persistent neck pain and headache

[iceman0201]

hi, im a 36 year old male, father of 2 boys, this is my second post, been having neck pains as long as i can remember, occasional headaches but about 4 months ago, the headaches became daily, starts upon awakening slowly disappears after a couple of hours then back again, the pain is just mild to moderate, no throbbing or pounding, starts at the the base at the back of my skull then goes to my temples then my forehead down to my eyebrows,or vice versa i get occasional pain and numbness below my cheek and arms,occasional dizzines but thats it, NO VOMITING, NO SEIZURES, NO SLURRED SPEECH, NO VISUAL DISTURBANCE,  aside from the fact that i have a slight nearsightedness, thats it, this ache is really making me anxious, went to my gp found nothing, sent me to an ophtalmologist, still found nothing wrong, x rayed my neck found nothing wrong with my neck,  i do get a little relief with my neck pain and headache everytime i extend or hyperbend my neck till i get a crackle in the joints, this headache making me nuts... really need help

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
Thank you for keeping us updated. I hope through this, you will help many headache sufferers also by letting them consider complementary and alternative medicine when hope seems lost. Take care always and God bless.

[iceman0201]

im at my 6th session now in acupuncture, i dont want to go in advance or maybe feel good out of desperation,  but the truth is is that the pain actually lessened, both the headache and the neck pain though its still there daily, but it lowered by half the intensity, hope when this acupuncture sessions are done so will the aches and pains, if not at least down it by half, ill post again on my 10th session to let you guys know what next, crossed fingers and God bless

[iceman0201]

i did my second session today, i think im going this through up to the last session, crossed fingers and hoping this'll work, ill post again after the last seession and talk bout the results, God bless

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
That is good to hear! The National Institute of Health has been conducting researches about complementary and alternative medicine such as acupuncture and they do have positive results or improvements. Acupuncture have been working for a long time and for plenty of headache sufferers and I hope that your pain will indeed be decreased or cut in half. Wish you all the best and luck. Take care and do keep us posted.

[iceman0201]

i went to the acupuncturist yesterday, dont know if this is just a placibo or its the real thing but i feel a bit good today, the neck pain actually felt lower, he said ive got 9 more sessions to go, im going back tommorrow, hope this works, cutting the pain by half would really be a big help both the headache and the neck pain, wish me luck

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
Complementary and alternative medicine such as biofeedback, relaxation techniques, self-hypnosis and acupuncture have been effective to some headache sufferers. You can try these and see if they work for you. Hang on and do keep u posted.

[hava]

Just do the anulom vilom 30 minutes twice a day as I suggested and let me know how you feel.
Later I will give you more breathing techniques to do. Concentrate on this.

[iceman0201]

just came back from another neurologist for a second opinion, still didnt find anything wrong in my physical, he said its just tension headache due to my neck pain, this time he gave me an alprazolam, he said to stop taking celecoxib which was given by the first neurologist, he said that it was useless... hays, dont know what to do, the ice pack worked a bit, ok ill try that brreathing technique you suggested, try anything long as it works, should i try acupuncture too?

[hava]

You need extra oxygen in the body. Start this breathing technique today(twice a day) and you will notice a difference in 9 days.Drink warm water.
Build up your timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after one minute.
Anulom Vilom –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril  
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril  
then -keeping the left nostril closed  deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30  minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years – do 5 to 10 minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.

[iceman0201]

ok, ill try that, tnx, ill post in a few days on the results on ice packs, see if ill get some relief, tnx again

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
You can have another opinion if it does not improve. X-ray may not show all the structures within the area that may be causing the pain that is why further imaging studies may be indicated.  In some cases, muscle strain caused by cervical causes may lead to pressure on nerve roots and can cause headaches also, especially at the back of the head. Try to relax the muscle, ice packs and pain medications may also help.

[iceman0201]

but having this headache almost everyday like 5 days a week is it part of the package from a daily chronic headache caused by neck pain? though the pain is mild and not disabling, im still a bit concerned, should i get another opinion?

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
If this is the case,  cervical MRI will help determine the diagnosis. It is good that the neurological examination was normal. While waiting, try to avoid triggers to prevent recurrences. Exertion headaches may occur unexpectedly in patients with primary headaches even if there is no history of it at all. Hang on and do keep us posted. Take care always.

[iceman0201]

but ive been doing the exercise for almost two years now whereas the daily headaches just came about 4 months ago and never went away since, i went to a neurologist yesterday, he took a physical exam of me and saw no problemin my motor responses, he thinks might be pinched nerve, says he might want me to take an mri of my cervical spine...

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? It is good that the tests  were fine.  Exertion Headaches may present with generalized head pain of short duration during or following physical exertion such as running, jumping, or sexual intercourse. Majority are related to migraine or cluster headaches.  This is commonly treated with pain medications  before the activity. However, extensive testing is necessary to determine the underlying cause.Try to avoid jarring exercises to prevent future attacks. While it is true that the headache disappears during the activity, it returns after which is usually more painful. Take care and do keep us posted.

[iceman0201]

oh and i do exercise regularly, i jog at 45 mins everyday or if its raining outside i do stationary cycling for an hour, weird thing is whenever i exercise, all pain goes away, then comes back after in a few minutes im done with exercise, wish i could just run all day so the pain wont come back hehe