Muscle tightness and loss of neck lordosis

Hi,

Hoping someone out there could help. I have a lot of muscle tightness along my back and neck more towards the left side, so much so that I seem to be tilting towards the tight side. As a result of this tightness, I feel uncomfortable most of the time and don't like to sit in a static position for long. Standing still - is anxiety provoking as the shoulder, neck and jaw muscles tighten too much and gives me shortness of breath.

I started having these muscle issues on and off for about 1 1/2 years . 1 1/2 years back I had benign positional vertigo and had to cope with it for almost 6 months before it got treated. So now although the vertigo has been fixed, my muscles just tighten up when I am walking as if to prevent me from falling, so I have a very stiff walking posture.

X-rays just show a loss of neck lordosis- could be postural, no other abnormality found. I've had an brain MRI for the vertigo done, and consulted a neurologist, so I know things are okay there.

My jaw muscles also lock up and I've seen a TMJ specialist and numerous other physiotherapists. Neck exercises seem to aggravate the condition.  The only website I've found to be of some benefit is drbookspan.I am suffering a lot as I can't move freely and the doctors can't find anything except anxiety. But I know it is something muscular.  I won't be that anxious if I could move freely and not having muscles locking up on me .

Has anyone out there have had or has muscle tightness that restricts their movement and how have they overcome it. Any particular good exercises etc. Please , please respond.

Thanks,

Sumi

[noneck]

I have neck and back problems for 25 years. I am fused from C/3 thruC/7 and L/5S1/1. Musscle spasms are big problem for me. Reciently I went back to my pysical therapist and they had a new cold laser machine. I have had many magic wands rubbed on me, but this one actually helped. During one of my visits the musscle relaxed right before my therapist eyes, (she actually saw it chane shape) and I felt it immediately. Seek out this machine for your spasms, and try elevil for the anxiety caused by pain, it's a visious cycle. Low dose elevil can help greatly with the anxiety. Lordosis is the curve of your neck if it is straight it is from musscle spasm. Address that spasm and i'm sure you will feel better. If the anxiety is still there then try elevil. Unfortunately we may never overcome this but we can keep everything in check with the proper care.

hope I help

[sumihari]

Hi,

Your post is very re-assuring and thank you for that. I reside in Australia and I don't think the cold laser (low level laser) therapy is widely used. But I shall continue to investigate. Earlier this year, my doctor did suggest a low dose of elavil as it is very good for muscle spasms. I wasn't keen as this is a tri cylic anti depressant and I am just a bit scared of this class of medication. He told me that low doses are perfectly safe, but I am just a bit scared.

Just another question if you don't mind, did any special pillows make any positive difference to your neck muscle spasms. I've tried, memory foam pillows, special contour pillows - nothing really made a difference. So I just use an ordinary pillow which isn't too high and it's really not too bad. So I am keen to know your experience.

Thank you for your post.

Sumi

[noneck]

I'm not fond of elevil either with the side effects but they do make me feel better. I didn't know they weren't safe can you tell me what scares you about elevil. I know they have some side effects (dry mouth, loss of libido). I didn't know they may help spasms maybe thats part of why I feel better. Maybe elevil makes me feel better about having constant pain, hahahah. I'v tried every pillow out there and a regular pillow that is as thick as the distance from your shoulder to the side of your head. Not to thick and not to thin. Also find a good medical massage therapist or physical therapist for relief of the spasms. I've had 6 neck fusion and 2 low back fusions and don't want anybody to end up like this. Take that spasm seriuosly.

hope you feel better

[sumihari]

Hi noneck,

My doctor suggested a low dose elavil when I was constantly complaining of muscle tightness and spasms . I expressed my concerns with elavil or any other tri cyclic antidepressant as there were more cardiac issues with this class of drug. That was my concern . My doctor told me that the low doses are okay, it's apparently the high doses that can cause more problems.

With the massage therapists, that's another strange problem, whenever I get anyone massaging me I feel worse. Just having a nice warm shower is much more relaxing and walking is better. I know it's something got to do with poor posture, jaw clenching .

Agree that the height of the pillow seems of importance.

