*points* owie

[rivendellrose]

This is getting ridiculous - I have got to do something about my shoulders/neck.

They've been absolutely killing me lately. I keep shifting the blame around, trying to find something that makes sense, but the best I can figure at the moment is that it's some combination of my mattress pad being horribly flattened (damn down and its tendency to go splut after a single night of being lain on!), and my shoulder-bag. I loooove my shoulder bag... but the fact that my right shoulder (the shoulder on which I carry it) has been killing me these last few weeks gives me suspicious notions that it does not so much love me in return.

So, new tactic - tonight, shake out the mattress pad as much as possible and try sleeping not in the middle where the feathers are getting kind of old, and for the rest of the day, wear bag across chest to avoid the Oh-god-my-arm-is-going-to-rip-off feeling caused by my stupid fecking Statistics text book.

And keep massaging own shoulder/neck, no matter how stupid it makes me look. *Grim*

Comments

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

Have you got a proper backpack to try out, as opposed to a shoulder bag? I love the messenger/shoulder bag style, but the minute I put a text book or laptop in there, it's no good. I found it to be incredibly worthwhile, shelling out $60 or so for a solidly built daypack/hiking backpack with proper support & a hip belt for when it's really heavy. Else I'd have spent every semester crippled.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've got a backpack, and I really should've thought to switch to it for this quarter, especially as soon as I realized I'd have to take my Stat book to school some days. :P

I'm sold - I'll be switching all my stuff back over tonight. My coat won't thank me, but my shoulders will.

[becksbooks.livejournal.com]

give your mattress pad a shot in the dryer for about 5-10 minutes to mix up the feathers, so you avoid those flat spots (if possible)

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Eeee, I hadn't thought of that! I have to do laundry tonight, anyway, so I'll just make that the last thing to go in, maybe, after my sheets and all are done.... Thanks! Best I'd figured out so far was shaking it to death, which is hard work!

[shoeless-girl.livejournal.com]

Sweetie? Invest in a backpack. I carried my laptop up to school with me for several months (in a shoulder bag - obviously) and it took months to recover properly!

I know it's not so cool - I guess as a bio grad who did a lot of field work backpacks were okay, but still...

[coramegan.livejournal.com]

She's right, I'm afraid, my dear. I think you're right in thinking it's a combination of your bag and your mattress, but the real trouble is probably your bag. I had a chiropractor freak at me once for not having a backpack with those waist straps and then he went on a rant about shoulder bags. He was a dick, but the point remains that shoulder bags don't love backs.

Your plan to shake out your mattress and get a new bag sound great. You might want to try flipping your mattress. There's also ice and heat, and something like Advil if it's driving you crazy. I'd offer to give you a rub, but I don't know when I'll see you next...

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, probably. The only reason I switched was a few quarters ago, when it was stupid to carry my HUUUUUGE backpack for two little books and a sandwich... and the stupid thing tries to wear out the back of my coat, like that poor thing doesn't have enough problems already. XP But shoulders > coat. ;)

Yeah, I flip the mattress every time I shake it out, to try to get the feathers worn evenly as possible, so that'll be happening. If it's still bugging me when I get home, I'll use my hot-pad - ice is more painful for me than helpful, most of the time. *Hugs* Thanks!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

*Headdesk* Wow, redundant redundancy. I can't believe I started both those paragraphs with "yeah...."

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

It might not hurt to flip the futon mattress, it's been a while, I think that's probably what Cora was meaning. When I come up to bring the cat food and litter, I'll help you flip it.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know... I have a nice big backpack that I've used for the last few years, and originally only bought the messenger bag because the dratted thing rubs the lower back of my nice wool coat thin. Damn thing's very nice for when I only have little stuff to carry around, but when I get stuck carrying all the stuff required for an 8:30-4:30 or longer day......... yeah.

[bluerose16.livejournal.com]

Ah, well, I get the same thing sometimes, because I've enough textbooks some days for a backpack and shoulder bag. I also recommend letting someone give you a massage - just a friend, y'know, it does help.

^^

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

It's weird, because I actually don't carry that many books - one of the best differences between highschool and college, in my opinion, is having only 3 classes per quarter. Backpack is definitely the answer, though.

And yes, I'll be soliciting massages from housemates tonight. :D