Unexplainable pain/pressure/burning in head, neck and face

[Jenna4771]

Hi there!

My story is kind of long so I'm going cut a bit out and give what I believe are the most important factors. Any help or guidance or advice will be EXTREMELY appreciated. I'm at my wits end here...

In 2013, at 9 weeks pregnant I started experiencing pain in my ribs and back like I had never felt before. It felt as though they were catching fire and attempting to burn their way out of me. This lasted all pregnancy. After have my baby, the pain never went away, and I was back and forth on pain meds, going to PT, visiting with different doctors, and trying to figure things out. The pain radiated across the mid of my back, around to the front lower ribs and down my lower back into my hips.  

In 2015, again at around 8-9 weeks pregnant, my pain is completely gone. I go the entire pregnancy with absolutely none of my normal pain. I just have your typical sciatica pain the last 3 weeks.

Post second pregnancy, the pain returned full force. It was more spasms, more pinched nerves, covering my entire back and not just the mid to lower anymore. If I sneeze, it feels like all of my nerve endings fire off.

Since January, though, I now get severe stiff neck every single day. To the point where it causes a migraine and even tingling/pain/numbness in my face/cheeks.

I have been tested for many different autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases and they cannot seem to find anything. I really just cannot take this anymore. And I'm just hoping that maybe there is someone out there that has had similar circumstances and has gotten further than I have in the past 4 years.

Thank you!!

[specialmom]

Okay, this is an odd question but have you seen a chiropractor?  I was in a car accident many years ago and was left with a neck injury.  For years, it would tighten up and I'd get headaches.  The things that helped were the chiropractor who didn't adjust me but rather used this electrode machine that would pulse.  (he tried adjusting me but my injury is right at the top of my spine where it attaches to my skull and frankly, it freaked me out to have him manipulate that too much. Whiplash is a joy).  But what I really loved about the chiropractor is that he gave me a lot of information.  I knew if things were misaligned causing pain, etc.  And you may have something like that.  I also did physical therapy which I'd recommend for you.  They teach you stretches and do some massage and actually, mine gave me a small home version of the electrode equipment that sends pulses to the area to relax it to use on my own.  I also got stern lectures about going ahead and taking ibuprofen.  As this was a chronic issue, the second round of PT was about 5 years after the accident and I'd just had my second child and was nursing.  Was med free.  They wanted me to take ibuprofen and talked to me about how swelling and pain compound an issue.  So, take some ibuprofen.  And lastly, the thing that literally helped the most was medical massage.  Not the fu fu kind but someone that just works on an injury.  I went weekly, paid for by insurance for a year.  Sounds like bliss?  Well, it didn't feel good or bad at the time but after the session, the injured area was much better.  I'm 20 years out from the accident.  I get stressed and I can feel that area get tighter but I have my stretches and ice pad and head it off before I'm suffering much.  Hope this helps

[Jenna4771]

Thank you for your answer!! I have been to a chiropractor quite a few times and have my own TENS machine at home - they are amazing little things! I've also been to PT quite a bit. I also have protruding discs in my lower back that I am treated for regularly (which, initially, I thought maybe this all tied into!). As an update... I am now on topamax for the "migraines" which are daily and constant(they are always there and there is never a reprieve)-I have now had an epidural steroid injection in my back -which made things worse. I also had anesthetic injections (8 or 9) in the back of my head and down my neck, which was meant to numb temporarily, but did not work. Finally, I had a toradol injection, also as a temporary fix, that had no impact on the pain whatsoever. This week I am finally schedule for a lumbar puncture and, though obviously I would prefer everything to just disappear, I do hope to have some kind of answer.

Thank you so much for responding!!! Maybe I will see if I can get in with my chiro to see if he can provide some temporary relief.

[Jenna4771]

I Am not sure if you will get a notification for this, but I ended up going to a chiropractor just because I was so desperate to continue trying anything I could. It has only been two rounds, and there are other steps I have taken for other issues, but something is working. I also found out my cervical spine is pin straight, which is causing many of my issues. Little by little I am making some progress. Meds are being taking a little later in the day and that is huge. So I just wanted to say thank you so much again for your response!!