Chronic Intense Head and Neck Pain

[gtom]

For the past ten years (24/7) I have endured intense pain throughout my entire head, face and neck. Extremly tight muscles, burning, sharp, stabbing....all of the crappy symptoms present in the neck and go down into my back and up into and around my head and face. Frequent vomiting and little quality of life. I have been to many pain docs and done different injections, meds, PT etc...no relief. The main difficulty is that no one has been able to see a cause from MRI's. The older I get the less I am able to handle and I am nearing my maximum tolerance line. Where can I go, other than a regular hospital, to have a complete and thorough workup?

[sweetpea333333]

Could be occipital neuralgia and daily migraine - have you tries botulinum injections or nerve route blocks? Try get a referral to one of the pain clinics. Good luck

[gtom in reply to sweetpea333333]

Thank you for the reply, yes I have looked into the botox injections however its very risky for my case due to the bilateral spams and having to do multiple injections sites. I may lose muscle function in parts of my neck which could make the issues worse by creating compensatory problems. What I am looking for is the best diagnostic cevical spine clinic in the U.S.

[sweetpea333333 in reply to gtom]

The idea of botulinum injections and especially multiple peppered sites is that it kills of the nerve endings, helps the pain and stops the muscles contracting and triggering painful sites.

[gtom in reply to sweetpea333333]

Maybe I need to speak to a different doc, thanks for the follow up i will pursue that further

[sweetpea333333 in reply to sweetpea333333]

Dr Ziv Peled

peledmigrainesurgery.com/bl...

[gtom in reply to sweetpea333333]

Thank you again, i appreciate the information

[deejames]

I would agree that referral to a pain clinic would be a good plan. Sorry I have no knowledge of this type of pain but looking at posture and the way you move and sit, sleep etc might get to the bottom of the problem. Chiropractor perhaps.

John Smith on the forum would have some useful input here. Where are you John ?

Message him maybe.

Best of luck

Dee

[gtom in reply to deejames]

Thanks for the reply however I was brief in my description. I have been to numerous pain clinics and chiropracters, no help. The pain clinics all want to keep doing injections and giving meds. None of that helps. What I am looking for is the best diagnostic cevical spine clinic in the U.S.

[BaneBane2424]

You should definitely try nerve root blocks, injections directly to the spine nerves that block pain signals from and to the brain. I don't see a better solution. I am also considering some type of this block, but my problem is different, I have some sort of CPPS/prostatitis, it is a life killer condition and I am compasionate with you.

[gtom in reply to BaneBane2424]

Thank you but I have done all of that. What I am looking for is the best diagnostic cevical spine clinic in the U.S.

[Coastwalker]

Idea only - (and to rule them out)

Vitamin D and B12 deficiencys are connected to head, face and neck pain, (neuro and spine problems) might be an idea to check them out, if you are starting to get to nowhere gtom. (not saying this is what you have gtom.)

Many are deficient in vitamin B12 and vitamin D and don't realise it.

[gtom in reply to Coastwalker]

Thank you, I get blood work every six months. My doc is an NMD and runs a massive blood panel. My vit D is great and last lab my b12 was down slightly so I have been supplementing b12 along with some other vitamens, minerals and herbs but this is not a deficiency issue. What I am looking for is the best diagnostic cevical spine clinic in the U.S.

[Coastwalker in reply to gtom]

I do hope you find the best diagnostic spine clinic in US gtom, that one is way out of my league.

Good to hear that both your D's and B12's are mostly good and that you get your blood work every 6 months, sorry I can't help further.

[gtom in reply to Coastwalker]

I thank you for your effort and time

[johnsmith]

MRIs will show problems that can be seen. Problems with posture and muscular behaviour cannot be seen on an MRI scan. Unfortunately, issues with posture and muscular behaviour is not something medical professionals know much about if anything at all.

I suggest you see an Alexander Teacher for help with muscular and postural issues. You also may have long standing muscle micro-cramps. A McTimony chiropractor can help with these. To get a better understanding of how your muscles work it may be worth taking up yoga or T'ai Chi.

