Cervical traction and manipulation for neck and head pain.

Hi folks,

Has been a wee while since I've been around properly. I know a fair few of you deal with different neck and head pain issues and hoping I might be able to pick some brains.

I have a history of neck pain associated with muscle spasm +/- some facet joint impingement high up (C1-C3 sort of level) and get both tension type headache and migraine that have been attributed to the same. Usually when it's a real problem, it comes on quickly & goes away again within a few hours, maybe a day at worst.

I'm now at close to a month with greatly restricted neck movement (sometimes with significant spasm, sometimes without) and intractable headache. A lot of the headache features are usual for me with migraines - one sided, affecting my vision, nausea - some aren't - less light sensitive than I'd usually be, severe tinnitus on that one side, pain & odd sensations around my eye, ear and jaw and motion sickness ... so we're now at "atypical head and facial pain" rather than migraine.

My own physio and my dr both feel that careful cervical traction and manipulation (done by a properly trained physio, not a chiro) might help, assuming there's no pathology that would contraindicate it ... Having scans on my c-spine on Monday to be sure and will go ahead if it's safe to do so.

But with the wealth of experience here - has anyone been through similar symptoms and/or similar approach to treatment? What have you found to be helpful?

At the moment the only way I can get any semblance of comfort is lying down or reclining with a neck support pillow and the rest of my body doesn't like lying still.

Thanks.

Laura

Thanks weasel. Glad to know it's helped you at least short term. The pt I have in mind is someone that my own has specifically recommended & deals mainly with neck/spinal issues, so I've no worries on that front. Just a matter of making sure nothing is going to go "pop" in the wrong place, as although it's locked at the moment, most of my joints are the exact opposite and tend to be rather unstable. And definitely agree re quack doctors & excellent chiros...have never seen a chiro, but have seen some good 'manual therapists' (as against qualified physios) and seen some truly dreadful doctors whose skills (or lack thereof) puts the entire medical profession to shame!

As far as pain goes, I've spent so long with chronic pain of other sorts, training myself to the idea that most of the pain I feel is an aberrant response rather than protective, and so long before that as a high level gymnast and outdoor adrenaline junkie, that my pain and how I respond to it is completely up the pole. Just a few years ago I had a heavy fall and thought I'd just jarred my back a bit - pain was quite bad, but I put that down to my central sensitisation issues and ignored it best I could. Turned out to be eight fractured vertebrae. My pain issues really got started after I hiked 20-odd km on a shredded knee as a teen, cos it didn't seem to hurt that much til I'd got to my end point. So short of something becoming numb or paralysed, it's difficult for me to judge!

Cheers for the input.

L

Everyone responding has some really helpful things to try. I can only tell of my experience. I didn't know any too much when I started getting the various treatments, and though I've had many of the above-mentioned post's, I've still got the headaches, tinnitus, neck and shoulder pain ...

While recovering from ACDF for C3-4 and 5 other spine injuries I was sent by my pain doc to an experienced PT for neck and trap massage. The doc specified what to do and what NOT to do. The PT helped with pain until I arrived back home. At least it didn't hurt anything. PT, gentle, helped with range of motion enough for me to keep it up at home. I still have to turn my body to look for traffic when driving, but it's better, and I can look down enough to see my bra hooks, although it's been years since I could hook behind my back. After surgery I had to step into it.

Trigger point injections didn't do anything. Muscle relaxants just put me to sleep, except Valium 2 mg, which didn't last very long, and Klonopin at night, which helped a lot but after 2 months trying still made me very sleepy most of the next day.

Neck brace - soft one - helped a lot when my neck got tired, but I was supposed to be building up muscles, and I've been off that for several months.

I still sleep on the couch occasionally, although for the last 2 weeks I'm on Opana at night and it stops pain lots better than anything else. But that's not a cure.

I've had numerous injections and ablations which worked for years for other spine problems, but they've been ineffective for the last 3 or 4 treatments.

Sinus problems, infections and just lots of mucus are helped a lot by NeilMed saline sinus wash , especially in the morning. Other bottles work, but this is the one I like the best. It washes deeper than squeeze bottle sprays. 12 hour Mucinex tablets (the small ones I can swallow) can be helpful at night. They're OTC, so worth a try for thick secretions. It thins secretions so the cilia in the sinuses can clear the gunk. I get allergy shots weekly, which stops the fall weed allergic reactions. It's hard for antibiotics to reach the sinuses. One doc told me only sulfa drugs get there enough to work. But after one day I react badly to those because of intolerance to sulfites.

The trick is to figure out whats causing the pain every day. My headaches can be sinus - radiating backwards over my head or cervicogenic, starting in my neck and shoulder/ trapezius radiating forward to forehead.

I'd use my TENS unit, but where do you attach the electrodes for neck or forehead? It's very effective for lumbar aches/muscle tightness. I got that free after the doc prescribed it. Directions say not to cross spine, although others do it and PT did that too.

I've had a lot of trouble with nausea caused by landing on my head with my full weight and crushing vertebrae, although it didn't start until a couple of months after surgery, which is normal. Recently the doc said it's Meniere's, which causes nausea and tinnitus. But I didn't display any of the symptoms when given the ENG test. Over the last month or so, I'm having bad vertigo when tipping my head backward or rolling onto my right side in bed. Vertigo triggers nausea. I had Epley maneuver (head maneuvering to put the crystals in semicircular canals back in place) twice last year, and it worked a treat, until now. I have another appointment with the ENT this coming week to put the crystals back again. I'm going to try to learn to do it myself.

I'm leery of traction because of my plate and screws. I won't let another chiro touch me since the last one popped my neck (before injury and surgery) after I told him not to. That's the only treatment insurance will pay for. PT though, is paid by insurance.

So, pick and choose whatever might help you. You certainly have some good responses. I enjoy reading other's helpful posts. It helps me when I go to my docs.

I have disc issues in the cervical spine and have suffered 2 whiplash injuries which have left my neck 'unstable'. When the muscles in my upper back go into spasm, I'm like Quasimoto! Can't hold my head erect, horrible headaches, ear pain like someone is shoving a needle through the visible part of my ear, etc.

I have seen a chiropractor, had lidocaine injected into the muscles, massage, etc. Sometimes it helps, sometimes not. Someone suggested putting a tennis ball in a pillow case, laying on the floor with the ball between me and the floor, wherever I was experiencing the spasms and moving my body around so that the ball 'massaged' the area. I started my day like this for several weeks and would repeat it throughout the day. I'm happy to report that this method not only helped stop the full spasms, it has helped keep them at bay! Give it a try. I hope it helps you too!

Ha Ha Ha! I can SEE it! I have 2 eighty five pound pit bulls here and know exactly what you are describing. At least these 2 are crate trained!

The only thing more comical than trying to do the tennis ball massage is when my daughter gives me a massage with baby oil. They LOVE baby oil! Not only do I get a massage from my daughter, I get a tongue bath from the dogs and then a shower, to wash it ALL off!