Neck won't turn either way - is this Arther?

Mat48

Hi I wonder if anyone else has had a double crick in their neck and if it's just that or is it the arthritis? It seems to spread down into my shoulders but my neck is too painful to turn either way today so can't drive or do very much at all. It was brewing yesterday and I'm shortly to go away for work which will involve carrying something heavy about and doing a lot of stuff up ladders etc so I really need to get it sorted. Would help to know if it's just a cricked neck though - I may have overdone my gentle exercises yesterday?! :roll:

dreamdaisy

We are not doctors, Mat, we won't know. Did you sleep awkwardly? Did you overdo the exercises yesterday? If you have a wheat bag then heat that and drape it round your neck. If you dont, wrap a scarf round your kettle, boil the kettle then wrap the scarf etc etc. The heat may help to ease things. DD

valval

are you doing your exercises layed down my physio said never do them stood up as head ways so much so with luck it just over doing things use heat bag to relax muscles in neck and shoulder phone physio if you have one they give very good advice if not see doc before you go away just to be sure val

Mat48

Thanks both. Sorry to ask I know you're not doctors or physios but just wondered whether this was something others had suffered as result of arthritic conditions because I never see neck mentioned in litany of joints that become inflamed with this thing?! I don't think it was the exercises because I do same ones most days (gentle yoga and aerobic step stuff and Tai Chi). GP put me down for physio last week re my hands but not heard anything yet re apt. Think it might have been the hours I spent on phone to BT yesterday and day before trying to get landline and broadband going. Presently can only receive not send emails and am having to use iPhone for all while OH takes over with laptop. This may mean I've been sitting in one position too long. Can't drive or move around today and knees are rubbish too so I'll get the heat pad going and hassle my surgery re physio. Cheers Mat x

frogmorton

Necks do 'go' yes Mat. If you 'search' in the search box you will find them.

Mine does for definite and then l am in agony and can loose feeling in my skin on my neck and shoulders :sad:

Suggest you take your anti-inflams and try a wheatbag and plenty of rest painkillers as prescribed.

I also do not sleep on two pillows any more just one memory foam shaped one so my spine (the neck bit!) stays in the position it needs to be in.

If you can it might be an idea to see the doc and also l would think (just think incase someone else could go in your place????),about warning work.

I will cross fingers it is just a crick which will right itself over the day

LOve

Toni xx

dreamdaisy

Necks are a hot topic! Those with OA or the immune-based versions can be affected with/by neck trouble. Elna has just had neck surgery, julie47 is waiting for it (she has her pre-op today), there are quite a few on here. My neck and shoulders stiffen but that is due to my being too casual in using the crutches. You name a body joint, it can be arthritic. DD

elnafinn

Hi Mat

I am sorry that you are suffering with neck pain. These things always start at the wrong time, mind you, there is never a right time, is there? :roll:

Like others have suggested, a visit to your gp is in order - ideally you need this sort of cleared up if possible before you have to go away with your work.

You can indeed get OA of the neck, wear and tear or another name for it is Cervical Spondylosis, but only a medic can diagnose.

I do hope it goes away as quickly as it arrived.

Elna x

elnafinn

Please don't panic Mat, surgery is the very last resort and usually it is not necessary. There are so many different reasons for the start of neck pain and lots of different symptoms too. I have read it is a good idea to keep the neck moving if possible, but if you cannot at the moment, heat may well help as well as painkillers and anti inflams. Do get to see a gp so that you can get the appropriate treatment asap if any is necessary like physio for example.

I wish you well,

Elna x

Mat48

Hi thanks again. I didn't mean surgery I meant the Surgery where my GPs work! I am in a panic though it's true. Feel left high and dry by the system just now. If I see the GP again (saw him last Thursday) he will not be able to do much other than give me steroids and I know from previous experience that they give me insomnia and mask symptoms for rheumatologist in late November.

I just phoned physio dept in local hospital and go brush off until I pushed and finally got an apt for tomorrow. Feel really weepy as I've been asking to see a physio for months and months but first GP said not until diagnosis in July but no diagnosis took place - then I persuaded a locum to put me on list re shoulder months ago but as she suspected it would the pain went away (and arrived in other shoulder) so I must have been crossed off the list. Now seeing her tomorrow morning but the idea is to get hand exercises to give my hands back some strength not to treat my neck! Oh dear for roaming/ roving pain - feel pretty miserable today really sorry to moan! Mx

CJHunter

Hi Mat, We all have bad days and its ok to moan, everybody's symptoms and feelings are very different even if you are diagnosed the same. Our pain receptors and joints all act very differently, it's just the way it is.