Understanding your body and knowing how it works and developing strategies to enable your body to work well is something you need to investigate. Hence the suggestion of yoga and T'ai Chi. A ten minute consultation with a medical consultant is not going to teach you how to use your body the way the body is designed to be used.

Hope this helps.

[gtom in reply to johnsmith]

thank you and yes I have been to some movement practicioners including a family member that is a highly trained practicioner. What I did not explain is that the soft tissue in my neck has been so tight at times that an actual experienced chinese acupuncturist could not even get needles into my neck. I can not do yoga simply put it would wreck me for days maybe weeks. What I have is a soft tissue injury, massively irritating nerves, that is not healing and unidentified.What I am looking for is the best diagnostic cevical spine clinic in the U.S. I hoping if the injury can be identified then i can find a specialist to help repair it.

[Cb1963]

I know this mind sound not the best idea but have you considered getting a massage,it's not a cure but ultimately the muscles in our backs and neck can cause untold pressure and pain,knots in the muscles are painful and once they've been moved up from the back all the way to the top of the shoulders the relief is noticeable and at the same time relaxing,good luck and good health

[gtom in reply to Cb1963]

I do appreciate you replying but as I mentioned "I have been dealing with this for 10 years". This is way off the massage chart. However yes I have not only had numerous massages but had about 20 sessions with a John Barnes trained myofascial release expert.......no relief.

[gtom]

I appreciate all of the replies. I was avoiding gettting into the details of my mysterious injury and pain simply because I have been agressive with treatment and there is too much information to list.. What I am looking for is the best diagnostic cevical spine clinic in the U.S. I say this with love, I do not feel anyone can diagnose me through a chat room and there is very few treatments that I have not applied, only the ones I do not know of (lol). If anyone has a possible treatment modality that may be worth sharing please do, just know I have done all of the obvious allopathic and naturalpathic pain & regenerative treatments and therapies. So far the most beneficial treatment has come from a home device that emits a pulsed electromagnetic frequency. This device increase micro circulation in the body. I have been using it daily for six months and the pain is changing. The high pain days are not as high and the low pain days are lower. I walk in the morning when I am able, I am back in PT 1x weekly after locating a PT who is very experienced with cervical spine injuries. 600mg of Advil can often take off the edge slightly and Aleeve pm at night a few nights a week rounds out my protocol for now. I hope to get a diagnose with all the good tech out there now.

[Bananas5]

No one here could make a diagnosis - only use their own experiences to help you.

You may be interested that the umber of chronic pain patients who ever get a diagnosis is very low.

We all want to know the cause of our horrible pain and all too often nothing can be found.

In my husbands case the injuries incurred over 30 years ago have long since healed but still he pain remains.

It could be you injured yourself as a toddler, we all did, and that has caused the pain now.

There have been many suggestions of ways to help you but they all seem to have done nothing. Maybe some alternatives could be tried for longer periods. Maybe combinations of several. That is where the overworked pain clinics come in with their cocktail cupboard full of ideas. Pain management is exactly that. Managing your pain but you have to meet them half way.

You sound very bitter and angry. Understandable but a waste of limited energy.

Good Luck in your quest for someone to tell you what is wrong. I hope you find him. Or her.

x

[gtom in reply to Bananas5]

Thank you for your comments except for the bitter and angry mention. That was an unnecessary to attempt to judge me from a few written words. i am direct when i write because i would rather speak so you misunderstand my directness as anger or bitterness

[Bananas5 in reply to gtom]

Oh not judging you. It is part of the process of coming to terms with chronic pain. Much has been written about how we all feel. Like bereavement. Anger. Guilt. Blame. Hopefully at some stage there is acceptance of what your life will be... There is no time set and some people never reach acceptance.

Everyone wants to know the reason this 'thing' called pain has taken over their waking lives.Having a diagnosis is almost a relief to know whats wrong. But it rarely happens. The energy used in that search could be better used.

So being bitter and angry is perfectly normal.

x

[soleus]

Around 80% of headaches come from mechanical problems with the joints of the top 3 vertebrae of the neck. Look up Dean Watson PhD at the Watson Headache Institute. You need a physio who has completed his courses.

[Meerkat_07]

What you need is the best diagnostic spinal clinic in the USA.

Google it.