Me
Hi everyone. Quick question, do any of you suffer with neck/shoulder pain? Any suggestions on how to relieve this? Thanks for your input
Hi Jinni - I don’t personally; however, it is very common.
I did a search for you (above by the sign-in link) on neck and back pain:
http://forum.livingwithataxia.org/main/search/search?q=Neck+back+pain&page=2
You might read something on one of these discussions for you to do another search.
Before I started on a couple of different drugs I had excruciating shoulder and neck pain. Now I only get it if I've left it too late in the evening when taking the next dose of drugs.
We were to.d to add magnesium supplements and to rub with magnesium oil.
Hi Jinni,
I often get severe neck and shoulder pains - sometimes both other times one or the other.
I can get the pains anytime but they are most often triggered when the weather changes!
Thing is, as well as ataxia, I am effected by Fibromyalgia and it is sometimes difficult to discern which is to blame for the pains.
Pain relieve advice is difficult to give as I am not a physician! You could try one of the many 'sports rubs' or 'sports sprays' available over the counter or ask your pharmacist about such. You must be sure that these rubs or sprays will not conflict with any other medication you use and, as such, I recommend you seek the advice of your doctor before using them. My doctor prescribed me peroxicam (under the name Feldene Gel) to help with such pains and this does help me but I am told by others that have used peroxicam that it does not help them.
Sometimes my neck and, or, shoulder pain is so severe that I (literally) cannot move my head. I understand how down such pains can make us feel. I truly hope you can find a form of relief from the pain.
Kind regards,
Michael.
Hi Jinni!
Like Michael, I also have Fibromyalgia. I feel like there are so many possible reasons for my neck to hurt, and I have lots of different ways I try to ease that pain.
One thing that helps me is using a heating pad. As long as I'm not having issues with temperature, it tends to ease the muscle tension in the area, which I find makes nerve pain worse. Sometimes I also use a (diluted!) peppermint oil too, since it's one of nature's natural pain relievers. It IS temporary relief though. I also love a warm epsom salt bath -- not only does it relax the muscles, but you get a good dose of magnesium (found in epsom salts) in the process.
Neck/shoulder pain, for me, can be exacerbated by my food allergies. I have so many of them, but the pain in my neck can get so much worse if I slip up and eat something I shouldn't. It might be worth looking into -- I know we just had a thread about an "ataxia diet" and MSG is one of those that really makes my neck hurt, for example. Actually, a lot of my symptoms worsen due to my severe allergies.
Also, I find my posture can affect how my neck and shoulders feel. If I'm straining my spine, it's bound to hurt. My PT helped some with that.
Just some ideas! I hope you find something to help!
I use Arnica Gel or Cream. I rub it in sort of hard so it gets down the layers of skin. I buy mine in generic form at Whole Foods Heath Food store. Amazon carry's it also.
Yoga stretching helps me. It sounds counterintuitive but stretching limbs helps work oxygen in that area. I noticed for myself that if I get any ache now which is rare (because I stretch daily to heed them off now) Iit is just my body telling me that I need to move more, to get more oxygen in that area! Try doing some stenches daily over and over again even if they are light at first.
Sometimes my calves get hard and hurt. I rub Arnica Gel on them and in 20 mins it's usually gone. If there is any stiffness/pain left I do it again. I love that stuff and it doesn't smell.
I hope you get relief. It's not fun to live with.
Jinni,
It might be a nutritional problem see your doctor about taking calcium magnesium vitamin D3 and how much.
Hi Jinni, about a month ago, after an MRI showed I had a separated R shoulder, my orthopod Rx a miracle “compound drug,” named “Neuropathic Pain Gel.” It’s been a miracle for me. Like others, it’s difficult to know what helps, because I also have scapula nerve impingement (from the shoulder injury) and severe occipital neuralgia, whereas even turning or lifting my head sometimes causes excruciating “cattle-prod” nerve pain in my neck and cranium. I am also in yet another PT regimen, perhaps helping or exacerbating. Who knows? Needless-to-say, being able to sleep through the noc s/ pain, navigate my walker (I am R handed) and swim, again, has given me all I could have hoped for. Icing, Badger Balm and Rx Lidocaine patches also bring relief, albeit short-lived. How I wish this helps. Thanks, everyone for other ideas. Warmly, Ellen
Dear Jinni, I suffer from neck pain. I use something that I heat in my microwave. It is a cloth long roll type thing with small beads inside. I heat it for about two minutes and wrap it on the back of my neck....ahhhh...,relief! I have a couple of these. When heated. on smells like like fresh baked bread, and the other like lavender...,ha! I also do stretching, pilates and yoga moves. Helps my whole body, as well as my neck. Every muscle gets stiff and tight. So I keep moving the best I can..., ;o)