Neckache

[Palace]

Hello Forum Members:


From my understanding now, a large Acoustic Neuroma can be the cause of a very stiff/tight neck.  I'm having such pain in the neck area that now I can hardly turn it.  It is bad throughout the day but, worse at night and morning.  Would a muscle relaxer help this at all?  I go for my blood to be drawn to check the liver and kidneys today for the coming Ct scan and the radiation.  I was wondering if I should as for a muscle relaxer.  The neck is really locked up and I'm wondering if a muscle relaxer would help in this case.  I haven't broken down and taken the Vicodin I was given.  I'm a very strong person must of the time but, the neck is now getting to me.



Thank you.....



Palace

[nancyann]

Hi Palace - you're like me with the painkillers (no, I won't take it!!).   I don't know if hot compresses would be contraindicated at this point.  Have you been 'protecting the area?', not moving it much??      I'd check with the docs as to why this is happening.   Who knows, maybe you need hot compresses & a good massage to loosen the neck muscles.   I had the retrosigmoid, didn't have neck pain.   I notice that while doing balance therapy when I turn my head side to side I get a crackling sound in the back of my head, but no pain(who knows what it is!).   Good luck!  Nancy

[Battyp]

as a chronic neck pain sufferer from a car accident:

heat or ice depending on which one feels best to you.  Sometimes it's best to alternate
massage shoulders and the back of your head
muscle relaxer will help
chiropractor (no they are not quacks)
tens unit
ben gay, minute rub, icy hot, tiger balm, and my all time favorite biofreeze.  Biofreeze works wonders which is only aval at a therapy place, dr's office (chiro here) and maybe a medical supply store. 
sitting under a hot shower or getting in a hot tub

yes, your tumor could be causing the neck pain especialy depending on tumor placement.  Hope those help!

M

[Crazycat]

Yes Palace. I also had the neckaches. I believe Joef also had them. May have been a little different than yours.
There are 2 points at the base of the skull behind the head that were always sore. That had prompted me at one point to see a Chiropractor  - to no avail. Since my treatment those points at the base of my skull have never hurt again.

Well, it's off to the frontier in Maine - Stephen King territory - for some music, mayhem and "bear burgers"( not me) for the weekend. Cya next week!

                          Paul

[Joef]

I had neck pain for a long before my AN was removed .. I would treat it like a headache .. it would help "a little"

good news is .. after my surgery .. nothing! .. it has been over a year .. and no neck pain!!! 

[comfortzone]

I have been having neck pain and went to a chiropractor last week which worked but only lasted a few days. I found if you do gentle neck stretches in a hot shower it helps - or it helps me anyway.

Does it have to be a large tumour to cause neck pain? I am getting concerned as I have been told my tumour is small, 8mm, but I have not had MRI with contrast, only without. Does anyone know if it could be bigger than what they saw on a regular MRI?? I have a lot of syptoms and I'm starting to wonder...

[Palace]

Paul,


We miss you!  How are those burgers, music and "ahm," inspiration for your art?  Thank you for your input on my neck situation.  I'm trying everything for it. I have a bad headache right now.

I surely came home stressed-out last night with my regular MD telling me I should undo the CK appts. and go with surgery.  She knows I've had so many surgeries and couldn't quite relate to my *not* having a 20th, big and major ordeal.  It will be interesting when she discusses this with the ENT in Santa Cruz.  I thought it all over once again and I could have the surgery someday I suppose, if it grew back.  (even though I know the tumor turns to jell-like and it is harder to do surgery on, once radiation has been done on it)  It is so close to the brain stem (and other things) that I wonder if the surgeon could get it all anyway, if I had the major thing done. 

Well Paul.........we all hope you are having fun this weekend; it sounds like you really earned it!



Palace

[Windsong]

Perhaps have a spinal MRI to rule out that?

Sometimes once one has a condition whether it's a whiplash or an An or, whatever, symptoms are too easily attributed to that condition instead of finding out what really is going on.....

Windsong

[Captain Deb]

My neck has hurt constantly since surgery.  Been to a really great PT who worked on it for a month 3x a week and gave me about 4 months of relief. I've had cortisone shots and am now on 2700 mg of Neurontin a day. My cluster headaches start as neck pain. For the reall bad ones I use cold packs for the inflammation and for the dull achy ones, I use a moist heating pad.  I find giving myself a good stretch occaisionally during the day helps as well as being conscious of how much my shoulders are "riding up" and trying to keep them relaxed and doing a few shoulder rolls several times an hour when I'm working.

With a damaged vestibular system, our neck muscles spend a lot of time trying to keep our heads straight because our eyes and proprioceptor system are compensating for the loss.
Palace--what size is your AN? You can post your status and such in your signature--the small type at the end of our posts--jusst go to the welcome message and find the helpful hints thread.

Capt Deb

[cheza]

Oh my god, I have had a bad neck for about 18 months actually come to think of it thats when most of my symptoms started, anyway, Ive been going to a chiropracter since june, its better than it was, but I do still have bad days, plus looking back did seem to come on all of a sudden and for no real reason.
could be something in it?

hope it starts to feel better, I use heat pads, uknow the ones you stick on there really good.

take care
Cheza XxX