Thanks

sumi

[terri1234]

I can definitely feel your pain and I'm glad to hear someone else complain about muscle problems causing constriction and/or restriction.  Mine comes in the front of my neck and around my jaw and mouth muscles.  And like you say anxiety makes it worse because I get so self conscious about it.  I had a fusion and it didn't help that at all C-3 to C-7, but did help the arm pain.  I am still suffering basically from everything I had before the operation and I believe my face and jaw pain and restriction comes from my back spine problems, but Its hard to find a fix for it.  Relaxation like you say.  Keep us posted and maybe one persons relief potion will help another.  Thanks.

[sumihari]

Thanks terri,

Not many people understand neck pain until they have had it themselves. I think there is another post on this.

However, at times if the pain, or restriction etc is just our share of illness , then acceptance is probably the best. I find that the more I stress over the tightness , the worse it gets as we know that anxiety promotes muscle tension as well.

Having said that acceptance is still a learning process for me.

Sumi

[titch807]

I would recommend that you read the book by Robin Mckenzie  7 steps to a pain free life,.. I promise it will cure you ..It is my bible..Hope this is helpfull to you ,best wishes Brenda..

[noneck]

Sumi

Please don't believe some book will cure you. If books cure people it was in their head.

I'm soory for that post you recieved from titch807

Hope I Help

[sumihari]

Robin McKenzies's book  Interesting that this was mentioned. Though I don't have this particular book I have another book of his "Treat your own Neck". And since this post has brought some controversy, let me share my experience.

I bought "Treat your own Neck" almost 12 years ago when I had similar neck tightness and but probably not as bad as now. I had consulted doctors and physiotherapists and there was no improvement. But I followed the instructions in the book and I got rid of the tightness in the neck. I corrected my posture as well of course. I think I was tightness free after around 2 - 3 weeks and then stopped doing any neck exercises after 1 or 2 months. I did general movement exercises - very gentle stretches for the whole body. So the book did help in this instance.

I resorted to his book around 2 months ago but I don't think it helped much. But I noticed that a Dr Jolie Bookspan offers some advice and 2 of her basic stretches I have found to be very helpful. They appear to be safe. I don't particularly like to do neck exercises, I feel that this time around they just need some gentle range of movement which can be obtained by day to day activities.

Sometimes a book can cure a person , if the person's problems are not complicated. But even if a book cured a person and it was all in their head ie placebo effect, that is great. They get cured. Most modern pills don't cure people, it's the belief the person has whether the pill will work. I thank you noneck for your concern, but at times the cure might be in places where you least expect them to be. It is of course prudent to consult a doctor first to see that there are no other issues.

Thank you for your responses, and I would be curious to read your responses.

Sumi

[sumihari]

Hi ,

I am rather confused. Your profile says you are a 60 yo female and you have signed off as Brenda. This is consistent. Then in another post regarding shoulder blade , you mention you are a 57 yr male - signing off as Mick. As noneck pointed out - which one are you ? It is not a good idea to confuse posters here who already have a lot of pain and suffering.

Also McKenzies's book may be useful only if someone has been thoroughly checked out by a doctor and physio. Uncomplicated neck issues probably can be helped, but many posters here I notice have lots of complication, so this book and the McKenzie technique is not useful. This is just my opinion.

But as pointed out earlier, please clarify whether you are Brenda or Mick?

Thanks.

Sumi

[noneck]

Hi Sumi
I was a hard on them wasn't I. But as you also pointed I am taking my condition and most all others on this site seriously. I have had a lot of gimmicks suck me into gizmo's and cures for years and they always use the word cure. Cure is used way to loosely. But what you did say about placebo effect is very true, I have also used that to my benefit, anybody with a 25 year history of intractable chronic pain will know that. But placebo effect's definition is a (substance or procedure the patient accepts as medicine or therapy, but which has no specific therapeutic activity. Any therapeutic effect is thought to be based on the power of suggestion.) That's what I mean when I say it's all in someones head even if it's mine. I'm sorry if I insulted anyone that's not my intent. I should have explained it a little better. Also Sumi they are probably husband and wife, but in all fairness we all need to one person.

Hope I Still Help.

[sumihari]

It is understandable how frustrating it can be with people offering a miracle cure, book or otherwise.

No worries, have a good day.

