Neck was great after two months of pt.. Last night sat in traffic and everything spasmed up and made me miserable.
Suggestions? Go back to dr? Who already said I have neck issues and said next step is cortisone pills.
Don't want surgery but this neck Pain, has to go. Posted by joysie (Member # 11063) on :
Go back to PT or do the maintenance(stretches, etc.) I'm sure they suggested all the time. I am fine if I do this, bad if I don't.
Posted by janice victorov (Member # 22937) on :
Thanks, did u have disc issues too?
Posted by janice victorov (Member # 22937) on :
Up
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
Heating pad. You can make one with soft cotton cloth filled with rice, then heat in the microwave.
There are a bunch of DIY instructions online.
You can just put rice in a tube sock and tie the end if you can sew.
You can they lay down on it and put it under your neck.
I fall asleep with a heating pad under my neck at night and it helps.
Physical therapy exercises are good too. Sometimes stretching is the best thing, but you have to do it right so you don't strain it.
I use to use a cervical roll, but then I discovered the heating pad.
Posted by janice victorov (Member # 22937) on :
What's a cervical roll? And DIY.?
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
I have disc issues but also had two broken vertebrae years ago.
I second the suggestion of the rice heating bag, I have one I bought that's shaped like a "U" and it is awesome/.
But I don't need it when I do my therapy!
Posted by daynise (Member # 39609) on :
Have you tried a TENS unit before?
Posted by prayerworks (Member # 37602) on :
I have neck issues too, but it is not pain as more tightness and soreness. My C1 and C2 come out of alignment often.
Anyone tried chiropractic for their neck issues?
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
My husband (doesn't have lyme) has every neck issue imaginable (bad discs, arthritis, etc.) He has managed to avoid surgery for years by taking Celebrex (a prescription anti-inflammatory) any time his neck flares, like what you are talking about.
Usually, if he takes one every day for 3 days, he doesn't need anymore.
You could also take a muscle relaxant at night when you go to bed. This is also a prescription.
Also, increase your magnesium to help ward off the muscle spasms. (Hubby gets that--a hard lump--when he gets an episode.) I recommend Mag-Tab SR by Niche, available at Walmart--go to the pharmacy and they will order it for you. Takes 24 hours to get it. This is the one Burrascano recommends for muscle spasms, etc.
Hopefully, you can go for years and years doing these things. And, of course, avoid "bad" behaviors like:
looking up (like when painting, doing any overhead activity, etc.) possibly looking down doing anything that hurts your neck to do
There are other anti-inflammatories besides Celebrex--Mobic, etc. so, hopefully there is one you could take.
My husband does not go to the chiropractor for neck issues. We will go for back issues, but not neck.
You are probably not seeing an orthopedic surgeon or neurosurgeon, the specialty that handles this problem. They rarely prescribe cortisone pills for this. GPs like to give cortisone pills for these things--bad.
In addition to muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories like the ones named above, a specialist will give you pain medication (a narcotic) to get you through these spells.
I wish you the best. I know how bad these can be.
Posted by janice victorov (Member # 22937) on :
Hi TF, thanks for your info and everyone else too. Have increased th mag-tab sr per Llmd. Have seen orthopedic surgeon and said via MRI that I have a disc issue. He prescribed first Advil then cortisone pills. My Llmd said that's fine since Lyme is gone. I'm not so sure about the cortisone pills though.
I will try the Celebrex though. Doing great in the Lyme area. Planning my wedding. Yay.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Oh, wow! So, so happy for you about the lyme being gone and the wedding planning!!!
Posted by janice victorov (Member # 22937) on :
It was a big thanks to u. I got my life back and moving on.
![[Frown]](frown.gif)