I was diagnosed with RA about 6 weeks ago. I'm now on Methotrexate and prednisone. Neither seems to be doing anything yet but I'm still hoping. I have crazy pain at the base of my neck. Nothing seems to make it feel any better. It gives me a nasty headache most days. Is this an RA "thing" or is it more likely I'm just sleeping on it wrong?
3/17/09 7:52pm
It's quite possible it is related to RA in one of your vertebrae or it may be from tension because you're in a lot of pain. Before you seek treatment, I'd recommend you ask your doctor for an x-ray of your neck to see if there's anything structural going on. Whether there is or isn't will form the basis for different kinds of treatment and it's not a good idea to jump into doing any particular exercises or treatment without information about the cause of your problem. In the meantime, you may want to buy a collar to provide you with some warmth and support of your neck. You can also buy a bag filled with beans or rice at a pharmacy that you can heat up in the microwave and put around your neck several times a day. Also, do not put too many pillows under your head at night - one relatively flat pillow should do the trick. Once you have the results of your x-ray, ask your doctor for a referral to physiotherapist who can help you with exercises and other treatments and tips that will help protect your neck.
3/16/09 3:31pm
It could be either or. I have a lot of neck trouble too, especially right at this moment.
I have had a massage therapist tell me, and chiropractor agreed, that my 3rd and 5th cervical vertebrae are out of whack. This has been a recurring problem for 20-25 years. I've been for PT quite a few times, for neck, shoulder, upper back. It's all tied together. Chiropractors can help but they can also hurt if they are not careful. I used to have the "roll back and forth, then twist" maneuver, and it always helped ... until one day I was just too tense, and the jerk kept saying, Relax! Relax! Well, if I could have relaxed, I would have not needed the help! His "help" put me in PT for 7 weeks!
The chiropractors I've been to since (never went back, needless to say, to the same guy) I will not allow to do that maneuver. Instead, they use a device called an 'activator' that had controlled impact, and it has helped both joints & muscles in my neck.
I also have taken a hint from PT and bought myself a hydrocollator moist heat pack. There is one that can wrap around your neck. You will probably have to order it online, I can't find anyone locally who carries them now. You can either microwave it in water, or heat in a pan of water. It absorbs the water (close to boiling, heat for 15 minutes or so), then carefully (it's hot!) lift out with tongs, or by tabs, wrap in a couple of towels, go lie down or sit in comfortable chair or couch, and soak it up. I used to drift off to sleep...! for 20 minutes
I also take cyclobenzaprine from time to time - brand name Flexeril, it's a muscle relaxer (related to tricyclic antidepressants, but a very small dose), and find it helpful for muscle spasms and sleep. I ended up in the ER one night (before RA diagnosis) with my whole neck feeling like an iron collar - scary!!! They gave me a shot of Toridol and a some tablets of Flexeril and said, follow up with your doctor.
Rheumatologists will prescribe it for spasms and sleep too.
I'm getting headaches too. I think they are generated by the neck spasms.
Ellen
3/16/09 3:39pm
P.S. We have a P.T. here who specializes in headaches, and facilitates a fibromyalgia support group. Guess what - she's a chronic pain sufferer herself!
Here's her webpage, with links to the Potsdam Fibromyalgia Support Group Newsletter. The Nov-Dec 2008 issue as well as the May 2008 issue have some very interesting stuff on trigger points in the neck that may lead to headaches. (Trigger points are not usually where the pain is, but they are the problem. They can be worked on by you or a PT person)
http://people.clarkson.edu/~lnrussek/FMSG.html
There's also a link to the National Headache Foundation (I dont' know as much about that but maybe it will be helpful)
3/16/09 3:57pm
I also have ra and have had it many years. I have severe neck pain and I am in physical therapy for it and I also get some relief from heat on my neck. I had an xray and they said it was degenerative disc disease caused from the ra.
3/17/09 11:08am
My advice to you is to find a good Chiropractor. There are some DC's who only do upper cervical work, or use certain techniques, that has made the biggest difference in my condition. I get checked every week and adjusted maybe ever other week, it all depends.
5/ 4/09 3:16pm
I'm getting PT for neck pain/headaches right now - and also discovered what feels like a cyst about an inch and (usually) slightly to the left of my cervical spine. Several PTS at the clinic felt it and said they'd never felt anything like that. (It's not big and it doesn't hurt, but I still left a message at the orthopedist's office.) In the meantime, I've googled neck/cervical spine/cyst and come up with all kinds of stuff, some bad, some rather benign. Anyone else have something like this?
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By CJE4491— Last Modified: 12/24/10, First Published: 03/15/09
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