Where do I start, 14 years ago after my son was born I started to get a terrible achy burning type pain in my left shoulder blade. The pain would shoot up the left side of my neck into my ear and eye. This will cause me terrible headaches and Migraine. After a MRI of my head, and Cervical Spine, I was told I had slight Arthritis and Spinal Stenosis. (a bit) But not enough to cause the pain I was describing. Went to Chiropracter, massage therapists, physical therapy, Yoga, Meditaion, hot and cold therapy. Would go away for a few months then return. Now it has become something that effects both shoulders my upper back neck and then radiates up the back of my neck into my head. I can feel it in my jaw and my eyes hurt like I have eye strain. The more focused I get and obsessed the more it bothers me. I am very depressed about this. I am thinking of going back on Nortriptyline because it helps with neuropathic pain and chronic pain plus depression. I was on it for a year but then stopped because it made me so tired. I would rather be tired then this. Any help or advice would be so very apprecitated, feeling desperate!!
Hi
Sorry to hear of your troubles. The symptoms you are having do sound a lot like Radiculopathy, which is associated with cervical stenosis. If you had the MRI a few years ago, it might be time to ask for another up to date MRI, as both Stenosis and Radiculopathy will degenerate over time, and any changes would affect the symptoms experienced. It is possible they overlooked something previously, so you may have to insist on a second testing, or even a second opinion, because you are entitled to have the problem diagnosed properly. A good physiotherapist, rather than a GP, should be able to define the problem, and you need to know before knowing how to treat it. You may have to press them a bit, because there's always a relunctance on their part when they haven't yet figured something out. Good luck.
PS...in the meantime you could try some of the advice on some cervical spondylosis posts on this site, just to help with managing it until you get a definitive diagnosis. Personally, I'd recommend altering sleeping arrangements and using a good Ortho Cervical pillow, just to try and ease the symptoms. Small changes in intensity of symptoms can mean big changes in management options.
Thank you for your reply, very helpful!! sounds like a good plan of action..thanks again
Have you tried acupuncture, it works for a lot of people
Yes, I considered it many many times..I don't think insurance covers it and it is very expensive I hear. But definatley something I want to persue..thanks again!
Hi jennifer,
my story, hope this helps
October 2013 I was suffering with bad shoulder paid and a locked jaw
feb 2014 I started seeing an osteopath
my rib was dislocated and at least 6 times, it was placed back in every time
june 2014 i went to my doctor who advised physiotherapy
my rib stayed in but I began to get extreme pain in my neck, top of back and shoulder
my neck would gring, click and pop
youtube exercises sorted my locked jaw
i felt like I was getting nowhere
I refused pain killers like tramadol and the past 4 months have been taking high levels of paracetamol
Jan 2015 I was recommended Low Level Laser Therapy
within 2 days I was 85% pain free
2 days later and Im now 95% pain free
its been 9 days now since I took any pain killers and I'm sleeping extremly well
i would recommend seeking this treatment
i hope this helps
Thank you John, I will talk to my doc about this....thanks again
Jennifer,
I'm under the impression Low Level Laser Therapy is a new form of treatment, I believe it started out with respect to race horses.
I've found not many places in the country do this.
I live in Bristol, there is a centre just outside of Bristol in Banwell but she is not good at responding back, there is a centre is Sidmouth.
as I am from Liverpool and have family there, I travelled up to a centre in Birkenhead and had 1 hour treatment
I havn't felt this good in a year
Thats wonderful!! I live in the United States...I will have to research it here where I live. Thank you so much for the info...hope you continue to feel good.
Hi Jennifer85396,
I hope what I share with you gives you hope and a direction to go. I suffer from Chronic Depression along with COPD. The past 18 months I experienced sudden headaches, shoulder, arm, wrists and hands. The scariest was experiencing stiffness in my hips while walking the pain would be in my lower back and I literly felt paralyse. I went to a Chiropracter and he took an x-ray and you could see that my spine from the shoulder blades to the top of my neck was curved like a letter C. I actual had a hump between my shoulder blade and lower neck. I saw the Chiropracter 3 times a week for 3 months and I didn't have any results. Yes maybe a day or two of relief then back to the pain. That was April through July. The past month the pain became untollerable and I was experiencing numbness in both hands and feet. I went to my family doctor. THIS IS IMPORTANT DO YOU HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FAMILY DOCTOR. DOES YOUR DOCTOR LISTEN TO YOU AND IS TRUELY CONCERN WITH YOUR WELL BEING PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY????? My family doctor examined me and listen to my list of symptoms. She ordered blood work and a MRI pushed it through the health insurance. The worse was that I have Cushing Syndrome and/or a bulging disc. I did a lot of research on Cushing Syndrome and is common with women, please look into this. I got my results and I have a bulging neck disc. Surgery will be needed. As far as the Chiropracter, I respect the profession but when it comes to your eyes and the depression, please seek medical attention. Good luck
What is laser therapy ? What kind of doctor does it? What exactly did they do? Thanks Robin
I was reading your story, is it possible the COPD causing the joint pain?? I am 32 n a smoker n I too have the same shoulder ache all the way down my arm to my elbow. I do have chest pain but it's more like an ache, I can rub it. I have had MRIs on my head, neck and shoulder no evidence of anything but some fluid do they have me cortzione shot. In still in pain. I have head tenderness and eye pain like a sore muscle. Constantly stretching my neck and upper back. Should I push for am Cray of my chest?
It sounds like occipital neuralgia
Hello John, I ude LLLT and of all the things I have tried this works the best, you can buy these lasers, the do not work as well as going to a therapist but once you have the pain under control they are helpful
Oh, Jennifer. You don't know how relieved I am. I finally found someone with the same diagnosis I have and pains. I was running scared, I'm set to see a spine doctor in the coming weeks, I've seen an ENT doctor already. He prescribed some steroids, along with some antibiotics. It worked for 2 weeks and the pain came back with an vengeance. It's in my shoulders and the back of my head, around the neck area, causing my ears to ring and feEl clogged up, as well as my eyes. What was your diagnosis? Please tell what's the best route to take, instead of going to all these doctors, and them taking my money. Please help!!!
Have you ever had issues with your jaw, like TMJ? If your jaw is out of alignment this can can lead to the pain you are describing.
Hi Jennifer,
I have the exact same issue. Spinal stenosis and arthritis. I have had two epidurals and that has not helped. They had me on iNortriptyline but that did not do anything but make me tired. I am currently on Gabapentin and Tizanidine. This helps a little but I am in pain most of the time. The pain use to come and go but it has been constant for the last year. I have an appointment in two weeks to see about nerve ablation. I have also been told to try Acupuncture. My most recent MRI shows more degeneration from the prior MRI done about 8 months prior. So looks like it is getting worse. I have been to therapy and chiropractor as well and nothing seems to work. Hopefully ablation will work..
I am writing on behalf of my elder sister and she is suffering from pain that keeps moving from head, eyes, Jaws, lower back, feet, fingers, upper arms, and on one time pain came up with swollen mass on below neck region. All this started in 2002 when she gave birth to a baby boy and pain was in the stomach and she was given injections to induce labour pains. I do not understand what kind of problem she is suffering from as I can't see her condition. Please help me out.