post op pain in the neck

[nsalem656]

Trying to keep laughing. Hope anyone reading the post got the joke of the topic. Anyways, before leaving the hospital my neck pains were pretty much gone and I wasn't on anything stronger than an ice pack (giggles). Now that I've been hope I can't seem to get rid of the pain. Ice packs are hard to use on the neck. I'm still not able to take asprin products because of the damage done to the esophagus due to vomitting so that's out. Tynenol and I are old friends but it doesn't always work when I need it. I hate narcotics though I can get my doctors to prescribe them like candy. (Probably because I don't ask often enough for them to question it.) Anyone have suggestions. I think the reason for my neck pains coming back was because of the way I've been sleeping. I heard of the chiari pillow but I don't know if it's worth the investment. Anyone use it post op?

[irislita]

I agree with selma we are afraid of pain and dont move our necks and it gets totally stiff.maybe a muscle relaxer at night could ease some of the pain

[nsalem656]

I'm the patient that was in the hospital for a month that's why I eventually stopped taking the painkillers though I made the mistake of not asking for the neck meds just to find out it was muscle relaxants. I was going to ask my primary for a refill when I found out what it was. My surgery was june 27. I'm less than 3 months post op. I've been moving my neck just not exercising it. My insurance hasn't made seeing pt easy so that I know which ones to do and which ones not too. My first appointment isn't till next tuesday and that's for the eval. OT is a problem because the only place that does it outpatient calls it hand therapy literally. I'm still waiting on them to call back. Weird thing, I accidently walked into the japenese fast food without my walker to get water today. Good news is nothing happened, but I'm still feeling to unstable to walk outside my house without the walker. Other good news I got my appetite back. I also lost 29 pounds since pre surgery. :) YIPPEE

[selmaS]

  Hi...when it comes to the Chiari pillow we r all diff and I have heard both good and bad for it, if u  can afford it u may want to try it, but if u do not like it can u afford to set that much aside? I found it easier to go and try diff pillows...we do have several threads on this topic with links to pillows others found at a decent price....use the search this community feature to locate those threads.

How far post op r u? What r u doing on a daily basis? As we heal if we do not move the neck the muscles can get tight and cause pain, u have to move them and do the exercises.....

Use heat b4 u do the exercises and again when u complete them.....

And approx 3 months post op some symptoms do reoccur , not sure when u had ur surgery off the top of my chiari brain so not sure where u r at...and not sure y u did not use meds post op...this is something everyone else does for a few weeks at min.