Sprained upper back.

I sprained my upper left back last week. Doc says it's a "cervical and thoracic sprain." Right behind my left shoulder blade and radiating pain at different times to back, arm, elbow, etc. I slept very wrong one night, that's what caused it. But there was a perfect storm of events leading up to it that made it happen.

• Not going to the gym (I blame the new baby)
• Internalizing work stress (I can't seem to find anyone to blame here, but I'm still looking)
• Falling asleep in a terrible position in a terrible bed (ironically while trying to read my toddler to sleep). 

I didn't take it too seriously the first few days of pain, and just went to work alternating Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen as I used to when I had a herniated disk in my lower back,

Didn't work, of course. Doc gave pain killers, and relaxers. So, for literally five days, I was in a foggy, bedridden state of rest and pain. Lots of nerve pain down left arm and shoulder blade/back.

But also some fun! I'm now totally rested, caught up on movies, I get not to lift heavy objects, and I'm slowly recovering. I'm working, but fade fast in the afternoon. No long term damage I feel though.

Back issues are so complex! Some many variables!  And while it all feels physical, there's so much psychology around them.

If you ever get this kind of thing, rest early, rest often, and hydrate. I made it last longer then I should have.  Now I'm walking slowly to loosen things up, and taking lots of hot baths. When I'm not injured, I'll work on stretching and the gym. But the last thing you want to do with a sprain is stretch it!