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Pain in neck/upper spine when tilting head backwards

I've had this problem for quite a while now. I'm a 26 year old male. I have a desk job but never suffer from any pain while at the desk or afterwards. The cause may be from weight training that I started 8 months ago, although I never felt any pain in any of the gym sessions or had a sore neck or upper back afterwards.

I only noticed the problem when I was flossing my teeth before bed one night and tilted my head back to get a better angle. When it was almost all the way back (as far as it would go normally) I noticed a pain/hard ache in the back of my neck/upper spine. Around where the crease develops between the head and upper back when tilting the head back. If I had to pinpoint it I'd say it's near the top of the spine but not quite in the neck. About where the last couple of vertebrae are that you can feel if you massage your upper spine.

I kind of forgot about it as the pain was only present in that certain position and as it's an uncommon position it doesn't affect my lifestyle. However I'd say it's been present for at least a few months.

Anyway, the reason for this post is that I went to a physio as I had a little bit of ulnar nerve twinges in my left elbow/tricep after working out. He then worked on my neck 'to relieve pressure'. His techniques were kind of pulling on my head from behind (when I was lying down) and poking in the neck area.

Unfortunately in the week after this I had pain in both arms and some tingling in my right little finger. He'd obviously caused a lot of irritation to the ulnar nerve where it originates in the neck.

I've just had 4 weeks off all exercise and am feeling better, although the pain in my neck is still there and is a bit worse than before thanks to the physio (but again only when tilting my head back).

I went to another physio and he just said that my nervous system was extremely irritable (thanks to what the other guy had done) and it should calm down after a couple of weeks. It's a week later and I'm feeling much better from a nerve point of view, but the pain in my upper spine/neck is concerning.

Does anyone know what this could be? How to get rid of it? Who would be the best person to see for treatment?

