Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Neurology (Expert Forum)
Migraines, neck pain, shoulder discomfort.
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury
Migraines, neck pain, shoulder discomfort.
by marblis, Jan 14, 2006 12:00AM
I have been treated for migraines for many years. Recently, I bent down and felt a pain in the back of my head and now have been having increased headaches and shoulder (left) discomfort. I am being treated in PT for cervical strain. For many years, I have had a symptom that will occur periodically. If I turn my head a certain way, I will experience tongue numbness and partial head numbness. It only lasts 20-30 seconds, but makes me feel sort of dizzy. I absolutely cannot fall asleep on my back or on my left side or I will get a horrible headache. Do you think the numbness of the tongue is connected in any way? By the way I am a EEG Tech. Thanks Karen
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW, Jan 20, 2006 12:00AM
The sensory supply to the tongue is from the trigeminal nerve, and the glossopharyngeal nerve - turning of the head would be diffucult to explain these nerves being irritated.
However, the sensory signals for these nerves are processed in the same nucleus in teh brainstem as sensory signals from teh head and neck.
So irritation for example of sore muscles in teh neck could cause the nerves to falsely localize to the tongue. This phenomenom can also explain dizziness as these centers are also in teh brainstem. Treating the underlying muscle (or whatever the origin) is, should improve your symptoms.
More rarely, neck pain can be from a torn artery in teh neck. The compromised artery can result in ministrokes causing brainstem symptoms. This is less likely if this has been going on for years. Your doctor will be able to judge if this needs any followup in your case.
Good luck
However, the sensory signals for these nerves are processed in the same nucleus in teh brainstem as sensory signals from teh head and neck.
So irritation for example of sore muscles in teh neck could cause the nerves to falsely localize to the tongue. This phenomenom can also explain dizziness as these centers are also in teh brainstem. Treating the underlying muscle (or whatever the origin) is, should improve your symptoms.
More rarely, neck pain can be from a torn artery in teh neck. The compromised artery can result in ministrokes causing brainstem symptoms. This is less likely if this has been going on for years. Your doctor will be able to judge if this needs any followup in your case.
Good luck
Sounds to me like you have neck-tongue syndrome which is also called cervicolingual syndrome. Symptoms occur with head rotation which can result in numbness of one-half of the tongue along with posterior (suboccipital) headaches or numbness in the same region. It can occur with neck arthritis (OA or AS), but doesn't have to. It may also be caused by lateral atlanto-axial subluxation or muscle tightness of the obliquus capitis inferior which causes compression of the C2 ventral ramus. The anatomical basis of this condition is that afferent fibers from the lingual nerve travel along the hypoglossal nerve to the 2nd cervical nerve root. Therefore, compression of the 2nd cervical nerve root can manifest as tongue numbness which is actually tongue weakness resulting from abnormal proprioception.
I forgot to mention that if the numbness involves the entire tongue and not just one-half, then you may have a vascular disorder of the vertebral artery which would need to be evaluated by further testing of the vascular system. That would also be one explanantion for your dizziness also.
I was reading your earlier response,about the whole tongue going numb, possibly being a vascular problem.
About 6 months ago my daughter, after a broken nose caused during a soccer game (girl hit my daughters face with the back of her head), has been experiencing very painful neck pops when turning her head a certain way followed by numb tongue (whole tongue) and fluttering right eye.
We had her evaluated by a neuro surgeon who basically ruled out vascular due to the fact that the tongue only remains numb for a few seconds. No MRI was done.
Her symptoms seemed to go away after a few months, but since soccer has started up again she has had several episodes again lately.
I guess my question is, if it is vascular in nature would her symptoms have gotten better or would they have stayed consistent.
Thank you,
Kathy Stevens