Post Viral meningitis/ neck ache - Meningitis Now

Meningitis Now

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Post Viral meningitis/ neck ache

RestisBest profile image
22 Replies

Hi there,

Does any one have or has had an ache in their neck that does not go away.

Odd question yes I know, but my ache just does not seem to go away. It is as though my neck needs retraining again. My physiotherapist said that the muscles feel fine. But I feel a stiffness at the back of the neck, just where the neck meets the base of the head.

My question is, has anyone had this and how long for. Also can you recommend any treatment or exercise that helped your stiff neck and cured the problem.

Thankful for your time,

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RestisBest profile image
RestisBest
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22 Replies
Lippistix profile image
Lippistix

Hello, You can find my 28 year old daughter, Rosie S' Story, via the link on the forum stories from the home page.

We found that cranial massage worked wonders for her. Her job is working with horses on pretty much a daily basis and is very physically demanding.

It is rare for a story to be so positive and we have tried to let people know that this amazing complementary therapy worked for her. It helps release the spinal fluid which VM leaves a blockage for. Rosie is pretty much cured after around 10 sessions coupled with actupuncture, although found awesome relief after only one appointment. She is now free of all pain killers and antidepressants and feels right back to her old self.

We can only let you know what worked for her. It's not for all, but has now given amazing relief for many. It seems the success could be to do with the skill of the cranial osteopath you use. So it is important to find out the osteopaths credentials and experience in this specialised field particularly dealing with VM sufferers, if you can. (Not all osteopaths realise that this helps VM sufferers, it is often carried out on young babies with birthing problems). You need an osteopath and not a therapist who mearly has some training in cranial massage.

If you find you are getting the violent headaches and feeling lethargic and depressed after a few weeks, give this complementary therapy a go, it really could be worth it and save you being on prescribed drugs, along with months, years, of unnecessary suffering.

Kind wishes and best of luck

RestisBest profile image
RestisBest in reply to Lippistix

Thank you Lippestix for your time to write back. It' wonderful to read a very positive story like your daughters. It gives me very much hope, that it can be done to get back to full recovery.

I have been to a cranial theripest. It's worked very well, and have recommended it ti others. I also had an amazing transformation after the very first session.

I may try it again, hopefully there are other options out there available also.

Happy New year to you.

Mishqueen profile image
Mishqueen in reply to RestisBest

Yes, look specifically for Craniosacral therapy and Cranial Osteopathy. Both are wonderful and help in different ways.

Mashall89 profile image
Mashall89

My neck was hurting and I went to my chiropractor and he did acupuncture on my neck. That did wonders for me. My neck really don’t hurt anymore.

RestisBest profile image
RestisBest in reply to Mashall89

Thankyou for your time to reply Marshall89, that sounds very positive, I may give those both a try.

Mashall89 profile image
Mashall89 in reply to RestisBest

Your welcome. I really hope it works for you. I know the feeling. It can be awful. I think if I didn’t do that it would of hurt a lot longer.

BabsK profile image
BabsK

Hi. I had vm in May 17 and still feel neck aching and stiffness. I have started doing gentle yoga and feel that is really helping.

RestisBest profile image
RestisBest in reply to BabsK

Thanks Babsk , I will put yoga on the list as well.

Bonkitty profile image
Bonkitty

Hi , I still have the neck and spine stiffness 3.5 years after having viral meningitis . It stiffens when I walk a good distance or if the membranes become agitated and if I sit in an uncomfortable position. I had physio and doing exercise that stretches the spine helps. I do yoga several times a week which really helps ( yoga with Adrienne on You tube) and swimming really helps. The exercise is a bit of a catch 22 thing as it sometimes makes the stiffness worse to get better. Tai chi was also good.

So I do a lot of gentle stretching exercise but I also have learned to rest more too. Sometimes the stiffness lets me know I am overdoing things .

Hope this helps

RestisBest profile image
RestisBest in reply to Bonkitty

Thank you Bonkitty for your time to reply, I will also put on my list about swimming and yoga/gentle stretching.

Happy New Year to you.

Bonkitty profile image
Bonkitty in reply to RestisBest

Yes don’t lose hope. I climbed Mount Snowdon last May and I am going to climb Ben Nevis this year. So I advocate a good diet, some exercise, some rest and not over doing it, a lot of patience and I totally changed my way of thinking. I have also trained to be a dog trainer as I wasn’t able to fully return to my job. I love the dog training and wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t found myself in this position.

Although my spine stiffens up, it is improving and the stiffness is not so painful nor so often. I think it takes time to settle and then it needs to keep flexible .