My experience is that physical therapists are pretty much useless unless used for rehab/sports injuries etc, it's just trial and error for anything else. Doctors are clueless and just send you for scans, and I don't think a scan would reveal anything as I'm fine doing everything else apart from tilting my head back. I'm also a bit dubious of chiropractors as they are the same as physios and from my recent experiences I don't want to risk having manual therapy to make things worse again. I realise this doesn't leave many options left but any first hand experience or advise would be appreciated.
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Avatar universal
REAL HELP
I know this is years later than the original post, but try this.... I have arthritis at c5/c6 from forward head position due to a posterior tongue tie. so over the years, the way that I would tilt my head backward was like this: leading with the upper back portion of my head and bending my neck at about the c3/c4 vertebra, putting the weight of my head on the very back of my spine. What helped to lessen the pain was to first stretch out the lower neck which had been taking the brunt of the force. I did this by holding my neck and head completely still and in alignment and only bending backwards at the lowest joint of my neck, that joint should be THE ONLY part of your head/neck that moves. You will hear a ton of adhesions popping, don't be scared, it doesn't hurt and will make you feel a good deal better. from then on, just be aware of the need to slightly bend every joint in your neck when tilting your head instead of just severely tilting one joint.
Helpful - 1
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I also, now, sleep with only a hand towel, folded in half lengthwise and rolled up under my neck, on my back with two pillows under my thighs. only wake up with the slightest ache.
Avatar universal
I had similar problems and had also been diagnosed with fibromyalgia in the past.  I saw a great doctor who ordered a positional MRI of my neck. It  was normal in the flexed forward and neutral positions but in extension (tilted back) my spinal cord was being pinched to a diameter of 4.6mm. It is called positional cervical cord compression. I had it surgically corrected. You may want to research this and ask your doctor about it.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Yes, you need to go see your doctor and get an MRI done. I had this exact situation happen and it wasn't until they saw on the   MRI that I had a compressed spinal cord. Which is that sharp pain you're feeling at the base of your neck top of your spine. If I were to guess I would say vertebrae  C4C5C6… in also explains the tingling of your arms, when your nerve is pinched the causes tingling, when your spinal cord is compress a can cause paralysis. I urge you to get checked. I waited around and by the time I found out what was going on I am now waiting to go into surgery on the 23rd of this month. Do not wait I hope you feel better good luck :)
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Avatar universal
I've had this problem for the past 3 years. One morning, I woke up, and had a sharp pain in my neck, exactly where you described. At first it was any time I moved my head, now it's whenever I tilt my head back. I've been to numerous doctors and spinal centers, some are clueless, some suggested it's a form of arthritis. One doctor even said that it could have been as simple as a fan blowing air on me in my sleep, and I just slept at the wrong angle. None of the pills or medication they gave me helped in the slightest.
I'm also 26, was 23 when it happened, and it's been a constant struggle every single day, every single moment since then. I'm never not in pain. Like Sharbee said, at times it's so unbearable that I now understand suicide. I don't know how I'm going to live the rest of my life with this chronic pain.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I've had this problem for the past 3 years. One morning, I woke up, and had a sharp pain in my neck, exactly where you described. At first it was any time I moved my head, now it's whenever I tilt my head back. I've been to numerous doctors and spinal centers, some are clueless, some suggested it's a form of arthritis. One doctor even said that it could have been as simple as a fan blowing air on me in my sleep, and I just slept at the wrong angle. None of the pills or medication they gave me helped in the slightest.
I'm also 26, was 23 when it happened, and it's been a constant struggle every single day, every single moment since then. I'm never not in pain. Like Sharbee said, at times it's so unbearable that I now understand suicide. I don't know how I'm going to live the rest of my life with this chronic pain.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Have you tried meds specifically for nerve pain like neurotin? Silly question yes but many doctors go to pain killers however pain killers don't kill nerve pain. There is nothing worse than nerve pain. With neurotin it starts at 100mg and you can go as high as 2,400mg in a day.
Avatar universal
I am having a similar experience, please if you see this comment, tell me the diagnosis and prognosis
Helpful - 0
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I have been having the same issue for about 1.5 years. It was horrible when it started, I couldn't relax my left arm as I would get sharp pain in my neck and back. Now it only hurts when I look up. I seem to feel like something is wrong with my back muscles after stretching my neck...
Avatar universal
I've experienced this pain for 2 1/2 months.  It's the worst pain I've ever had.  I can only sleep with sleeping pills.  It takes everything I have to endure a day at work.  I finally got an MRI and learned I have a herniated disc between C5 and C6.  Like you, at times it's so unbearable that I now understand suicide.  Please seek out a neurosurgeon for the correct help!  Hang in there!
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Sharbee....I just found out that I have a problem with the C5 and C6 ...after 3 weeks of hell.  He said the edges of the disks were jagged and also arthritis had set in.  My soreness is on the left hand side of my neck and pain that radiates down the arm and into the shoulders.  He suggested physio and gave me some painkillers as laying down at night kills me.  I also take naproxen and a muscle relaxant.  He said it will pass but will come back again.  I also felt suicidal at one point especially when I got spasms at night.  I find hot water helps and/or a heating pad.  Many nights I fell asleep with a cold facecloth on my neck.  I alternate between hot and cold.  Hoping this will go soon but who knows ...been 3 weeks now.
