Have you ever had headaches / neck stiffness like this?

Question

My neck is stiff and aches almost constantly. I have to pop it often to release what feels like extreme pressure. Sometimes I get these horrible headaches too. My doctor gave me some pain meds that help, but I want to fix the problem not just supress the pain. i went to a chiropractor but even after weeks of visits I had no relief. I am so sick of feeling like crap from the neck up. Have you ever had this problem and what is the solution?

Answer 1

Well,
NO.......... I haven't face this problem before........... But, as a medical professional I've seen a lot of similar cases.........

Listen,

In Medicine they will prescribe some medications for you that don't treat the pathological damage but, stop the pain temporarily only.

The chiropractor may relieve your pain temporarily too.

Physiotherapy or Physical Therapy is the IDEAL solution for you your case..........

It focus on your main pathological problem & treat it.
It will decrease your pain initially >>>>>>> & finally relieve it
Maintain a better healthy condtion
Improve & restore your daily livings activites
Enhance your functional movements

By the way, I think your headache is related to your neck problem that is called medically CERVICAL HEADACHE....

My advice to you is that you undergo a full physio rehabilitation progarm including electrotherapy, hot moist packs, theraputic execises, massage & manipulation techniques.

But, before that you have to get the accurate correct diagnosis coz there are many similar symptoms & cases that overlap to even the medical professionals thierselves.......

So, its better to take an MRI or X-Ray or the proper imaging technique to show to the physiotherapist inoredr for him/her to diagnose the problem and give the professional treatment plan.

I hope that my answer is useful!

Answer 2

Headache is a pain in the head, scalp or
neck. Headaches can becaused by minor problems like
eyestrain, lack of coffee or moreserious reasons like
head injury, brain tumors, encephalitis andmeningitis.
Taking painkillers continuously can have harmful side
effects, so it is better to modify your lifestyle. More information
available at http://tinyurl.com/q8696

Answer 3

Where does your head hurt? Does it hurt along the back of your head (just behind the ear)? I have a nerve disorder that causes pain in my neck and head called Occipital Neuralgia. I used a seizure medicine to control the pain (it somehow controls nerve pain). Tegretol, Neurontin, and Lyrica are some varieties used for this condition. I also used percocet for the extreme pain. I eventually had surgery to correct the problem because mine was caused by nerve damage from a previous surgery. Heating pads also help.

Answer 4

Try a chiropractor, they may be able to help. You neck pain could be causing your headaches

Answer 5

I’m not a physician or in the health/medical field, so this is not meant to prescribe nor is it medical advice – I am only sharing my own personal experience and opinion.

I am prone to neck stiffness and occasional headaches. It is by no means chronic or acute. I found, however, that this is greatly relieved by Osteopathy Manual Manipulation (OMM; also known as Osteopathy Manual Therapy, OMT) administered by a board certified Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.). (See link re: definition of osteopathy). In my previous experience with a chiropractor I found only minor relief from other areas of stiffness (shoulders, neck). Medications do help in relaxing muscles and easing the muscle tension, but I believe they still don’t give lasting results. Biodynamics (similar to cranial-sacral therapy) has also helped – but let me add the caveat that I receive this form of therapy from a D.O. who has been trained in the methods of Dr. Stefan Hagopian (see link).

While osteopathy may sound similar to chiropractic work, it is not. Most chiropractors use high-velocity maneuvers that “pop” the air between joints. The type of osteopathic treatment I’m referring to is low-velocity manipulation. At times you might even wonder if they’re doing anything at all because they are gently releasing muscle fascia. It may take several treatments because our bodies (and habits) tend to want to return to old patterns that cause the misalignment (and thus pain) in the first place.

I have found a two major things that aggravate my neck muscles: 1) desk/computer time and 2) incorrect position when exercising.

When at the desk I have a tendency to lean forward, slouch, hunch, and jut my head forward. The correct position would be the same as if I were to stand up with my back against a wall. The way in which the back of my head touches the wall and my back is also touching the wall would be proper alignment. If you can imagine if your head were a bowling ball and your neck was the hand/wrist that is holding up a bowling ball, this is the same as our heads and neck. Now imagine if you held your bowling ball and tipped it forward at the wrist – your wrist could only sustain that weight for a short amount of time. The same applies to our neck.

I also find that if I take the time to practice sitting in my chair a certain way then I’m more likely to have better posture at the desk. I sit in my chair, then place my hands next to my hips/upper thighs on the seat of the chair. I lift my butt off the chair like I’m lifting my tailbone in the air, thus keeping my thighs close to the seat still (so you’re at an angle). Then I lower my butt back onto the seat and straighten my back (again like I was against a wall so that my head is properly aligned) by straightening at the hip joint. This posture also helps tremendously for my lower back.

I have found that if I’m hunched/slouched at the desk, my back tends to round, and thus the front of my body is curved in. This position tends to pull in the muscles in front of the neck while stretching the muscles in the back of the neck and shoulders. This causes a lot of built up muscle tension as well. Besides straightening up, I find that it helps to massage the pectoral muscles below the collar bone from the breast bone to the shoulder joints.

Also, it helps when I get up and do gentle neck relaxation exercises. I would consult your physical therapist for ones that might be beneficial for you.

Do a google search on “sitting posture” and you will find many resources. The third link has some images and tips that might be useful in finding proper head/neck position.

As for exercising – I found that I was doing abdominal crunches incorrectly. Instead of only using my “core” abdominal muscles to contract, I was also pulling my upper body with the muscles of the shoulder and neck. Oh my gosh how I would get headaches later in the day!

A last piece of personal experience. I have found that while most doctors mean well, they are not trained to find the root cause of our aches, pains and illness. IIn my opinion they’re trained to diagnose and prescribe. Sometimes the meds are helpful to relax the muscles but as you’ve pointed out, they’re not going to give you relief in the long term. If you want to find the root cause of your condition then you have to be your own advocate. Seek additional medical advice. Demand an MRI to see if there are any osteophytes (bone spurs) on your cervical vertebrae that are touching nerves that cause the brain to register pain. Review your habits/patterns during your waking hours and whether these might be contributing to your condition. Don’t stop until you are satisfied with the answers. I’m fortunate because I’ve found great physicians who are truly partners in my healing.

Good luck!

Answer 6

I PROMISE!!!! you sound like my co-worker who CONSTANTLY had pain--and ended up finding out, it was her GALL BLADDER!!!

She is a different person, since they removed it!

She said she can't believe she didn't have it done YEARS AGO!!

Go Figure. Neck pain from a Gall Bladder!