???? Immense Neck ache/ heavy head feeling ?????

[contactadam2002]

I’m 19yrs old and have never had the problem described below before, or anything similar.
I was working on my computer during late January of this year and most likely as a result of bending over the computer for 10min+ increments on many occasions throughout the days of 1 particular week, I later began to realize that my head felt heavy.  
I have not experienced any of the tingling feelings in my hands or blurred vision or dizziness. It is very difficult for me to turn my head to the right (left hand side muscles feel very tight), but not as hard to turn it to the left. My head basically wants to face diagonally downwards (slightly to the left) and it’s a 24/7 struggle to keep it up. The intensity can very from day to day with no discernable pattern ever being noticed. Generally it will range from an almost tolerable ache (which would be 5-7 out of 10 intensity) mainly in the left hand side of my neck, to an extremely unbearable ache whereby I cannot go for very long without some support under the neck such as a folded cushion (suffice it to say that when it’s 8+ intensity that I don’t get out and about much, if at all). For the first few months it was varied in intensity, then as of June-August it was more often a 6 or 7 intensity and just recently as a result of a pulled deltoid muscle from playing golf (think that’s what I did) the intensity has climbed to maximum intensity and has stayed there for a couple of weeks. It just seems as if the body is reluctant to heal this problem once it’s reached the mildest intensity (which has been 5/10 but never seems to last very long).I have tried my best to keep exercising the neck muscles and ensuring that I keep my head upright for as long as I can, but frankly it hasn’t helped in the last 3-4months I’ve been trying that. The best way I can describe it is that it feels like someone has strapped a set of weights to my head and that the neck muscles feel stretched or very week.
I generally find that it’s even more intense when I sit down (especially at the computer).


So far I’ve tried;
Seen Physio- neck exercises and massages (massges helped a tiny bit, but nothing noticeable)
Heat packs (slightly helpful, but more so when ache is near maximum intensity)
Pain killers (no help at all)
Acupuncture (no help at all)
Changing Sleeping arrangements- pillows, mattress, body position (no help at all)
Improving Posture (even over prolonged amounts of time there was no difference)
MRI scan (bones seem fine)

I’m not going to go on and on about how disruptive it’s been and how it’s ruined everything for me, but I am desperately seeking any relevant advice that may at least partially if not entirely alleviate me of this problem.

I have a hospital appointment with a specialist very soon, but until then I’d really appreciate any suggestions you have to offer. I’ll respond to any suggestions or questions within a few hours maximum.

Thanks

[mike1105]

He was unsure what upper crossed syndrome was ---told ya

possibility lead to him giving me Diazepam ---do you think this will make you better?  taking a drug will make your neck muscles feel good again???

to be given an injection that will attempt to reduce the pain
(possibly it's a muscle relaxant injection or something similar). dont even ask me about this-- you know what i will say.

He seemed to think that the primary problem could be the trapezius (after making me look up down and feeling my muscles etc)-- how bout that !!

neurologist was not necessary-of course not

There is still the possibility of doing a scan to look at the soft tissue and discs as well.---OF COURSE--MORE TESTS.

--look-- i am not your doctor, i am not even an MD as you know I am just a well read dentist who has been thru this **** and has done your research for you and given it to you graciously;. Go ahead and have a an MRI-- there will probably be some sort of finding(s) like herniations, stenosis, bone spurs, bulges, but unless you have DISTINCT symptoms (pain, numbness or weakness in a particular finger or in a particular nuerological distribution that correlates with a specific obvious finding on an MRI that affects a specific correlated nerve root and unless this can all be re-confirmed by EMG studies and other neurological tests.......then my advice is to try and fix this yourself with a few books, some reading, and alot of time on the stretching table and in the gym........

[contactadam2002]

Well I finally had the appointment and what I can say is this. Spine is definitely ok, the muscle spasms possibility lead to him giving me Diazepam and I am also scheduled to see a pain clinic (or something like that) to be given an injection that will attempt to reduce the pain (possibly it's a muscle relaxant injection or something similar). He was unsure what upper crossed syndrome was (but there are hundereds of syndromes in the back) and suggested that I might also need to revisit the physio and address the muscles more thoroughly. He seemed to think that the primary problem could be the trapezius (after making me look up down and feeling my muscles etc) and decided that referring me to a neurologist was not necessary. The trigger points statement you made was also helpful because that led him to believe that I was re-referred from the physio too quickly. In the mean time I'm going to buy one or some of those books you recommended and give them a go. There is still the possibility of doing a scan to look at the soft tissue and discs as well.

[mike1105]

my problem is isolated only to the neck so why would I need to strengthen my mid back (never had back issues)?

good question. If you have rounded posture 2 things have happenned-- a weak, rounded back with stretched out mid back muscles,, and a forwardly positioned head. in order to stand up straight and have your head positioned correctly over your spine, you have to standd stragiht-- to do this your mid back needs to be strong. you also have to wok the trigger points in your neck--espec scalenes, upper traps, and scms, and stretch these muscles. In other words, you have a front to back imbalance. the front is short and tight, the back (mid back) is weak and loose. so, to fix it you have to straighten back up-- you do this by loosening the neck and astrengtheneing the back. it is a front to back imbalance you need to corret. it has a name too-- Upper Crossed Syndrome.

[contactadam2002]

Yer I'll send the personnel messages next time, I know how now.

[contactadam2002]

I can understand the need for posture improvement (although I have had bad posture for many years and have thus struggled to improve it) my problem is isolated only to the neck so why would I need to strengthen my mid back (never had back issues)?

I know that there are many possible causes, but don't you think that since I went many years without any problems with my neck that this was a one off and was resultant of prolonged bending over in very difficult positions for one intensive week (I'd so like to maintain the belief that if I had never have spend days over that damn computer that I never would have been in that rare position which was possibly the sole cause of the problem)?
I'll look into the personnel messaging thing cause I'm not certain either.

[mike1105]

your problem sounds rerkably similar to mine. I would venture to say that mne was perhaps worse. I had pain in the neck (couldn't turn it at all) upper back and chest. couldn't raise my arms. everything was just ridiculously tight. all better now. tennis on the weekends, golf on fridays. you've got to get your body back where nature intended. lose excess weight, build your core, strengthen your mid back. release those nasty neck muscles. try it-- be diliginet for a few weeks nd do the stretches and exercises as often as you can.GET YOUR HEADS OVER YOUR SPINE AND KEEP IT THERE !!!!! Have good posture, like Jolie Bookspan says, ALL THE TIME-- not just when you exercise or remember it. Post any time -- i think you can send me a personal message thru this ste somehow--others have done it but i haven't figured that out yet !!