Major pain in the neck

[miza_b]

I've posted on here before, but some things have changed and I just wanted to start a fresh post on this.  I was wondering if anyone has had experience with something called SCM Syndrome or Scalene Myofascial Pain Syndrome.  I've done a lot of searching and have seen a lot of doctors and this sounds exactly like what I've been experiencing and living with for the past three years.

Most recently, I went through six weeks of physical therapy, which did next to nothing to relieve my symptoms.  They did, however, discover that my Scalene muscles on both sides of my neck were extremely tight.  They were so tight, in fact, that the left ones were dislocating my first rib.  They had never seen anything this bad and tried to help me as best as they could, but were unable to do much.  Since I have stopped going to physical therapy, I've continued to do the exercises they prescribed to me, but the symptoms have kept getting worse.  It is to the point that I am considering short term disability until I can get some relief.

My symptoms include
- Constant bilateral headache
- Constant neck pain and stiffness
- Constant jaw and face pain
- Pulsating of my Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles
- Facial numbness
- Electrical shocks in my eyes ( this is probably the worst feeling)
- Feeling of someone shoving my head to the left
- Tightness in my sinuses and throat
- Ear pain and a feeling of fluid in my ears
- Vertigo
- Tightness at the sternum causing difficulty breathing
- Bilateral arm pain and numbness
- Muscle spasms extending down my spine from my neck

I have tried telling doctors what I think it is and they don't listen and go off on their own thing, which turns out wrong.  I haven't been able to find much about SCM syndrome or Scalene Myofascial Pain Syndrome, but I have found somethings and have printed it out.  If anyone could point me in a direction, I would be very appreciative.  I don't know how much more of this I can take.  I've been to the ER and they just act like I'm nuts and looking for drugs.  So far drugs have had no effect on this.

HELP?

[miza_b]

Thank you for your reply.  I regularly have pain in both arms and into my thumb and index fingers.  I was told that this was due to a small disc protrusion that I have at C3 - C4.  I stated in my previous post that I do get numbness in my hands.  This is usually felt in my finger tips and below the finger nails.  While I currently do not have chest pain, I have had it in the past.  It was so bad, in fact, that I had to go to the Emergency Room several times because I thought I was having a heart attack.  I guess, since I know it isn't serious, I don't get worked up about it anymore.

I have a question about the lymphedema that you mentioned.  Would it be limited to arms, or could it spread?  The reason I ask this, is that I have had swelling in my arms, chest, and abdomen for several months, but it only occurs at night.  When I press the skin, it does not make a mark, but I notice that the tissue feels strange and spongy.  When I wake up in the morning, it is completely gone.  As I go about my day, I notice that it starts to increase more and more.  I didn't mention this, because I didn't know how it could be related to something in my neck.

Also, I was able to get in to see a sports medicine physician, who is referring me to a physical medicine physician at The Mayo Clinic.  He also wants me to go to a different Physical Therapist and get OMT.  Hopefully they can figure this out and I can get some relief.

Thanks again for your opinion.