Chronic back of head/neck tension - what's helped you?

[UserThenLotsOfNumbers]

As the title says really - any help and suggestions welcome please!

As not to drip feed:

I'm 38, female, slightly overweight but otherwise I'm good health.
Tension type headaches in back of head and neck for about 20 years, they aren't constant but wax and wane. Stress is a big trigger as is lack of sleep. Can be accompanied by nausea and brain fog. Very very rarely vomiting.
I have ulcerative colitis so can't often take ibroprofen as it can cause flare ups, which is a shame as it helps.
I have tried osteopathy which helps a lot but is £££
Hot water bottle on back of head helps a bit
I have a wrap around neck massager thing which helps a bit

I am looking for the holy grail of treatments here I know!

I've never been diagnosed with anything or had any scans (been fobbed off perhaps) however my osteopath believes it's an issue with my posture. I have assumed if it were arthritis or similar she would recognise this, so I'm going with tension!

Thanks!

Cross post with OakRowan with swimming

TMJ sufferer here. This pillow changed my life, I recommend it to anyone who will listen: www.healthandcare.co.uk/cooling-products-for-summer/mediflow-water-base-orthopaedic-pillow.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAt8WOBhDbARIsANQLp97JX6t2CEv3cguY1Slxm1TNLpjwNgHKPEX5rohZ2rnDsSOE0rAqGOQaAnlWEALw_wcB

I still have TMJ and associated neck and shoulder issues but the pain is a fraction of what it was and I don't need amytriptyline etc which was the doc's next best suggestion.

I want the water pillow!

I suffer with 'tension headaches' starting from my left shoulder up my neck and into the back of my head and find that ice is much more effective at dealing with the pain when it's really bad. Painkillers don't seem to touch it when it's that bad and neither does heat or stretching.

Try 5-10 minutes of meditation, I really helps. There's loads on you tube. Mindfulness on netflix is good to

I want a water pillow too now

@VaguelyInteresting @Phrenologistsfinger
Honestly, best thing ever. My fancy dentist told me to try it before resorting to having Botox in my jaw. I'd tried osteo and accupuncture with no joy.
It is bloody heavy once it's filled and occasionally a bit swishy sounding when you move about but you can tinker with how much water is in it to suit your neck/jaw/shoulder needs and you can empty it to take it on hols too!

I have a tempur pillow, they are expensive but I couldn’t be without it. You can try out different types in the shop. (I do like the idea of the water pillow though!). I’m sure my head and neck pain is mostly to do with posture so I try to have my laptop raised etc. Neck/jaw retraction exercise is meant to be really good, my problem is trying to remember to do them when I’m feeling okay rather than just when I’m sore.

Valium. Shitter to get hold of but knocks it on the head and resets everything for me. Days of pain vanish and don’t come back.

@UserThenLotsOfNumbers
Yes absolutely! I'm by no means an expert but I had read a lot about how so many problems with the body start in the gut. The book I mainly used is one called the autoimmune solution by Amy Myers. It's a strict diet but only for a few weeks. I didn't follow it to the letter.
Re. probiotics I use Symprove but they are pricey and according to some online accounts I follow, you can get similar for a lot less money

@MirrorSignal1

Hello I wonder if this might be migraine. Especially with nausea and being triggered by tiredness etc. For me, sometimes the neck pain is actually migraine rather than neck strain ( and sometimes neck strain makes migraine develop). I have found a few things helpful for this: try some simple neck exercises from Dr Jo on YouTube. She is a physio and is great. I do one of her routines every day . Second I would go to your GP and ask if you might have migraine and maybe you should try some preventative treatment or some other treatment for the acute episodes. GP might want to see a diary of when pain occurs, what happened before ( such as sleep deprivation)etc. Take a look at the Migraine Trust website for more info on this. Good luck!

Thank you (and to other posters who suggested migraine too).

I have often wondered if it's migraines. I've suffered for around 20 years and have always felt fobbed off, not taken seriously by medical professional. Doctors have said it's stress and tension, but I often think how can tension (which is definitely painful don't get me wrong) be THIS bad?

I have a sort of precursor to a bad headache where I feel extremely tired...not just tired, but literally can't stay awake tired. Then later on the headache comes. Thanks for educating me because I didn't realise that neck pain could be migraine, but can totally see how neck tension could feed into migraines and make them worse.