Sumi

[mamaboulet]

Given that there are numerous reasons for muscles to remain tight or spasm, including many that don't have an underlying pathology (anxiety for example), why do you dismiss information that might help some people? I'm pretty open to PT and chiro solutions for muscle-related problems because i had a chiropracture completely "cure" a long term muscle spasm problem I had with one simple chiropractic maneuver. I've noticed that the tms people aren't welcome here either, even though some of the descriptions of problems I've seen here sound like maybe they belong over at the tmshelp forum.
Fusion is not the be all and end all of back treatment, as some people seem to think.

[noneck]

I have had physical therapists and chiropractors relieve a muscle spasm also. Most of us on this page have physical problems associated with anxiety caused by pain. Anxiety in people without pain cannot be relieved by a scientific clinician, they need different treatments. Clinicians can cure peoples spasm, not books. As you write you were cured by a clinician not a book you read. I am not saying books can't help there are many kinds of books that are helpful, in learning techniques to help cope and or exercise, but they will not cure any physical condition. No one is dismissing anything except that the word cure is used to loosely.
Believe me fusions are not the cure, they are done because the patient had the pathology that the fusion is nessary. as we all know one fusion causes the next. No one dismisses anyone just be careful with the word cure we have all herd it one time or another and we haven't been cured yet! What is tms?

Sorry I started this

[noneck]

I looked up tms Tension Myositis Syndrome. For most people on this site we have clinical pathology for pain. TMS and fibromyalgia is not what we have here. Yes they are on this site because they experience spine pain and it can be relieved by the same methods we use. No one is dismissing them they are just on the wrong forum and their methods cannot help us. Just because some wrote something doesn't mean it's true!

Still sorry I helped and I am going away because of this confusion. There is nothing here for my benefit but I thought I could help someone with clinical spine pain. 25 years and 8 spine surgeries says I have some experience with this.

Thanks noneck

[sumihari]

My neurologist has warned me not to consult chiropractors. So should I be open to suggestions since you had this miracle cure thorough chiropractic work ? Are you a fellow chiro?

Tension myositis Sydnrome, none of my doctors or physio's say I have this. They say I have a problem with my back, neck and jaw issues and so I decided to seek help in this forum. I think anyone is welcome to a forum if they think forum members can be of help.I think you were wrong in assuming that someone has a particular syndrome and telling them they are not welcome. I think that was just rude.

I am leaving this forum too. I still thank those other contributors to my post. My apologies if I have offended any other readers of this post.

[mamaboulet]

hmmm...I was merely disturbed that one poster completely dismissed another poster's comment and even apologized for the comment appearing. That just seems closed-minded to me. I have seen a continuum of back problems on this forum, from ones with no apparent pathology ( ie people say multiple tests show nothing out of the ordinary), to people with mild to moderate degenerative issues (many just due to aging, our sedentary lifestyles, our carrying that extra 20 or so pounds around, etc), to serious back problems. I mentioned my "cure" by a chiropractor because my check of the mentioned book suggested that chiropractic and pt principles were used in the book's thesis. Seems to me that people seeking information about back treatment on internet forums should have a sampling available to them, including non-invasive treatments like pt and chiropractic, alternative treatments such as acupuncture and some of the more clinically supported books, information about the strong effects of anxiety on the body, and of course the mainstream two-pronged treatments of surgery and pain management.
I'm just here scanning for general information because I'm developing some lumbar disc degeneration to accompany my lovely SI joint disorder. I'd like to see more conversation that doesn't involve surgery.

[mamaboulet]

btw, I never told somebody they were not welcome. I commented that the tms folks don't seem to be welcome, and that's too bad because there might be a few people here who have tms and could use the connection. just a thought.

[noneck]

Sept. 6 post by tich807 promised sumi a cure for reading a book. Thats where I "noneck" had a problem. Everybody is welcome everywhere but when people boast about cures we had herd that all too many times. You seem to be upset by thinking people aren't welcome here with TMS or Fibro. well mamboulet we don't have those conditions. We have all tried every alternative practice Chiro,PT,acupuncture, even voodoo and guess what we haven't got better. Enough of new age B.S.

sumi hopefully we can get back in touch later we are always registered here. But I really need to say I'm sorry sumi, for all this on your post.

Don't think I help anymore
my name is Brian