A Pinched Nerve and the Most Excruciating Kinds of Pain You Can Only Hope Not to Feel

"Pain is weakness leaving the body.”

        Who wants pain? No one but the unrepentant masochists.

        What I thought was a simple muscle pain or cramp in my right arm(upper part, where triceps grow) a few weeks ago turned out to be a pinched nerve (or so I believe). I haven’t gone to a doctor but the symptoms I found in the internet fit mine.  Yup, who needs doctors when you’ve got the ever reliable internet? The internet also says that a pinched nerve usually goes back to being unpinched after a few days. But there are cases that it will take some time to heal.  Weeks, sometimes months—arrghh!

        Well,  I’m almost numb with ibuprofen and cold therapy but the pain persists.  The pain is quite bearable most of the time (the arm just feels numb ) but wait till you move it the wrong way or something or someone bang it and an excruciating pain will jolt you and will make you wince in agony. It will feel like you’re either being stabbed or electrocuted in the arm. The pain travels  and spreads from the injured part towards the neck and the fingers.

        Pain sucks, naturally. Imagine being woken up by a tremendous pain in the middle of the night because you’re pressing on your damaged arm. Imagine going out of the house and doing everything to protect your arm from hitting or being hit by anything.

        I’m not a fan of doctors, I try avoiding them as much as I can like a vampire avoiding sunlight,  but this time, if the pain doesn’t subside in the next few days, I might consult one.  Might is the operative word here. I think the last time I needed a doctor was when my mother gave birth to me. My mistake was ignoring the symptoms when it first appeared.  Lesson learned here is, the moment you feel pain (moreso, if it’s something new) in your body, immediately confront it, meaning, take the appropriate medicines at once and rest.

        And as the cliché goes, if symptoms persist, consult your doctor.

        Meanwhile, here are the most excruciating pains you will pray not to feel:

1. Cluster headaches

2. Childbirth

3. Shingles

4. Kidney stones

5. Gallstones

6. Tooth abscess

7. Trigeminal neuralgia

8. Severe burns

9. Fibromyalgia

10. Spinal tap

        If you want details on these pains, kindly consult Mr. Google. I wonder why  broken heart is not included in this list. And yes, circumcision, which is really painful, especially when you're 40 and above.