I will take you up on your advice about the GP and the diary. Thanks again!

@ThoseFestiveLights

Valium. Shitter to get hold of but knocks it on the head and resets everything for me. Days of pain vanish and don’t come back.

I use a low dose of amitriptyline in the same way. I take it for 3-4 days and the pain doesn't go away but gets a lot better.

[quote freshflowers2]@UserThenLotsOfNumbers
Yes absolutely! I'm by no means an expert but I had read a lot about how so many problems with the body start in the gut. The book I mainly used is one called the autoimmune solution by Amy Myers. It's a strict diet but only for a few weeks. I didn't follow it to the letter.
Re. probiotics I use Symprove but they are pricey and according to some online accounts I follow, you can get similar for a lot less money[/quote]
Fantastic - thanks so much!

Thanks so much for all your great advice. I've been making lots of notes! I would love to go swimming, go to the gym and be more active, but with a young daughter, no car and working full time it's just not feasible. I will try some yoga videos on youtube at home in addition to my regular walks though. Thanks everyone!

@FuckYouBing

I suffer with 'tension headaches' starting from my left shoulder up my neck and into the back of my head and find that ice is much more effective at dealing with the pain when it's really bad. Painkillers don't seem to touch it when it's that bad and neither does heat or stretching.

Yikes, I really feel your pain on this one. I haven't tried ice before but will do next time. I love your username by the way, reminds me of when my daughter loved bing as a toddler - so glad those days are over lol

@tpmumtobe

TMJ sufferer here. This pillow changed my life, I recommend it to anyone who will listen: www.healthandcare.co.uk/cooling-products-for-summer/mediflow-water-base-orthopaedic-pillow.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAt8WOBhDbARIsANQLp97JX6t2CEv3cguY1Slxm1TNLpjwNgHKPEX5rohZ2rnDsSOE0rAqGOQaAnlWEALw_wcB

I still have TMJ and associated neck and shoulder issues but the pain is a fraction of what it was and I don't need amytriptyline etc which was the doc's next best suggestion.

@tpmumtobe when the pillow has no water in it, how thick is it?

I need a thin ish pillow otherwise it makes my neck/shoulder pain worse but thinking this pillow might be worth trying if not too thick to start with!

@daisychicken unfilled it's pretty much like a standard thin pillow. It has a pad on the top and then the water bag bit is underneath which you can fill up more or less to adjust the firmness and therefore how thick it is. You might find like me though, that even though it's thicker than you're used to once it's filled, the fact it adjusts as you move sort of cancels out the extra thickness. The big difference for me is that it cradles my whole head and jaw without putting any pressure on it, which vastly reduces how much I clench and grind my teeth, so reduces the neck tension.

@tpmumtobe I bought the pillow :) Will let everyone know how it is when it arrives in a week or so.

If I sleep on my back I have to use no pillow at all.

Swimming is also definitely key for me: do you have a partner who would look after your daughter for you to go on a week, or is it just you? Yoga at home is a good option if that's not possible.

thank you @tpmumtobe - it sounds as if it might be worth trying

I have TMJ and use a massage gun on my Knots in my back and shoulders. When the gun hurts I know it’s attacking the knots and the pain goes. Best £60 I ever spent.

I bought the water pillow too! Will report back

Also, by way of things I have also found helpful:
The backpod - www.amazon.co.uk/Backpod-Upper-Back-Massager/dp/B01LYNZBV3?tag=mumsnetforu03-21
Acupressure mat
pranamat.uk/eshop/massage-set-mat-and-pillow/turquoise?feed_currency=GBP&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=smart_sh&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2sqOBhCGARIsAPuPK0gfph5Kp1j_RqwAgJPi-HlJvc5JptGqZD2pj_5dqWjCDRSOgLSEKToaAvx_EALw_wcB
I don’t use them enough tbh, must do so more.

@tpmumtobe hi!!
Im gonna order that pillow. I got a memory foam thinking it will help my tmj but nope!
What symptoms did yiu get with your tmj?
Im seeing the oral max and he keeps saying that its tmj . But really dont know how it can be that im in alot of pain :( i am miserble x x x

@Mamabear12 how did the pillow go :)? Xx

@UserThenLotsOfNumbers how are you now ? Im seeing an osteopath but not sure if i should stop spending. Xx