I'm, as many are, going through my own turmoil at the mo and we all have a good moan at times.
With regards to the neck mine locks slightly and on moving crunches/pops and when moved causes pain, usualy only when i am driving!!

Too many steroids are not good in my opinion. Have they put u on pain meds apart from the odd injection? Maybe a referal to pain clinic should be requested.

Take Care and moan if you need, we all need to let of steam occationaly (its GOOD for you )

elnafinn

Hi again,

You do have a lot going on at the moment and I am sorry. Try the heat, painkillers and anti infams and see how it goes. I hope you have these meds to hand. You can always discuss your neck with the physio tomorrow. I am sure he/she will not mind, although you are going specifically about your hands. I have a feeling there are only about three neck exercises that should be done but I may well be wrong on that one.

Elna x

Mat48

I've taken advice you have all given and read others posts on neck pain, taken pain meds, rested up and worked with a heat pack draped around my neck. Neck pain has receded a little - I can now do a sideways glance each side but that's all.

Meanwhile the pain has spread down into my left shoulder and arm into my elbow now. I think maybe i pushed too hard to see physio and now fretting that she can't do much and may make it worse even because my left knee and both sets of fingers are really stiff and it hurts to stretch them out at all.

Everywhere I read about people like me who seem to carry on going undiagnosed forever - stuck on pain meds but without access to any medical support beyond the odd GP visit. This prospect is making me feel really low.

An old friend phoned today for a chat. She's a newly qualified therapist and has suffered from sciatica recently. We chatted about the nature of pain - which is affecting her and also one of her clients. She asked me why I need a diagnosis - why I can't just accept this pain as mine and accommodate it as required?

I think.. or rather I hope.. that this need to be diagnosed, even if the diagnosis is for a serious disease, is important to most people who suffer from chronic pain? I pointed out that she has a name for her back ache and she said she wouldn't mind if she didn't but I wasn't convinced! She feels if you are confident of what you are experiencing and believe in it then others will too.

Maybe that's the problem - without a diagnosis I find it hard to believe that all this extreme pain and discomfort is actually real? I mean I know it is of course because it's affecting my mobility but it's so bizarre to have something circling me and changing location all the time that I find it hard to know how to react to it.

My GP isn't telling me to take it easy and rest a lot so I feel that I can't legitimately do what I feel like doing even though I'm self-employed. Does this make any sense to anyone. Probably not?!!

valval

it is a nasty beast this arther he bites and moves making life a pain it each morning you wake wondering what it will be today where the pain will rear its ugly head and yes a name is very important with out how can you treat it properly your friend does not know what she talking about have only got as far as inflimation arther but at least it a name that gives me some idea what it is how to treat it i know one day will get another name for it but till then am happy to go with it as most are treated the same if you are exhausted the only thing to do is rest gps do not always get how arther affects your whole life so be kind to your self on bad days val

frogmorton

Ah but Mat is DOES make sense

I thought this cannot really be happening to little me??!! :shock:

It can't be real :???:

I was hoping that you would be posting that you are feeling a wee bit better which you are that's good. Can you try ever so ever so hard to REMEMBER your neck is bad when you first wake up so you move gently.

See you friend she has sciatic pain - complete with label

Take care take the meds you have prescribed before bed and heat before you settle down. No pile of pillows. Consider a rolled up handtowel in your neck or one flat pillow???

Sleep well and here's to a better and less painful tomorrow.

Love

Toni xx

Mat48

Thanks Val. Friends eh?! I mean they are wonderful of course - but when they try to be your therapist and you've known them since being kids it riles a bit I admit. Psychobabble and me don't usually agree!

I'm not knocking other painful conditions - pain is pain after all - but at least hers is in one place and doesn't cause her to go on a pain roller coaster where you never know what you will or won't be able to do on any given day? Getting out of bed each morning is one big adventure these days

Does OA rove about the body like this or does it just settle in one joint for a period before another becomes affected can anyone tell me?

I think this might be OA because I've got nodules that have only formed in last 6 months on the top joints of each finger - one is pea sized - and GP said they tend to go with OA. They are the only visible thing I've got to show for myself so far apart from the odd swollen joint! I feel like a painful bowl of rice crispies just now with everything going snap crackle pop

Mat48

Thanks Toni - I've got a v expensive memory foam pillow that my youngest tried to nick off me but I got it back don't worry! I will take everything I'm allowed tonight but wonder if anyone knows if it's okay to take codeine (15mg) with an ibuprofen 400mg? Don't want to OD but equally want to be awake in time for my physio tomorrow morning!!

Not better - far worse actually in terms of widespread pain but it's always worse in the evenings so to be expected. My knee is really bad too and hands won't open properly BUT hey I'm much jollier for having you lot to chat to 8) xxxx

Emily

Been to Physio today about pain in neck and shoulder, my GP sent me for axray and it said that Degenerative disc disease changes are seen at C5/6 with narrowing of the intervertebral disc spacing and endplate sclerosis.

