posted
New symptom: Now I have a sharp overwhelming pain in my neck and the top of the back radiating out to the shoulders. I have done nothing physical to cause this new injury and wonder if anyone else has experienced this and what they did to eliviate it. My chiro says ice. It doesn't work. Any suggestions? Blessings, Marblenose
Posts: 287 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
Marble, YES, I got something like this 4 weeks ago & can't get rid of it!
It's my right side of neck/shoulder area. I do neck exercises & stretching it to no avail.
Also, this started at the time I got my light amber colored NOir, NO INFRARED/UV/ultra blue sunglasses. Do you have/wear noir glasses too? I got the darker pair for outside....they do help me tremendously but such a herx is unbelievable. Betty G., Iowa
Posts: 1 | From US | Registered: Aug 2015
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lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
Are you sleeping ok? I got this after not really sleeping (and waking up many times to pee) for many months. Fibro like symptoms. I got so bad, I developed lumps on the back of my head and shoulders. The bad sleep causes areas of no/low blood flow. I had them busted up by trigger point injections of lidocaine.
If you aren't, talk to your LLMD about sleeping aids - flexeril to relax the muscles at bedtime, Ambien to keep you asleep.
I also use a fantastic all natural Glucosamine Arnica MSM lotion. www.real-world-health.com Their site is under construction, but you could call them to order it. (I think it's $15. Using it twice daily will lasts me about 6 weeks)
It's amazing for muscle and joint pain. All natural (but it smells like playdough).
------------------ Julie G. ___________ lymeinhell
Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
I have this too. Do you think the cold weather brings this on?
Posts: 36 | From Upstate, NY | Registered: Dec 2004
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lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
Last winter, before I was dx'd with Lyme, I was going to Pain Mgt. I was so desperate for pain relief, I actually had a cervical epidural (yowza - seriously not recommend to anyone.)
Anyhoo, Pain Mgt guy said any type of extreme weather change (hot to cold, cold to hold) triggers pain reactions.
Getting proper sleep is a necessity - for me, 10 mg non-generic Flexeril at bedtime was a lifesaver.
------------------ Julie G. ___________ lymeinhell
Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Hi Team, I sleep Ok and have medicine if I struggle with that. I don't think it's the cold. I thought it was my first rib but got that adjusted. So for now I alternate between hot and cold and muscle relaxers and prayer. Thanks to you all. Blessings, Marblenose
Posts: 287 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I also have acquired this awful pain in my neck and left shoulder. It's not leaving, nor does it come and go...it stays.
What helps, temporarily, for me is one of those MW heating pads that you can wrap around your neck.
I heat it for 1 min, 20 sec, and the heat will last for a good 30 minutes or a little longer. I just wear it around the house. Looks kinda silly, but it helps a lot for me.
I think I'm going to try (thanks Julie) the all natural lotion.
Hope you find relief soon.
lifeline
[This message has been edited by lifeline (edited 26 December 2004).]
posted
Hi Guys This problems has been one of my worst and least evasive treatable symptoms. After cervical disk fusion in 1996 - it is common for anyone (normal people without Lyme) to develope muscle problems on the left shoulder. Months and then years of searching, rubs, pain med, injections (yes - steriod - prior to diagnosed with LD) therapy, heat - as you can tell, everything. Now this pain is probably the worst of my symptoms while working - I do office work when possible and having to sit for long periods in one position brings on the pain. Night time is so bad - the tears flow and nothing, nothing helps. I finally had shoulder MRIs, and Plexis studies. The diagnosis was constant bursitis, tendonitis, fluid build up and cysts. Head orthos say - it is coming from high up in the cervical region (history of damage there also) and after running the race - have been told that they cannot guarantee relief with surgery. So - we trudge on - no surgery if no guarantees. Main point here - No Injections of any Steriods (which is frontline treatment for Bursitis and Tendonitis) after damage is done, there appears to be no hope for relief. Sorry to be so long - it's been a long road. If anyone has had any success in this area, I would love to hear it. I also wonder, could the cysts be lyme cysts - I would love to have it taken out, but the doctors are now saying no. I was set to have the shoulder "reamed or scraped" to clean it out and then they changed their minds. Hope you get better results than I have. I think they need to make me a stockholder in the company that makes those pain pads you buy in the drugstores. They help-barely, and I can cover almost my whole body in those - but it's just a dent in the pain, enough to tolerate with other meds. Happy Holidays Everyone.
