Headache Neck

[AngrySky]

Last year I was incapacitated by neck spasms. They thought I had spasmodic torticollis. Wanted to give me injections and everything. The pain was so bad I wanted to die. The spasms would involuntarily pull my head in different directions. I couldn't work, I couldn't drive. I couldn't swallow anything. Even water would come from my nose when I tried to drink. It was bad. I went on FMLA. 5 neurologists later, the last finally asked if I had unresolved trauma. Point to the story.. I was punt on SSRI's to release the stress and anxiety. I have been manageable since. Been in therapy since.

If you aren't on meds...talk to a dr about "what your body remembers but your mind wont hear".

 

[keifer]

Appreciate the ideas. I also realized I know a pressure point I can reach to help before bed. Thanks again for the input.

 

[stuff]

I get those so often. It's like my neck and shoulders are made of steel.

 

[Britt.f7]

Yes, I had that after a family reunion to the point my fingers went numb. The doc sent me to a pain doc, who gave me some non addicting relievers and sent me to a physical therapist. She gave me exercises and did the ultrasonic massage in the area it was worse. After a month things were much better. Great, considering I lived with this for a few months. Now, when I feel the tension welling up, I do some shoulder type shrugs. Lift my shoulders and roll them back. Seems to help.

 

[Jugsaw]

Maybe you are over developing one muscle area and not its opposite muscle group the tightness will be across your chest but you feel it in the worked muscles thru the shoulders which are being pulled by tight short muscles in the chest. also check your form the tendons running up both sides of your neck into your head will give you a terrible toothache like pain at the back of your head if sprained .... See a personal Trainer if you can for a more balanced workout .... Tendons take a long time to heal as they have no blood supply if you think you have sprained them rest immediately then find some good stretches a sports massage a physio and ice pack it at least twice a day also antiflammetry gel is great I'm Just trying to give you some ideas about what it might be ... I do like gym and get most injuries ...still working out is the way forward

 

[keifer]

My best relief has been a yoga stretch, bridge. I can lie down, lift my buttocks up. It forces my head to shift up and my shoulder muscles down. As I breathe and relax, I can feel my shoulder muscles relax and they don't pull so hard on my neck and head.

 

[greenleaf]

I found exercise to help a lot with a certain level of stress. At a greater level of stress, some muscles seemed to just be too tense even for exercise to work out the stress, and I started having problems with joints -- I think the muscles were pulling incorrectly. I was still exercising but also needed a muscle relaxant after a recent nasty trigger, for my shoulders to stop feeling like solid bands. My favorite new thing: a heating pad shaped to fit over shoulders...

Perhaps changing the workout around so you don't overstress any one body area would be good, getting a trainer to help your technique if possible to be sure you take care of your body? Ptsd is hard on the body to start with. I find exercising with a mental goal of helping my body to be de-stressing in itself, it's a form of self-care we can work on.

 

[greenleaf]

Does anyone else have this experience... if I am very stressed out with tense muscles (usually shoulder/neck), there seems to be a mental 'blank area' where some of the tensest muscles are. If I sit quietly and focus on them, sometimes (only sometimes) a a feeling will come up. Other times the area seems to relax just by my awareness sort of being in it. Other times, no effect at all...

 

[JadedGhost13]

For the longest I had these headaches and I was told they were from my stress. I went to massage therapy once a week for a hour long massage. Sometimes deep tissue, sometimes sports massage. I would feel better only for a day. I also seen a chiro every other week and once again would feel better only for a day.

Honestly I got to the point where I felt like everyone was dismissing me and I worked my self into being scared I had brain cancer or something. I just knew they were missing something. A few months ago I finally got someone to listen to me. I was sent for X-Rays of my entire spine.

I do in fact have a issue in my cervical spine. I have DDD. ( degenerative disk disease ) now my issue is I need a MRI before being sent to a specialist and I cannot take the test because I have a major panic attack and the doctor who found this will not agree to sedate me. So I degrees at once again feeling like I have been medically failed by a provider. However at least now I do know what was causing my pain.

Reading here that many of you also suffer from pain in the cervical spine I have to wonder if this is another of those things we share in common that go along with. PTSD. Either way, if you suffer from pain anywhere be very vocal about it with your provider and if they don't listen ask for a referral to see another doctor or find one on your own. Things like this, especially pain near your head or in your head are nothing to dismiss. It may be stress but could be another underlying problem. Now I also wonder if it was stress for the past 18 years and I stayed so contracted that it caused me to have real medically proven issues now. Hmmm

 

[JadedGhost13]

Ed, I have planned to do exactly that. I have an appointment on Thursday, wish me luck! I have not been seeing a psych due to insurance changes etc, but after much discussion I bit the bullet and made an appointment last week that will take place this week. Medical expenses will end up making me bankrupt! Uggg.. O-Care has wrecked our private insurance.