Physio said that pain from that will go into shoulder and arm and down shoulder blade which I have and it was very painful indeed once I thought I had broken my neck it was so bad. I was about to go to AE but was not up to it and rested instead and the pain got a letter better. Apparently we have lots of muscles around the neck area the C5/6 in the neck area and that is what is causing the pain to travel to our shoulders and arm areas.

Google C5/6 and there is a lot of information about the neck on websites.

Mat48

Gosh poor you Emily - that sounds nasty. I don't think mine is as bad as that - doesn't feel broken - unlike the wrist last week or fingers sometimes. Just feels like a bad crick on both sides but my left shoulder is just as bad now. I can move about slowly as long as I don't try and turn sideways at all. Probably will have disappeared by tomorrow (just for physio!) as that's the way this thing seems to operate for me presently - but that's not much of a relief because the gunfire will crack in somewhere else I'm sure. Will look up C5/6 thanks. Mat x

Mat48

Just a quick update - the pain is much less this morning although it's still sore and stiff all over the place but I can turn my neck again which is a huge plus! The physio was reluctant to do too much with me - she prefers to wait until December when I've had my 2nd rheumy apt. She gave me some really useful tips and exercises for fingers, wrists, shoulders and neck though which is enough to be getting on with for now and will hopefully keep me right next week when I'm installing the exhibition.

She said the doctor had referred me as having Poly Arthritis and she doubted the rheumy will be able give me much more than that for the time being anyhow. She noticed all the nodules on the top of my finger joints without me saying anything but she said that a degree of OA goes with most of these arthritic conditions anyhow.

Thanks for keeping me sane yesterday when I really could hardly move everyone! Mat

valval

sounds like a good physio and it always nice when you know the exercises are not going to hurt anything glad it a little better it very scary when it gets bad but meds will help so stay strong val

julie47

Hi Mat
I missed all this yesterday, (missing a lot lately must wear those glasses)
I see everyone has given you lots of good advice so I have nothing really to add.
I just wanted to say I am glad your neck is a bit easier today and that the physio gave you some tips.
Good luck with your rhummy appt in december, hope you get some answers there.
In the meantime
Take care
Juliepf x

Mat48

Hi Julie - not surprised that you missed this neck post yesterday because you've had so much going on yourself with pre op I gather? She only gave me one neck exercise to do but my neck is significantly better today anyhow. Interestingly it's the same exercise as we do in my choir as part if our warm ups - I guess necks are pretty vital for good singing too.

I was most fazed by the finger and wrist exercises because I feel so stiff today - as if I've run a marathon and have seized up today - but all the finger exercises were really hard for me especially with my right hand. I hadn't appreciated how bad my hands are until she tried to get me to fold my fingers into my palm and I could only bend them as far as a wide C today. My hands are my vital organs and I would be lost without them so this decline in their flexibility really unnerves me. She suggested I rub them with olive oil and then wiggle them in hot water so about to try that now! Take care of yourself hope pre op went okay - or goes okay if you haven't yet had it. Thanks for finding time to respond to my post when you've had so much going on. Mat xx

Emily

Hi Matt

Glad that you are feeling a bit better today. I go swimming and my physio said water exercises is the best kind for any kind of Skeletal muscle problems. I also attend an aqua jobbing classes which are great for knees and shoulder as well as neck problems. If you can see your GP about an active group in your area about these classes and other water exercises classes.

Emily

Mat48

Hi Emily. Re pools and swimming. Our local pool is quite basic and heavily used. I asked about exercise classes and they said that the only class suitable for me would be on Thursday evenings when I sing. The only other session for people with mobility problems is on Monday mornings and consists only of the elderly they said. Otherwise it's all just lane swimming, training or family/ kids sessions so not ideal for me really?! Nice idea though and thanks for the suggestion. Lots of people with arthritic conditions benefit from Tai Chi I'm told and I can at least do that (except for yesterday when I couldn't even drive to the class!). Usually I share lifts with a friend but she's away just now. Driving anywhere is becoming increasingly complicated between wrists, kneck and ankles! :roll: Mat x x

julie47

Hi Julie - not surprised that you missed this neck post yesterday because you've had so much going on yourself with pre op I gather? She only gave me one neck exercise to do but my neck is significantly better today anyhow. Interestingly it's the same exercise as we do in my choir as part if our warm ups - I guess necks are pretty vital for good singing too.


ah ah !!! I knew there was a reason I couldn't sing......its my necks fault

I am pleased your neck feels better and oh I do wish I could sing.
Juliepf x