Can you tell me about your neck pain?

[Dibillo]

I'm seeing an osteopath and it's doing bugger all. My neck feels uncomfortable at night, unsupported. So I use one of those pillows with a ledge which does help. But I'm aware of neck pain all day. Especially on the left side at the front. It's dull rather than sharp. I can feel my shoulders aren't great either and this morning my left upper arm felt a bit numb so the left side seems to be the worst. Osteopath says stretch and do yoga and move more. But...so far this has done nothing.

Is this just something I have to live with now? How do you manage your neck pain? Any miracle products or advice? Does it get better when you don't have toddlers to lug around? Its affecting my sleep at an already stressful time. It's getting me quite down :-(

Mine is sporadic and due to spondylitis.
I think I would be seeing my GP for a referral. Obviously not in the current pandemic times

My dad suffered with this until he went to a chiropractor. Completely cured of it now. Physio and an osteopath did nothing for him, and the only regret he has is not going to the chiropractor sooner.

Oh that's useful @Aquamarine1029, maybe I should change

I get cervical migraines. The neurologist said the very best thing to do for neck migraines (well, that's why I get them, something to do with my neck) is to only sleep on one pillow.

I've just bought a shakti mat and pillow (but a cheaper version) to see if that helps. The reviews are of this world. It's not arrived yet, so I can't personally say if its helped, but by god, I'm hopeful!

Oh my god @DonLewis I also get migraines, they've changed recently. Could it be this? I have never heard of a cervical migraine before

Have you had a scan done to check the state of your cervical spine?

@scottgirl no, I've never even heard of the cervical spine :-( I had a c section a year and a bit ago. Could that be relevant?

Cervical spine is just the bones of the neck. Any degeneration can cause pressure on the spinal nerves causing all sorts if symptoms such as pain and numbness.

Ah ok! Sorry, I'm an idiot! Maybe I'll ask for a referral; I sort of thought I'd have to manage it myself eg with osteopath, especially given the pandemic

You're no idiot, why not mention the neck pain and arm numbness to your G.P? Get the ball rolling with finding some help. Best of luck.

Thanks, I will. I guess, I'm under investigation at the moment for some other abdominal pain so I don't want to come across as a total hypochondriac! But I will do that, thank you

I had an MRI on my cervical spine and head. The neurologist was brilliant. Took the most thorough history I've ever had taken. I went because I had had loads of investigations for these weird upper arm pains and the gp had exhausted all other avenues. So I went along and he said that the episodes of labyrinthitis I'd had on and off for ten years, the arm pain, the migraines were all stemming from my neck. I actually took a course of topirimate which resolved everything. That was 4 years ago now and I'm getting the migraines again, so I might take another course of it. It's tough going on it, the side effects take some getting used to, but they do settle. You work up to the highest dose and stay on that until you're symptom free for 6 months and then come back down and off them. It took about 10 months of being on it for me. But I was migraine free for years.

Maybe it's worth getting a gp appointment?

No c section experience but three children in five years and pickups and carries and crouching down badly etc put huge stress on weak core and tension on my neck and shoulders. In addition to lifting your child how do you spend your days now? I was on laptop& phone... "Poke neck" correction exercises helped with the tension in my neck and shoulders and relieved neck pain. Pilates and yoga rebuilt my core and I continue to work on tension. It's a work in progress. I stretch neck and shoulders before bed and one pillow/ sometimes none. Support knees with a pillow under/between if need be. I'm menopausal now so loss of oestrogen is a factor there though.

Make sure your osteopath understands the impact of child bearing and caring on your spine too. I had a male practitioner who kept asking me what heavy objects I lifted at work. I was "lopsided" . I didn't. But I did have two toddlers one of whom was strapped permanently to my hip and was pregnant ( with relaxing ligaments) at the time. C section may be a factor too
It's miserable pain. Hope you get some relief soon
Turmeric and glucosamine for anti inflammatory properties as well as pain killers. Pain makes you tense. Break the cycle of tension. Hot wrap on shoulders helped me too at night or if I was sitting down n a laptop. Stand up desk.

whittington.nhs.uk › documentPDF
Exercises for Neck Pain
Sorry meant to say exercises were a handout from GP. Lots on Google but something here.
Heat wrap and ice wrap on my head also helped with deferred pain in head especially if wrapped from temple to temple over the top, if that makes sense with deep breaths,

Oh my goodness @Tickledtrout that is so so helpful and rings so many bells too. Yes, lifting, crouching, a horrible amount of time on my phone, especially recently with lockdown: trying to stay on top of work and answer emails at the same time as managing the kids. I was kind of ok before lockdown to be honest and it's all kicked off big style since then! I also do have a male osteopath who talks a lot about work and my position at my desk but doesn't focus so much on all the child lifting I'm doing! I also think my core is weak - my abdominal wall has never looked the same since my section, which was an emergency.

Neck massager gadget
New mattress
New pillow
Sleeping alone
Short term painkillers
All fixed mine.