Severe Neck Pain with Headaches at base of Skull

[Sunnshinne]

I first started having low back pain after the birth of my first daughter in 93. At that time I was placed in the hospital and on a pain pump and consulted with 2 diff neuros I think because of my lack of insurance at that time they sent me home with a bottle of morphine pills and said best of luck. I couldn't move my left leg very well at all and had terrible shooting pains down the left buttocks region. I saw another neuro in my comm. and he then told me the problems were so bad in my spine I needed to see a specialist at Washington University in St.Louis for in my local community they did not have the technology to fix my back. I saw the dr. at Wash U. He said I had spina bifida occulta, along with spondylolitheises. He said that my spine was instable and actually moved based upon the type of X-Rays performed. He had me get a hard body cast made to see if that helped with my pain. Over time I improved. Over the years since then I have had a history of severe migraines, back pain off and on in the lower lumbar area I developed severe issues with my neck. I have had times my neck would "go out" as I called it. I can't turn my head a certain way because of the unreal pain, I would feel a sharp shocking sensation. This happened often enough that I was sent to a pain management Dr. who then placed me on narcotics and I have been on them for years. I had X-Rays done on my neck at one point when my neck was so severe and was told that the vertebre are fusing themselves together on their own. In the past 2mos. my neck began hurting severely after I tore up some old carpet in my home. I still had severe pain and symptoms that traveled down into, around and under my left shoulder blade. Both of my arms feel heavy to raise, and feel achey,it feels more pronounced on the left side and feels like a rope or string deep inside my left upper arm is pulled at times and aches. I cannot sleep well and the pain seems to increase when I lay down.

[podge402]

A related discussion, anyone to give advice please was started.

[Charles Rosen, MD]

Dear Sunnshinne,

It sounds like you shouldn’t be on narcotics as the solution, though most “pain
Doctors” only do that.  You probably need an operation for your low back.  Usually braces cannot stop instability.  Your neck sound like your compressing your nerves and spinal cord.  You may need an MRI and a decompression .  Most headaches in this situation start because of the neck.  If you are having changes in urination, such as going every hour or losing urine, then you need to see a spine surgeon urgently.

I hope that helps.  Thanks for your question.

Dr. Charles Rosen

[Sunnshinne]

When you say soft tissue do you mean ie: muscles? Or do other parts qualify as soft tissue? Thank you also for your response.

[Zak_Han]

Basically,It seem that soft tissue injury around upper neck area due to unbalance of lower back,and lead to  different symptoms ( severe pain around and under your left shoulder blade,arms feel heavy to raise,headaches at base of Sku,cannot sleep well ,etc)
Take care!