RE OA in neck

dottie45

i have been diagnosed with oa in my neck and since my last post I went to see a physio who wont do anything yet till I see my gp, because I have fibromyalgia too she recommends I use meds again to help with the nerve pain and muscle spasms. however im reluctant because they make me worst rather than better I would like to know apart from stretching exercises how else can I relieve this
:?:

DebbieT

Hi,

Wot meds have you been given that make you feel worse & in wot ways do they make you feel worse? I ask as I have psoriatic arthritis in my neck & also have FM so can relate. When I can't cope with anymore pain in my neck from PsA I have a steroid injection in my upper hip near my spine.

I won't go near a physio due to pain from FM I'm afraid. The tender points in that area are extremely sensitive in me & I can't tolerate them being pressed I can only use simple stretching exercises for my neck & shoulders. I also self massage as much as I can using a battery operated, hand held massager (If my shoulders are mobile enough to reach up ) I control the pressure that way When I've been able to work on my neck for a while (weeks) I can just about let hubby or one of the children try & massage it. It is a long process :?

The stretches I use are really basic ... Chin towards chest for a 10 count, right ear towards right shoulder for a 10 count, look up to the ceiling for a 10 count & left ear towards left shoulder for a 10 count. As my shoulders are often affected too I do shoulders circles quite regularly throughout the day & also stretching each arm across my body. Things depend on my mobility tho :?

I haven't been able to get in & out of a bath for about 5 years (Having only showers is so annoying) but soaking in a nice warm bath may help & often things like radox used to ease aching so may be useful.

I hope you get some relief soon.x

dreamdaisy

There isn't a great deal to be done to ease OA in the neck, you may find a heated wheat bag draped around it will ease matters or maybe even some form of icing to relieve any inflammation (that can also happen with OA). I am not a doc but the spasms and nerve pain could indicate some form of impingement, possibly caused by the OA so yes, I think the physio is right to say that you need to see your GP first.

Some meds can upet us but there may be alternatives you could try - I have a foot in both arthritis camps and it took years for me to find the best combination for the PsA but of course they don't touch the OA. For that I take a daily diclofenac (after the tummy protector) and co-codamol. My neck is very crunchy, cracky and creaky and yes, I know how difficult it can be to live with. DD

dottie45

i have been on amitrypline and gabapentin for fibro but reacted badly cant take anti inflammtries either so I feel stuck I have stretching exercises I do daily,,but im finding my normal routine hard with work I don't want to give up but im finding hard to deal with it. I have to have either my daughter or my partner with with me when I do shopping or have to move anything heavy,ive been advised by the physio not to use ice as it wont help because of the fibro, and I only can take co dyramol in the evening I just worry that they will give me meds that will but me back wards again like I was three yrs ago


nikki

19smp59

I have OA in cervical spine which has gone on to cause stenosis. I take Tramadol during the day and Amitriptyline at night which has helped with arm pain and also helps me sleep. Could be worth a try.

DebbieT

Amitriptyline didn't help me & neither did gabapentin so I was moved to Nortriptyline & Pregabalin. Pregabalin can often be tolerated better than gabapentin. They are both for nerve/neuropathic pain but for other pain I take slow release tramadol, paracetmol & ibuprofen with omeprazole to protect my tummy. I find slow release tramadol better than normal ones coz they don't make me feel spaced out!!

Regarding my own mobility I have severe Fibromyalgia (according to my rheumy) as well as OA & PsA. I find it very painful to walk, stand & sit, actually there really isn't anything I can think of that doesn't cause pain or discomfort to some degree or another :? For me it's a part of my life, I've had to adjust to it tho its not been easy!!

I would suggest that you learn to pace, pace & pace some more!! Getting into stage 4 sleep should eventually help to reduce pain, Getting rid of as many things that cause you stress may also help, Stress can increase FM pain. Heat or ice can benefit us but it's obviously an individual thing, it doesn't work for everyone!!

Feel free to pm me anytime if you need to chat.x

dottie45

i cant take pregalin because im lactose intolerant I was told about noretriptline and as amitrptilne goes it made me unwell had problems with not being able to sleep any more than three hrs a nite then I gain so much wait on it so I stopped it but I suffer with anxiety and depression that was caused by gabapentin I tried to kill my self on it. my dr knows that I am so sensitive to meds that im getting to the point of not being able take anything. so I have to pace my self eat a diet free from too many additives chemicals away from dairy and sensitive to wheat/gluten


nikki x

dottie45

19smp59 wrote:

I have OA in cervical spine which has gone on to cause stenosis. I take Tramadol during the day and Amitriptyline at night which has helped with arm pain and also helps me sleep. Could be worth a try.

I cant have tramadol because it makes me sick

barbara12

Hello Nikki
I have OA in my neck but not has bad has other parts at the min...I got my exercises of the net..and before I do them I use my wheat bag that you microwave....the heat is wonderful....hope you can get some relief very soon x

Boomer13

Hi;

I've been trying to think what works for me & my neck. I don't let anyone touch it!!! I have an inflammatory arthritis and my neck is one of the worst spots affected. I tried massage once and I couldn't move for a week. When I can, I do simple tai chi exercises and swimming. I know it's important to keep muscles strong to increase stability and maintain flexibility.

I have a bath pillow for supporting my neck while doing hot soaks. Hot neck wraps, and a memory foam contour pillow at night are really all I use other that my pain meds medley. My arthritis has not progressed in my neck to OA yet. So far the flare-ups are intermittent but terribly incapacitating; they usually result in migraine headaches so I wind up resting in bed which seems to be the best thing for my type of arthritis.

Debbie's post reminded me about the contour pillow; keeping proper neck alignment during the night is very beneficial. I can't get comfortable at all without mine.

I hope you find something that works for you,
take care,
Anna

dottie45

hi
well it looks like im going to have an mri because my left arm and hand gets pins and needles, and I don't have normal movement in my shoulder or my elbow the gp said I have jerky movement and my right shoulder is going the same way. I have been give pregablin but only 75mg twice aday. I will get a wheat wrap too I do my exercises everyday but but I feel usless because my left and shoulder neck just don't give up with pain pins and needles. I must after my holiday get a neck pillow.


nikki x

dreamdaisy

Wouldn't it be worth getting one before your hols? I posess a very cheap memory foam horse-shoe shaped pillow for use in the car when he's driving and it does help. I hope you enjoy your holiday. DD

dottie45

thanks I will pick a neck pillow up for the car tomoz

nikki x