Hi Malcolm,
Some of the musculoskeletal stuff like what you are describing is from muscle tension and not from pinched nerves and radiculopathy. But those are medical diagnoses, and of course it would take your NP or doctor to identify the cause.
Did you say you have a TENS unit, or was that somebody else's post?
If you do, you might want to try it out, as it is a non-medicinal method that works well for what you are describing. I have one, and it works while I am using it, but has little residual effect.
Probably massage by a masseuse, or even if you can get someone to hold a massager on it if you can't reach it yourself. Other than that, you are probably stuck with ice and heat, alternating at ~15 minutes at a time. Some people find acupuncture or acupressure useful, also.
Sometimes the docs use the neurontin you are on for this type of pain, also. Again, they have to tell you whether to use it that way or not.
FT