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Neurology (Expert Forum)
myofascal problem? NECK muscles?
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myofascal problem? NECK muscles?
by jatiro, Jan 02, 2006 12:00AM
For the past five months i have had a continous headache that medication does not seem to help. The headache is primaruily on my left temple and the pain varies from a 3 to 8 out of 10. The headache started with a stabbing pain on the top of my left temple area the changed to a constant sharp pain that over the past 4 months has shown a small sign of improvement but not alot. On the day i got the headache i was doing overhead work for a few hours in the morning and then hr before headache punched the couch messing around.
Also since week 2 i have been having alot of muscle issues in my neck. Trapizium SCM on the side of the headache feel tense and inflammed and have also found two small lumps on the back of my head. Think they are on the suboccupital muscles or other muscle in that area. These lumps (feels like a small pea) are not overly sensitive but if massaged can become sore to the touch. I also seem to be holding left shoulder high, get pain in neck(C7 area) and left shouldler
The headache has always been around the temples and get a tight tingling feeling just infront of my left ear (where my artery is also more noticable than usual by touch) about 1 inche square and sometimes it spreads along cheek bone.
I have had an MRI of the head and a CT of head and a full range of blood test which were clear apart from raise in my eurinsphil levels which is at a 7
Could a neck muscle problem cause a five month continous headache? (with varying intensity of pain)
Would a mri scan of the neck be able to look at muscle in neck and look for any nerve problems?
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW, Jan 08, 2006 12:00AM
I cannot give you a clinical diagnosis over the internet, so my adivce is limited and should not substitute for a formal medical opinion.
Headaches can be intimately connected with pain and muscle spasm in the neck. Perhaps the best idea is to deal with the neck problem first - with physical therapy, muscle relaxants, botox to relieve the muscle spasm, then see what residual headache is left if any. The headache now seems to be continuous as you say, termed chronic daily headache, a common outcome of unresolved/undiagnosed headache. To eliminate the problem the underlying cause ?neck muscles should be identifies and treated, and your pain medications managed carefully to avoid or elimate medication overuse headache (a common additional factor to chronic daily headache). Its possible there may be a pinched nerve in the neck triggering the muscle spasm, this can be evaluated with an MRI of the neck.
Followup with a neurologist or headache specialist is important
Headaches can be intimately connected with pain and muscle spasm in the neck. Perhaps the best idea is to deal with the neck problem first - with physical therapy, muscle relaxants, botox to relieve the muscle spasm, then see what residual headache is left if any. The headache now seems to be continuous as you say, termed chronic daily headache, a common outcome of unresolved/undiagnosed headache. To eliminate the problem the underlying cause ?neck muscles should be identifies and treated, and your pain medications managed carefully to avoid or elimate medication overuse headache (a common additional factor to chronic daily headache). Its possible there may be a pinched nerve in the neck triggering the muscle spasm, this can be evaluated with an MRI of the neck.
Followup with a neurologist or headache specialist is important
I bought a 150 year old house which has needed much work. I tried to throw myself into it and was painting many cabinets two tone colors and was looking up almost the whole time. That was about 1 month ago and I have been in terrible pain ever since. So I was thinking, you said you had a MRI of your brain, but it sounds like you may need one of your neck. It hurts when you look down...does your headache ever start from your neck or the base of your skull?
Sissy123