Well, you sure got a lot of ideas as the result of asking. So, I'll try not to duplicate any. My ins doesn't pay for massage, it's often a good idea but not many of us can find one that takes our ins.

There is Diclofenac gel 1%, that is sold over the counter now. That's an NSAID gel, and it does have instructions to read and follow, so I'll skip those. The name brand in Voltaren. They had it in Europe, but only in the last few years here in the USA. Not cheap, but not expensive either. I last found it in our local grocery store aisle. I have cervical neck pain and don't use opioids, so it's good for me to have something that both treats the pain and reduces inflammation. Posture is also important, which I guess is part of what PT would deal with. Good luck.