Avatar universal
have the same prob just thought id google it and it seem there is no diagnostic..... i have seen an osteo as i had back problems a month or so after, she didnt fix it on either visit, back healed tho...... the pain hurts when i tilt my head back and more so the more i tilt my head back to the right, pain is in the same place had it about 15 months maybe more.... i knw this isnt serious cuz the time frame but its still annoying as hell..... lemme knw what u find..........im male, age 21.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm in so much pain every day, to sleep I have to sit in the bathtub, holding the shower head on my head spraying hot water on my head and kneck, i suffer chronic migraines every day of my life. Tilting my head backwards is the only way yo lessen this headache. I sleep every night in the bathtub full of hot water spraying a shower head on myself.
I find the heat helps lessen the pain, but it doesn't stop the pain, as soon as I stand up or straighten my head I am in ago and feels like my head I going to explode. I cry every single day, I left my job, my partner left me because she cannot see me like this. Watching or hearing my crying every day 9-10 times a day for a long time, I don't know what else to do, frankly if I had the bollox ir the means I would kill myself. I cannot cope anymore and the reply for the docs is , take some paracetomal. I'm sorry but I've been buying under the counter morphine and although i am out of my mind, the pain is still thier, it never stops I shake my head when it feels like it has gone, but I can feel it I can feel the headache at bay ready to start again  please someone help me please I'm begging you I'm begging for help. Something must be be done. I haven't slept in a bed for 2 years, I sleep in a bathtub clutching the shower.
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4 Comments
Call on god. Jesus will heal you. He loves you and all things are possible to those who believe.  I'm praying for you. God bless and be healed
I have whats called pseudo tumor Cerebri, or intercranial hypertension. You need a spinal tap to confirm it. Its the only thing that causes this kind of dibilitating pain that pain meds dont touch. Please go see an er doctor or neurologist and ask them to do the tap to see if your spinal pressure is high causing this. If so, you can take a diuretic called diamox to drain the fluid. Takes a week or two but once its in your system u will finally feel relief.
Look into the benefits of deer antler it is great for repairing nerve damage tissue muscle damage also lions mane..also at the same time each day spray magnesium and msm oil combined into the area thats painful it will get rid of the inflamation naturally as well as helping to repair because its topical yr body just takes what it needs so its not like ingesting it.
Also b vitamins b12 and if u can stretching excersices little bit at a time this will jelp re align the spine and help release blockages.
Theres no point in masking this u really need to focus on repair.
You can do it, i really feel for u pls dont give up.
My friend, I have had similar migraine problem too. Non stop, in some periods once every two days, sometimes two days on the row, other times more. I was vomiting multiple times to feel relief and be able to sleep. The problem appearred in a very young age and it was appearing and disappearing through my whole life, especially in times of stress. Finally  I changed completely my life-style because nothing else had worked before and in the end I was even examined for cancer. I have been vegan 100% already for 10 years now, and this was clearly for ethical reasons, but what really made a tremendous difference in my life was meeting my naturopathist mentor (through the youtube) and coming in contact with the filosophy of naturopathy, I found so reasonable the idea that our bodies have been self-constructed through millions of years of evolution having as their priority their health, therefore their survival. Our bodies themselves are the only ones who can self heal therefore, if we only let them do their job, without intervenning and harming them. The human animal has been so far from its natural life-style during the last years, and the result of that is chronic sickness and pain. The last 3 years I moved to the country-side. I started juicing  leafy greens and drinking green juices daily, have a meal of fruits daily, half of my nutrition is raw, not-cooked, I stopped snacking, and stopped consuming processed foods,  exercise an hour per day whole body, especially upper body. Eating my last meal, close to the sunset time.  Sleeping at 10pm, starting the day at 5 in the morning. One day per week juice-fasting. (Means no food, only juices or water for 24-36 hours.) All these, in my current understanding, immitate the ways that  the human animal has been living for millions of years, in nature. In the meanwhile I have been working daily for 10-16 hours, building a vegan restaurant with my hands and those of my partner.  Of cource spiritual practice is essential to. The head-aches became very rare, it's two years now, but the last 5 months, that I understand more, there fore I practice more, they are totally gone. Most importantly I feel more vibrant now, more productive, more giving, a better human being. I finally trust the creation of God or the Self again. I hope this finds you and helps you to start studying, practice and heal and finally help many others too. Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.'' Fat, sick and nearly dead'' documentary, is also a good introduction. Fare well, friend.
Avatar universal
I have the same problem of the first gu,but mine happened cause I was playing football and some guy hit me through the back,and I heard a pop on my neck,it's barely been like 3days,but when I'm standing straight and tilt my head back it hurts
Helpful - 0
7721494 tn?1431627964
Hello Ryan, I see that you are following up on a post you left a three years ago.

