Cervical Spondylosis - Pain relief advice

sallybarrett
sallybarrett Member Posts: 3
I am posting this on behalf of my mother-in-law. She is 68 years old, she has Alzheimers Disease and is badly affected by arthritis, her fingers are badly bent and she has been suffering silently for years.

She has had arthritis diagnosed in her neck but has not had an xray, the specialist said that he could feel the arthritis in the top of her spine. She has been subscribed 400mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day.

Obviously having the alzheimers makes things mored difficult in understanding exactly how she feels, she is in the beginning stages of this disease. She is constantly complaining of the burning pain in her neck and it is very noticeable that the movement in her neck is very restricted now, the pain seem worse when she gets stressed about her memory loss. She constantly holds the back of her neck for relief.

Last year she was diagnosed with menieres disease as she was suffering from dizziness and feeling sick. After reading more about neck arthritis I am wondering if that diagnosis was correct as these symptoms and being unsteady on her feet can be caused by neck arthritis.

Basically I am trying to find some way to help her with this pain and would be very happy to receive any suggestions? For example I have been looking at the rare earth magnets I would be interested to know if anyone has tried them and if they do work? Or should we look at a soft collar to support her neck or special pillow for her bed?

Comments

  • mash65
    mash65 Bots Posts: 834
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi,i have oa in most of my joints & cervical spond.im 41yrs old
    i have tried most pillows on my bed & no help at all(including memory pillows)i do have memory foam mattress that i wouldnt be without.
    as to the meds.im on ibuprofen 200mg x2/3 times a day,cocodomol
    30/500,2,4x aday.zomorph(slow release morphine)2x aday.oramorph for break through pain.amptripyline 40mg(sleeping tabs)
    i have 70% movement in my cervical spine,cracking noises,the burning pain you describe,pins & needles sensation too constantly.it causes me to wake on turning over at night.even with the meds i still get a lot of pain but its more managable now. with your mums condition,not being able to describe how it is for her,could she possibly write down on a good day how she feels i.e with the pain.sorry but i dont know how bad her memory is or how bad her condition is. hope this is some help its always difficult on the outside,but some1 else might be able to advice you better. debsx
  • sallybarrett
    sallybarrett Member Posts: 3
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Gosh Debs, that sounds awful, you must be in a lot of pain. Thank-you so much for your reply

    I'm feeling a bit guilty about mother-in-law because she constantly talks about her neck pain but we as a family were thinking she fixates on that as part of her ahlzeimers because then it takes the attention away from her having to concentrate on a conversation. If she gets in a stressful situation she immediatley talks about her neck pain which diverts the uncomfortable situation.

    The more I see her, and the more I read about it I do think she must be in an awful lot of pain. I was thinking of getting her one of these magnetic necklaces to try. She keeps saying about getting a neck collar or brace but I think she would wear it constantly if we got her one which would weaken her neck muscles even more maybe?

    She said to me if she holds her neck with both hands i.e grips her fingers behind her neck as a suppot it gives her relief but when she lets go the pain is back because her neck is supporting itself again, she also keeps complaining her tongue feels funny which she thinks is to do with her neck. I did read it can make you have difficulty swallowing so maybe she is right?

    It such a shame to see her suffering with everything else she has going on, I just wish I had a magic wand!

    Sally X
  • mash65
    mash65 Bots Posts: 834
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi sally i dont know what to suggest.
    i havent been offered anything to help support my neck.i do sit in armchair with 2 cushions,1 behind my back & 2nd behind my neck but i still sit ackward to get comfy.
    i had 6wks of physio to remobilize my neck before i was diagnosed but still only have the 70% movement left now.they used tens,massage & at that point i was only on ibupofen & cocodomol 8/500.has she been refered to or seen consultant(rhymy)maybe another trip to gp for better painrelief.
    my neck pain radiates down to my elbows,across my shoulders,but i also have lumber spond & inflammation in my ribs,collar bones & sterun( called costochrondritis) & oa.oh & nearly forgetting joint hypermobility.
    i hope you can something sorted out for her.im sure the helpline team will be along with some answers for you. good luck.debsx
  • helpline_team
    helpline_team Posts: 3,464
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Sally
    This sounds like a difficult family situation. First of all, if the Ibuprofen her GP has prescribed is not controlling your mother-in-law's pain then do go back and ask him to prescribe something different.
    Usually I would suggest a referral to a physiotherapist who could do some gentle manipulation and teach her (and the family) some movements to keep her neck joints mobile. Would she be able to manage this? A physio would also advise on a pillow or the use of a soft collar. There is little independent scientific evidence to say that magnets can be helpful.
    If you would like to talk to one of us please do ring us on our freephone number.
    Best wishes
    Val