Head, face, neck, shoulder pain

[mcjay]

I've had a constant pain in my head, face, neck and shoulders for about 3 months. It never goes away although at times it's worse than others. My doctor tried me on Diclofenac and co-codamol and is now considering putting me on beta-blockers. I thought beta-blockers was for palpatations and hypertension, none of which I suffer from.

I wondered if anyone had similar pain and has any answers for me as to what could be causing it. The worst is a sort of shooting pain from the side of my neck up through my head and at times it's so bad I just have to sit as still as I can until it passes.

I know I've not given much info here but basically that is just it......constant pain! I hope any of you out there can give me any advice. Thanks.

[mcjay]

Thanks Sammy,
I'm unsure if my GP knows I tried to hang myself but the psychiatric team working with me do. I'm not assertive at all but I will try to persist with getting an MRI done through my GP, but if I'm honest I don't think they will take much notice because as I said they put any kind of physical symptoms down to my mental health.
You said you know the difficulties with the NHS, so do you live i the UK?
Thanks again Sammy xx

[silkcut]

Hi

Do your doctors know that you tried to hang yourself? You may have torn some crucial ligaments or even fractured a cervical vertebra.

I know the huge difficulties with the NHS (especially if you're an MHpatient and routinely ignored), but please INSIST on an MRI.

sammyx

[mcjay]

Hi,
Thanks so much for replying to me. I only managed to get back on the computer today and was delighted that someone was able to suggest things that may help. I will try to sleep with a towel under my neck and sleep on a hard bed.
My doctor changed my medication to celecoxib which like the others is not helping and I live in Scotland where our health care is provided from the government which is great in a sense but on the down side, I can't choose to go and see a neurologist, it has to be my doctors decision unless I went private which I could not afford to do.
Last year I was very down and tried to hang myself. Do you think it's possible that I could have done some damage there which is resulting in this pain? It's just constant, every minute of every day but as I have mental health issues I feel that all of my contacts within the health service relate any knid of physical symptom to my mental health and with this they are saying it's just down to tension.
Also, can lack of sleep make you have headaches? although as I said in my original post it's not just my head but my face and neck too. Do you think it could be down to tension?
(my blood pressure is normal).

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
There is a chance that you have compression of the spinal nerves in the cervical spine region. This can happen due to overuse of computers, work involving straining of neck, herniated disc, canal stenosis, bone disease, spondylosis, poor posture etc. Use a hard bed to sleep. Avoid a pillow. Roll a towel and place it under your neck while sleeping. Initially this will be uncomfortable but with time the acupressure will do wonders. Use an analgesic cream or spray. Anti-inflammatory drugs help. A good physiotherapist can teach you some exercises which will help you a lot. A MRI of the cervical spine may be required. Please consult a neurologist.
The treatment is to remove the compression. You have to discuss the best treatment option with a neurologist, which can range from medication to physiotherapy to traction, cervical collars or even surgery.
The other possibility is high blood pressure. Get your blood pressure checked.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!