I don't quite understand what happened between 2012 and your truck accident, but I do understand that chiropractic care and swimming you have been doing for 6 months is helping your pain. This is good.

Many mild spine syndromes improve with exercise, and soft tissue manipulative therapy.

Perhaps that truck accident was a blessing in disguise?

Best wishes.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I've been seeing a chiropractor for the past 6 months since I was in car accident. A truck rammed me from behind at traffic lights. It didn't seem to make my problem much worse but the insurance paid for the treatment. I've also been swimming in the ocean during spring break with my son and summer with my club. The problem seems to have got better with this life style. I don't know if it's the doctor or the swimming but it's doing the trick. I hope this update will help people with the same problem.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Same issues except mine is tilting left to right & turning head too far. It's been over 6 months. I've done chiropractic massage steroids & now have an mri on Thursday. Ido what else to do. Pain is in both sides of my neck identically but right side is way worse.  Have heat/tingling/numbing in right arm & pinky. Please please if anyone had anything to add please let me know!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The inflammation would 'drain' down my arm, through my elbow (which seemed to sell and open to allow this, and down through my second finger. I spent years spinning my wheels with doctors before finding something that helped. Everything I am reading from you all is familiar. The trigger points nearly made me suicidal. I almost can't believe the daily pain I was in. Good luck...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It is inflammation. I had the same exact problem. After a while the inflammation caused the muscles to lock, but the primary issue was removing the swelling. I also had a knot under my scapula that seemed to be "locking" all the swelling in. I got a strong anti inflammatory to clear the knot and have been able to push the swelling out with lots of icing and stretching.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I hate to sound like a broken record here, but I too have the exact same problem - extreme pain/stiffness in the top of my spine and neck area that is very irritated by looking up. It also keeps me up at night and hurts so much when I try to get up out of bed, that I literally use my hands to hold my head to alleviate the weight stress on my neck. Chirp was useless and x rays came back negative. I start PT in one week, but wonder is there any relief in sight???
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I to have same problem with my neck I had philosophy  after two sessions it was a lot better neck stretches help I was doing ok till two days ago spent 20mins on my rowing machine and the pain is back I allso do a lot of knitting,
I realised I need do do neck stretches first .
Stretch out fully I find swimming front crall is the best for me as breaststroke throw you neck back I am a great swimmer and I am going back swimming next week  suffer ed most of last year with my neck , I am not letting myself get like that again Hope this helps other people to find a
Elaine
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
my hypothesis is that it is all due to muscle weakness and poor posture and the sensitive place people are finding themselves these days. Luckily there are many posture correction techniques and strength training exercises.  A combination of the muscular strength and knowledge about posture will give you the basic tools to avoid becoming slouched over your mobile device while your back neck and shoulder muscles slowly deteriorate with every cup of coffee, exposing your weak and maligned spine to the pain that comes from vertebrae stacked on top of one another with no muscular support, and in many cases an actual pulling downward of the head for extended periods of time, over and over again, neck bent the wrong way as it should remain in an upright position with a slight curve back in the opposite direction.  The discs between each vertebrae that keep things cushy start to get compressed and put pressure on the nerves inside the cord!  Love the cord people please.  Many adjustments, electronic devices, balls, rollers, chair lumbar supports, yes yes yes whatever it takes.  But workout the back like 2 - 3 times a week and become a strong person.  Otherwise, you can stay very weak but you will likely have to live with bony shoulders and very gentle activity.  One night of drinking and sleeping on that neck wrong could throw you into a fizzy and you will be fighting with your friends and neighbors and coworkers.  You will only want to sleep and then when you are away you will likely only want coffee.  You will go to yoga which will work, but seems like you are still very sensitive.  I think the only true way is to develop back muscles and a strong core to give you that killer posture.  Then you need to maintain that and get over the whole tight little girl muscles that you probably have (somewhere in there).  Speaking to myself here, not anyone in the forum in specific.  Hope this helps.
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Avatar universal
I have a simler problem. It changes a bit everyday actually. The pain feels like soarnes. But I have no reason to be sore. I haven't been working out (lazyness). The pain is in my shoulders, back, and neck. It gets a lot worse at night, which is very annoying. When I tilt my head down the feeling is simler to pulling of hamstrings. I don't understand what's wrong since I'm only 14.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have a simler problem. It changes a bit everyday actually. The pain feels like soarnes. But I have no reason to be sore. I haven't been working out (lazyness). The pain is in my shoulders, back, and neck. It gets a lot worse at night, which is very annoying. When I tilt my head down the feeling is simler to pulling of hamstrings. I don't understand what's wrong since I'm only 14.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was dusting the overhead fan, I tilted my head back and had the biggest badest headache in the world, and it went behind both my eyes what on earth is happening, I fell in my bathroom last year and cracked my head on the cabinet it took weeks to get better and now this.
is this related in any way?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have the same problem also. pain just wont go away took advil, ty, aleve. still
didn't work for me. So one day I visit my mom she said what's wrong with you, then she said go see your dad which he's a doctor. buster. j/k. so I went to see my dad and he just says lay down front forward and acupuncture me told me to come back every week same day i was there. so it worked  NO MORE PAIN. So try it see if it works for you. never trusted my dad so now i do. took me 7 years. don't wait. so don't be going and getting surging done to your neck or spinal cord in till you find out what it is. or you're regret it
Helpful - 0
1994812 tn?1382902049
I had many of the symptoms described here and had occult tethered cord.  It took 3 years to get the diagnosis and I did a lot of physical therapy, massage, and chiropractic/osteopathic manipulations with no results.  Was told it was a muscoskeletal issue or a whiplash injury or a mental illness.  Nothing explained how it moved from being a shoulder problem to a full body problem.  

I had full body spasms when I tilted my head back or look down.  I still have it to a lesser degree as I am 2 months post op and theres still much healing to do (nerves heal slow).  So anyone in here, with clean cervical MRI but still have neck pain, try a thoracic and lumbar mri to see if you have a tumor or tether or any other progressive disease!
Helpful - 0
1994812 tn?1382902049
You could have a Cervical Herniated Disk, chiari, or a tethered spinal cord.  Get an MRI!
Helpful - 0
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