I am starting a Pilates class tonight.

Keep positive, it should improve .

Hope this helps. X

dobguy1 profile image
dobguy1

I had viral meningitis ten years ago and have the same problem. I use a massager but my neck always feels achy and not sure how to fix it. I also feel like screaming at times because of the cognitive issues and brightness of lights. I try and go easy on myself.

RestisBest profile image
RestisBest in reply to dobguy1

Thankyou for your reply. I am sorry you still are plagued with the after effect symptoms. It saddens me, it seems to be that, there are only a lucky few, who actually get back to 100% full recovery. But at least, compared from the very start of the recovery to now, that is a huge difference. At the beginning it was really scary, not knowing what the hell was happing.

I use a heated pillow sometimes. I am going back to cranial sacral therapy. Maybe they can help with the back of the neck.

Be good to yourself, and happy New year to you.

Tupshaw profile image
Tupshaw in reply to RestisBest

Did you have a lot of pressure in your head That seemed to move around? And did you feel off balance

Stace30 profile image
Stace30

I still do restisbest, 2yrs on, and also weird sensations like at the top of my neck/bavk of my neck and head where i just can’t sit back on the sofa as its to weird for me 🤗

Tupshaw profile image
Tupshaw in reply to Stace30

Hello. Did you have pressure in those areas? I just feel so weird. And if you did have pressure did it last for a while. I feel off balance too. Thank you. I feel like I am loosing hope.

Stace30 profile image
Stace30 in reply to Tupshaw

Hi there

Yes, because its such a weird thing to describe and something people can’t see they don’t understand, i have a lot of pressure/aching/weird sensations in my head, the back of my head, the back of my neck and the top of my back, i can only presume that because thats the main part where meningitis sits/inflames that it has had some sort of impact wether its something like fatigue that doesn’t show up on scans, some sort of weakness or scarring etc, I don’t know but i would like to get to the bottom of it too, i also have fatigue/weak muscles in all those areas and my arms wrists and legs, i had sepsis to so makes you think if its damage from everywhere the infection went but like you say what kind and why doesn’t it show to anyone/scans its hard, i had physio and they said theres weaknesses, knots in my neck, back etc but i think when they don’t know about meningitis they just do the intial parts and say to gradually build it up, i am trying physio again soon but its not looking like something that will change, as when i exhurt myself i get ill. I try to force myself to feel positive sometimes even with peoples attitudes towards it/us, it is hard and i do get depressed a lot but we can try🤗

Tupshaw profile image
Tupshaw in reply to Stace30

Thank you so much. I really do feel lost. Today it feels like I have something on the top of my head. Do you ever have it in your eyes? I am just so lost and depressed like maybe they are missing something.

Tupshaw profile image
Tupshaw in reply to Stace30

Is there anything you take that makes it feel better?

Stace30 profile image
Stace30 in reply to Tupshaw

Hey

I know how you’re feeling

I think anyone thats been through meningitis knows all this to well

We are all supposed to be lucky that we have these side effects and didn’t die but its a load of stuff that we are stuck with and is hard to cope with or get support!

Just let yourself be allowed to not feel ok, frustrated or down etc you’re entitled to! And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

Im still going through different things and trying to manage but i think its numerous things... sometimes as hard as it is and as much as people are unsupportive i will tell myself i am going to have a great day and do something I don’t normally do or go somewhere as a treat or just for a walk etc sometimes just having a day of no bad emotions or being distracted or putting a bit of lippy on etc and looking in the mirror to see yourself looking good for a change regardless of how you are inside sometimes is a nice change to distract you from the pain/fuzziness, other times i just don’t do what doesn’t feel right... if the house has to be a mess for a few days to make myself feel ok/relaxed/free from pain then that’s what will happen and if i have a bad day at work i will explain I can’t do it and don’t let myself get stressed about it as stress/crying/being upset etc really gets everything going/you run down.

Other times a nice hot bath or painkillers sometimes take the fuzziness/pain away. Try different things and learn how and what works best for you! Like a say and as hard as it is know one can see whats up only you know how you feel so you need to help yourself, or explain/push for support! 🤗🤗

Stace30 profile image
Stace30 in reply to Stace30

Also i have noticed that every time i have bloods taken i am border line or just under and when seeing your average doc/nurse they see this as ok because its only slightly but after meningitis for some reason this is huge! It really impacts my strength and fatigue!

RestisBest profile image
RestisBest

My cranial sacral therapist has just about taken away all the neck pain discomfort. Very happy about it so far. :)

Will be seeing a Biopat, hopefully there is something that can help with the fatigue!

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