone ever had to deal with an insurance denial before?

I went to urgent care the weekend before Christmas and they sent me to the ER, who hospitalized me for 2 days. I'd been having diarrhea and nausea for 3 weeks and was worried because I felt like it was affecting my kidneys with the dehydration and all. I was in pretty bad shape at the ER, needing a wheelchair because I couldn't stand up, and in some discomfort. The ER did a CT scan and labs and found indications of an infection in my GI and my kidney function had dropped to around 42%. The elected to admit me and kept me there for 2 nights, during which my kidney function went back up (to 76% the next day and >90% the day they released me). I have an appointment with a GI doc tomorrow to discuss what exactly is going on because my stool samples showed no infection despite my labs indicating some kind of infection and the CT scan confirming that. Anyway, I got a notification from my insurance (Cigna) that they have denied the hospitalization as not medically necessary; they say everything done for me with fluids and observation could have been done as an outpatient and that I wasn't in pain, could take meds orally, and could walk on my own. That last part is questionable and I know they required I have a nurse assist me to the bathroom and alarms went off on my bed if I tried to get up by myself. I'm just not sure about next steps. Should I call the hospital and ask them to respond? Write the insurance company on my own? Wait and see if the hospital responds before doing anything? I kind of don't blame them, I wouldn't want to insure me either given how frequently I end up costing them money, but I definitely don't have the funds easily available to pay for 2 nights in the hospital out of pocket, and clearly the doctors felt it was medically necessary so I don't know what to do.

The Patient Advocate Foundation's Tips for Appealing Insurance Denials PDF provides a helpful guide on the best way to proceed. Consumer-Action.org also provides a more detailed guide on How to Appeal Health Insurance Claim Denials.

Also, here's a list of relevant Colorado Health Insurance Consumer Help contact details you may find useful.

[ImLawBoy]

FWIW, we've always had more success in dealing with the hospitals and doctors directly than with my HR. As part of the appeal process we have them write a letter of medical necessity and we usually end up getting things paid in the long run, one or two exceptions notwithstanding.

[Smoove_B]

I can only add that using an advocate in HR has been the best resolution for any health insurance related problem I've ever experienced. After that, it's usually been dealing with the provider to make sure they submit they've submitted the information to the insurer in a way that clears all their hurdles. I'd think for you it has to be someone in the ER that that made the call to admit you rather than send you home and perhaps that wasn't made clear for the insurance company. Hopefully it's quick and painless to fix...

[MHS]

Thanks for the links, advice, and assistance. It's very appreciated. I'll be sure to update people both on the outcome of the insurance issue and what the GI finds, if anything.

[Zarathud]

There’s no reason not to pursue both options. Any way you can get insurance to pay is a win, because those companies are professional bastards.

[MHS]

Welp, I was on hold with the billing department at the hospital and logged in to Cigna to get the claim number, and the claim has changed from Denied to Pending. So perhaps during the week I was sitting on it, waiting until I felt up to dealing with it, the hospital already moved on it. It would be nice if it turned out to be a nothing-burger.

[Kraken]

Cigna is the worst health insurance I've ever had. Fortunately it was only for a brief time.

Hope your situation gets straightened out. I suggest that you communicate in writing as much as possible, in case this turns into a long slog.

[Daehawk]

My medicine was with a company my wife chose. it hadn't paid for a thing in 8 years. Last month they decided that this year they're going to start charging everyone $8 a month. to me that $8 is for nothing coverage. So I switched to humana. I have no idea what they cover but i know the name and my sister uses them. I could make an account online to see all that but they want my ss# and other personal stuff Im not willing to give any longer after being scammed.

[Punisher]

I have Cigna and with all my health issues over the past 2 years come Feb, had plenty of den8als. In almost every case my health provider got the denial and pushed it on their own.
They all got switched to paid.
I think it's just their crappy automated denial software.
Ive only had to contact the health provider and cigna myself a few times and it got sorted.

[Kraken]

It's probably been 20+ years since I had Cigna, but even then they defaulted to denying everything that wasn't strictly routine. I don't think you can blame it on software. I think it's their business model.

[Daehawk]

I wish my neck would figure out if it wants to kill me or not. Had a bad crik in it a few weeks back that lasted 2 weeks. Its back and twice as painful. Same side. Damn it hurts.

Its on the same side and the next day from my flu shot that hurt. Maybe its coincidence as Ive never had a shot do that before. But suspicious.

[rittchard]

I’ve had a pinched nerve (?) or something like that in my neck for something like 2-3 months now. It started just from sleeping on it weird, and I didn’t think much of it. I’ve had worse pain and/or more severe stiffness before, but it’s never lasted this long. It’s not too bad but it’s just really annoying and disturbing that it won’t go away. Basically if I sit too long it starts to ache, and if I turn my neck all the way to either side I can feel a “pinch” on the left side.

I’m debating going back to a chiropractor, but people keep telling me I shouldn’t. The other possible option is acupuncture, which I’ve never done before. Or just continue to wait it out…

Any thoughts?

[Anonymous Bosch]

I wish my neck would figure out if it wants to kill me or not. Had a bad crik in it a few weeks back that lasted 2 weeks. Its back and twice as painful. Same side. Damn it hurts.