Posts: 140 | From Fayetteville, GA USA | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
Oops - Sorry Marblenose - didn't mean to sound as if the pain was stricly in the left shoulder - that just seems the worse. The headache and the top of the back from the mid area up constantly feel on fire. When I wake up in the morning (the longer I sleep or stay in the bed - the worst the pain is upon waking) it takes a good hour after a pain pill and laying on the heating pad to tolerate the pain. I know exactly what you mean, and it is tough. Hope you get relief soon.
Posts: 140 | From Fayetteville, GA USA | Registered: Apr 2001
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Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Want a success story? I had intense sharp pain in my hands and wrists diagnosed as tendinitis. After many months, the pains pread to my neck, shoulders and upper back. I was in constant, sharp pain. This is how I have been able to control the pain:
1. Flexeril - I take 30mg of Flexeril, the maximum dosage, every night. I started at 5mg and slowly built up. There was an unbelievable difference between 20mg and 30mg.
2. Myofasical release - I worked with a physical therapist who specializes in myofascial release. This didn't help until I started Flexeril. Prior to the Flexeril, I actually would tense more from the therapy. We started with dry needling, which is a technique using acupuncture needles in the muscle that releases the knot in the muscle. This did not work for me. The therapist actually never saw somebody react the way my body reacted - which was that the muscle became very inflamed. However, hands on release, although painful, was less painful than needling and worked once I started the Flexeril.
3. Stretching - I worked with the physical therapist on a stretching program. It started really small, and built.
4. Strengthening - When I was ready, I started some light strengthening that built up. Again, I couldn't do any strengthening prior to the Flexeril.
5. Heat - when necessary, I use a heating pad. I always found heat better than ice for the muscle pain.
6. Pain meds - Throughout the process, I had meds for pain when necessary. I use either Advil or Vicodin when needed. I haven't needed the Vicodin in about a month, and I think that's due mostly to Lyme treatment (abx, etc.). Ultracet had worked, but it has a bad interaction with Flexeril so I switched to Vicodin.
I hope this helps.
-Aniek
Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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I am very interested in the treatment you received for this. What type of therapist did you go to to "bust" up the muscle. Seems like your symptoms, muscle inflamed, and more damage than good with therapy is the same thing I have been going through. I have prayed for something that would do this - when the pain is this bad all you want to do is get relief for that area. I've stayed away from therapy because of the down side - actually felt it made it worse than better.
Marblenose, this might be something for you also - I've tried everything - or thought I had - this seems to be something worth checking into. Thanks
Posts: 140 | From Fayetteville, GA USA | Registered: Apr 2001
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jgs8384
Unregistered
posted
quote:Originally posted by marblenose: New symptom: Now I have a sharp overwhelming pain in my neck and the top of the back radiating out to the shoulders. I have done nothing physical to cause this new injury and wonder if anyone else has experienced this and what they did to eliviate it. My chiro says ice. It doesn't work. Any suggestions? Blessings, Marblenose
Marblenose, I do have upper back pain that radiates accross the top part of my back. It's painful to stand, and gets worse depending on the antibiotic I'm taking.
I do get relief when I sit and lean back or lie down.
I really don't know how to help, but I wanted you to know that I do have similar symptoms. Carolyn
Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
Hagen,
Below is a link with some information on the therapy I received. The link is to information on courses my therapist, and others at the practice, teach to other therapists. So it's not for patients.
The physical therapist I saw is based in a medical pain treatment practice. I saw a doctor in the practice prior to the Lyme diagnosis, and he presribed the therapy and the Flexeril.
Again, it didn't work until I started the Flexeril. And even then we did manual but not the needles. The needles were the worst pain I have ever felt. Definitely in the 9-10 range on the scale.
I've talked to my LLMD about phasing off the Flexeril now. But we are waiting to see if I need babs treatment.
https://www.painpoints.com/seminars.htm
Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Thanks all keep the info coming. Knowledge is power. I am ever so grateful to you all. Blessings, Marblenose
Posts: 287 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
Maybe it's worse as part of your herx. pain at top of neck base of skull used to be one of my major lyme symptoms. I think that accupuncture made it go away in the long run, cause I almost never have it any more ( my LLMD might disagree and say it's a year of anti lyme anti babesia meds that did the trick, who's to know realy ?) in the short run, a proffesional massage would keep it at bay for a while, or often I used herbal tinctures as pain killers, quite a cocktail sometimes, but I made my own so they were free--- try poppy, saint johns wort, or anything else along those lines. A dropperful or two of each. Repeat until numb. Good luck.
Posts: 222 | From Santa Cruz Mountains, CA USA | Registered: Nov 2004
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