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Neck pain near neck muscles and spine

I have been having terrible neck pain the past few months. My MRI was negative, xrays were good, yet leaning my head down while preparing food, working on a computer, or any forward head motion makes my neck tight. I am not sure what to do at this point, but right now the neck stress sometimes switches from the left to right side, but it has mainly been on the right. Any ideas what this can be?
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Avatar universal
Get copies of not only the reports but the actual images. Make sure they did an MRI With and Without Contrast! They all usually prove nothing and a Physical Therapist can probably diagnose you better. However, they do that as older people (im a college student) have injuries that are consistent with bulging discs, spinal stenosis, etc. Its a stretch but it does happen.

Bring them All to your PCP and Ortho. When they say...im a surgeon, not a pain clinic... get them to sign the paperwork and complete the referral. That is really required before they will do anything and Anesthesiology (pain management) has a really great method of treating patients. They can even do procedures to help relieve pain but that initial appointment will be the Best 2 hours spent in a doctors office.
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Avatar universal
OMG the "right chair" is sooo important. A Ball may be better to sit on as you learn how to keep your balance and use those muscles correctly... much better than those stack chairs that give us incredible pain
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Avatar universal
**Edit

Physical Therapy==Aquatic Therapy, Heat, Neuromuscular Retraining, Head Deweighting... Relaxing is very difficult for us to do, and the good ones know how to relieve our pain completely...even if its just for a little while. One really MUST do this at least 2x a week and get it as long as you can.

An IF TENS unit may be helpful, but depending on where you put them and the number of pads you can get, this therapy can go either way.
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Avatar universal
Hi Everyone. I know Exactly what you are all suffering from and I have been dealing with this for 3 years.

It is called Myofascial Pain Syndrome. This is caused by muscle weakness due to posture and other factors. The pain IS treatable but takes a lot of trials, and you must see a pain clinic for this.

Specifically, the Trapezius Muscle has a lot to do with this, a large muscle in your back. However, pain can range from mid head down and around the neck, out to the shoulders, and down to T6. [Mid Back]

This is generally treated with:

Anti-inflammatories
Narcotic Pain Medication
Transdermal Cream
Muscle Relaxants
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7721494 tn?1431627964
Yes, all that you mention is important.

If you work at a desk all day, make sure that your workarea is properly adjusted to your height. Computer monitors should be at eye level, mouse and keyboards as low as possible, and use of wrist rests are all necessary to avoid repetitive injuries causing pain to the neck, shoulders, and hands. And, it all depends on using a good chair that allows you to place your feet on the ground while providing support for the arms, upper legs, and lower back. This chair should be adjustable.

Many large companies have ergonomic experts who can help setup your workstation, however, if you have no such help, do what you can to make working more comfortable.
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Avatar universal
I think I understand what you are suffering from. I have to work on computers for hours and I've suffered from back and neck aches. If you don't have a choice to avoid working like that then you should take care of few things; proper posture, regular exercise to your body (simple ones which you can do being in your workstation), take small walk (4 to 5 times daily) within your office, drink lots of water. These are just precautions that will help you avoid severe damage to your body.
Massage therapy, say once in 4 months, can really help your body revive from the whole lot stress that gained because of the work. The stiffness of your muscles will no longer be a problem. I've started getting my therapy from Dynamic Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic, Mississauga, after suffering from the pain for almost 6 months.
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Avatar universal
Thanks
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Avatar universal
It is a good idea to get a copy of the report on the mri . One doctor thought mine wasn't bad, the next doctor says you have spinal stenosis and herniated disc . But if you are having pain something is wrong.
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7721494 tn?1431627964
Soft tissue injuries do no appear on xray. Many do not appear on MRI.

Bad posture at the computer is often the cause of neck, shoulder, and arm pain. Many companies have experts at adjusting the workstation so that you don't develop a repetitive stress injury.

You may also benefit from working with a chiropractor or physical therapist.
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