i have a lot if neck pain when i turn my head it pops and grinding rheumy says he thinks its degenerative arthritis any ideas what can be done
12/10/09 2:35pm
There are a few things that have helped my neck pain.
First, flexibility. This one is the hardest, because there is nothing I can do about it during a flare, only when my neck is pain free (during a flare any kind of stretching or massage makes me want to throw up -- literally). I stand in a hot shower and stretch my shoulders by rolling them forward and back. Then I "walk" my fingers up the wall of the shower until my hands are as high as I can stand (I do this a couple of times). Then I nod -- chin to my chest, and as far back as I can go. Finally, I turn my head, first away from the "bad side" as far as I can and then gently as far as I can towards the bad side. Doing this everyday has lead to a huge reduction in neck pain for me, and much more mobility.
Second, during a flare, no matter what any doctor tells me, I do *not* use cold. I use heat and lots of it. I found a buckwheat stuffed microwave heat pack called a "Bed Buddy". It's an 18 inch long tube that wraps around my neck.
Third, meds. In bad flares, I end up taking a lot of pain meds and muscle relaxers (as prescribed).
12/ 5/09 3:17am
Did your doctor take x-rays? That is the first step that needs to be done. I had my neck x-rayed & was surprised to find out that I had spurs, arthritis & degenerative disease. I went to physical therapy for a couple of months & it helped. That was last year. A couple of months ago I went to another phsycial therapist & she really helped me. She was really good and that makes all the difference in the world. She did massage, ultra-sound, she manipulated my neck a few times because she said it was out of place ( She held my face with one hand and had me try to push against it. It didn't hurt at all.) She also tried electric current treatments. I'm not sure what it is called but that didn't seem to help much. Then she had this hand held zapper thing that was as big as a pen. I loved that. She would move it over my neck & it would beep when it found a bad spot & she would zap it. After she finished zapping my neck I felt so much better. Also she gave me neck exercises.
What a difference I felt after a month of going twice a week. It was so worth it.
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By debbie— Last Modified: 12/24/10, First Published: 12/01/09
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