Its on the same side and the next day from my flu shot that hurt. Maybe its coincidence as Ive never had a shot do that before. But suspicious.

Got a Crick in the Neck? Here’s What to Do About It

What causes a crick in the neck?
Injury to the neck muscles, tendons, or ligaments is the most common cause of a crick in the neck. This acute, non-specific neck pain or stiffness is not caused by a health condition. These musculoskeletal problems are usually the cause.

Muscle strain
A muscle strain occurs when you overstretch a muscle, which damages or tears muscle fibers. This injury is the most common culprit behind a crick in the neck.

Muscle strain often involves the levator scapulae that run along the outside of your neck to the shoulders. This muscle allows you to lift or shrug your shoulders. It also helps you flex your neck muscles to tilt your head.

A cervical or neck muscle strain may be triggered by:

• Holding your head in an awkward position for extended periods
• Maintaining poor posture — like slouching — at your desk
• Looking down at your phone for long periods causing “text neck”
• Sleeping in an awkward position
• Lifting heavy objects or other activities that cause overuse injuries while working, exercising, or playing sports

Neck sprain
The ligaments in your neck keep your cervical spinal column stable. When they are damaged, it causes a neck sprain, which can give you a crick in the neck. Impact injuries or sudden, forceful movements can lead to a neck sprain. Examples include falls or car accidents (whiplash). Most people will feel the most pain and stiffness a day or two after the injury.

…
Mental health concerns
Your mental health may also be a factor in stiff, achy neck muscles. According to a recent study, long-term stress, anxiety, and depression are risk factors for a crick in the neck. It's likely because these psychological stressors make you tighten your neck and shoulder muscles, triggering muscle knots or spasms. These stressors can also raise your attention to and perception of physical pain.

[Daehawk]

Im already doing most of those recommends. Not helping. I even purchased a neck warmer..the microwave type one..from amazon last time the crick was hurting. So have that now at least.

Dont bother telling me to sleep different. Im sleeping in the same bed my wife slept in when she was a child. In fact Ive slept on it so long now..3 decades....that ive flattened the springs under me. It doesn't bounce back. I need a new bed. But like all else it will have to wait...one....more...year....

For those that cant imagine the number the mattress is like 1960.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Im already doing most of those recommends. Not helping. I even purchased a neck warmer..the microwave type one..from amazon last time the crick was hurting. So have that now at least.

Dont bother telling me to sleep different. Im sleeping in the same bed my wife slept in when she was a child. In fact Ive slept on it so long now..3 decades....that ive flattened the springs under me. It doesn't bounce back. I need a new bed. But like all else it will have to wait...one....more...year....

For those that cant imagine the number the mattress is like 1960.

Have you considered taking appropriate action to address the emphasized section on mental health concerns, that describes how long-term stress, anxiety, and depression are risk factors for a crick in the neck?

[Kraken]

I’ve had a pinched nerve (?) or something like that in my neck for something like 2-3 months now. It started just from sleeping on it weird, and I didn’t think much of it. I’ve had worse pain and/or more severe stiffness before, but it’s never lasted this long. It’s not too bad but it’s just really annoying and disturbing that it won’t go away. Basically if I sit too long it starts to ache, and if I turn my neck all the way to either side I can feel a “pinch” on the left side.

I’m debating going back to a chiropractor, but people keep telling me I shouldn’t. The other possible option is acupuncture, which I’ve never done before. Or just continue to wait it out…

Any thoughts?

I had a trigger point in my neck for quite a while. It's basically a permanent charlie horse -- a little muscle that contracts and won't relax. It causes a very sharp, very localized stabbing pain. If yours is an ache, that's probably not it. But it might be if it feels like a knife in your neck. Physical therapy, stretches, exercises, and especially traction, finally got rid of it.

[Blackhawk]

I'm a little more susceptible to neck pain than most, as some of the support muscles in the left side of my neck are paralyzed and atrophied.For me, it was mostly the pillow. I went through four or five pillows before I found one that wouldn't cause me serious neck pain every morning, and that's if it didn't wake me up halfway through the night. It was expensive - and I mean expensive - but being able to sleep through the night and not be in pain for several hours afterwards isn't something I can afford not to do.

[Daehawk]

I need to find MY pillow. Im sleeping with a mix of old pillows. Some from Walmart that are foam. One from a Chiropractor decades ago. Some real feather pillows and are heavy.

[dbt1949]

I have found no pillow will help me sleep so I use whatever I have.

[em2nought]

Get a "my pillow".

I've found when I'm sick one of those knit elastic neck warmers that goes around the neck(kind of like a large headband) really helps me out. I'd think it might help with a stiff neck too by keeping it nice and toasty all the time. You could probably come up with a DIY version if short of funds. Maybe a few sleeves cut off t-shirts or sweatshirts. Mine is sort of like this, but twenty-five years old so not as fancy. https://www.amazon.com/Oryer-Infinity-W ... 51&sr=8-28

[Daehawk]

I got this one the other week. It helps. Me and my wife got our first one back in the 90s and have always had some type of microwave warmer since. To this day I dont know how they stay moist when heated.



I also got some Voltaren cream / gel from my doc.