neck pain

[sully22]

I'm recently dx, April 2011. I've suffered on and off in the passed with neck pain, it hurts just to hold my head up. Does anyone else suffer from this? Is this even a symptom of ms? I feel like things I ignored in the past may have been symptoms that I didn't realize.

  Terry

[twopack]

Here's the Health Page.  It is excellent information written for us by Dr. Quix.  She makes all things understandable.

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/Muscle-Tone-And-Spasticity/show/159?cid=36

Mary

[twopack]

Maybe MS, maybe not MS.  It wouldn't really be considered a symptom of MS but it sure could be related to spasticity.  It could be another problem entirely too, so you need to get it checked out.

I had a recent increase in spasticity and upper extremity weakness with an exacerbation.  One of the worst spots for spasms was the muscles of my neck.  I specifically remember wishing I had one of those collars to wear to help hold the weight of my head.  The effort involved in keeping it upright and steady seemed to add to the spasms and fatigue.

It's better now but I've noticed a big increase in creaking and snapping sounds every time I turn my head.  I'm thinking those spasms put too much torque on my arthritic vertebrae and everything is trying to snap-crackle-pop back into place.  Hummm, maybe I shouldn't be too eager to back down off the higher baclofen dose ordered during the flare.

Have you read the Health Page on muscle tone and spasticity in MS?  It seems to have become a theme here tonight.  I'll post a link after I sign off this.  See if anything there seems to fit and then ask one of your doctors to evaluate.  No point in suffering silently -- no matter what the cause.

Sorry you were drafted into the MS club but glad you came to our clubhouse to hang out.  Hope you'll decide to hang out and introduce yourself.

Mary

[Deb61]

I think I get spasticity in my neck.  It is so tight and painful at times.  My sister, who also has MS, has this problem as well.  I've posed questions related to this before, but I've never figured out if the two things are related.   I do like to blame MS for everything, but neck issues are really quite common as one gets older.  

[doublevision1]

I have experienced neck pain as part of my MS; it happened along with a whole host of other symptoms that came on over a period of several days, that led to my diagnosis in 2007.  It started the same time as the MS hug/banding sensation around my ribcage.  IVSM relieved both of these particular symptoms.  The hug is back now but I never had that neck pain again.  I recall it felt like tension, like a rubber band tugging when I would turn my head from side to side.

Of course as Lu says it could be as a result of other causes, not necessarily MS.  Best to get it checked out if it lingers.

[Lulu54]

Hi terry and welcome to the club that no one wants to join.  Having MS is an interested place to be - it is easy to blame everything on this MiSerable disease, when the truth is we can still have lots of other things happening to our bodies.

Anything is possible with MS, but I would guess that your neck pain is probably muscular skeletal related and not coming from the central nervous system.  Have you talked to your doctor about this problem?  I would.  Neck and spine pain can make life miserable.

Welcome again - I hope we'll see you around.
Lulu