posted
I have been having severe shoulder and neck pain for the last couple of months.
Have trouble holding my head up for any length of time, and both shoulders feel as if they are broken. Hard time lifting my arms above chest level.
I have had bouts of this in the past. Was diagnosed in November finally after being told I had Fibromyalgia.
Have tried Gabapentin for pain with very limited relief.
Does this sound familiar to anyone?
Posts: 54 | From Northern NY State | Registered: Oct 2010
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lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
Yes, I had this.
The problem was that I had muscle spazms covering the back of my skull and on my shoulders. We get these from magnesium deficiency. Muscle spazms do not go away on their own and must be broken up. The can constrict blood flow, and also cause pain other than at the sight of the spazm.
Poke around with your knuckle and see if you find lumpy like spots under your skin (that you may not even realized hurt). Find any?
-------------------- Julie _ _ ___ _ _ lymeinhell
Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
I have had pain in back of neck and shoulders...it's kind of like it radiates from the base of my skull and around my head/jaw down back and to the shoulders...it's really hard to describe..I've been to PT and they don't really do much for it...What does magnesium do?...I remember someone suggesting it before.
Posts: 222 | From NH | Registered: Mar 2011
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lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
So you have the 'referred pain'? For example, a spazm on the back of your skull can radiate pain over the top of your head to behind your eye, or through your ear to your jaw. Or one on your shoulder can radiate pain down your arm.
PT will not get rid of a spazm. I know it didn't work for me because they couldn't figure out what was causing the pain.
Trigger point injections of lidocaine directly into the spazms have a 2 part effect - 1. the need point helps break up the spazm and 2. blissfully numbs the area for a short time.
I had to have numerous weekly rounds of injections into the 8 or 9 that I had (covering the back of my skull and across my shoulders), but it worked. My LLMD did this for me, but Pain Mgt can do this too. Just make sure they only use Lidocaine and don't slip an 'anti-inflammatory'(aka steroid) into the shot.
You can also use the thumb war theory if you only have one or two spazms. You or a loved one take your knuckle, and apply extreme pressure to the spazm spot for as long as you can take it. Do it over and over again.
You'll know if you have the right spot because the 'referred pain' will disappear - the only place you'll hve pain is where you're jamming your knuckle.
It's like a thumb war - sooner or later someone's got to give. Just make sure it's the spazm that gives. Follow up with a heating pad.
Once you get rid of the spazms, you then need to address the CAUSE of the spazms - Magnesium Deficiency. Nearly all of us are low in Magnesium (and Vitamin D and B6). This is caused by Lyme. Taking oral magnesium pills is not enough to restore your magnesium levels IN YOUR CELLS. An IV of magnesium works wonders. IM (intra muscular) shots are also helpful when combined with IV.
Your body needs Vitamin D and B6 and Calcium in order to absorb magnesium, so these too should accompany your doses. If you are unable to get IV or IM, you could try Magnesium Oil, which you apply to your skin - http://www.ancient-minerals.com/products/magnesium-oil/
Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Thank you...How do I test my magnesiu?...Is it a blood test?
Posts: 222 | From NH | Registered: Mar 2011
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lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
Yes. Lab Corp runs a Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count magnesium test. This is different from a serum magnesium level test. The RBC measures your mag levels in your cells, where it counts.
You still need to fix the spazms. They just spread and get worse.
-------------------- Julie _ _ ___ _ _ lymeinhell
Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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