Headache & Neck Pain for over 2 years. Is it possible this will never end? My life is on hold

  I don't know how this all started. I never had head or migrane problems before. For over 2 years I have had constant pain in my head. Pain is concentrated on my forhead, in my eyes and transder all the way behind my ear down through my neck. The pain is so common it almost doesn't hurt anymore, just a feeling of nothing and cloudyness. My vision is also effected. At times it can be described as a "horrible hang over" but I hardly every drink anymore.

        

   I seem to think that this problem is a physical problem. It is one sided on my head and neck. It feels like the pain is coming from my SCM ( sternocleidomastoid ) is strained or damaged. I think this because the only thing that has help the best is message. Deep tissure and trigger point. The pain ther doesnt go away and varies in freqencies. I feel dizzy at times as well.           

          I have seen every type of doctor imaginable. From neurosugons, head specialist to holistic healer and hypnotherapy. Had MRI,CT, CAT scans, X-Rays. Over 25 medications. Never blocks, message, Spent over $10,000. I insist to my doctors that there is somthing physically wrong with me but they cannot find anything. I do not take any pain killers. Everyday I want to get better more and more.

         It seems like my life has been on hold since this has happened. I dont know what to say to people. "I have a headache?" Ive been telling people "I have a headache" fo$r 2 years. My lack of social activity causes me to lose contact with my friend. I explain why "I have a headache" and they think I am always avoiding them. I don't know what I have done to desver this. It makes me angry at the world.

I don't expect a cure from this forum. Maybe something that has not been explored before. Can all the nerves in my forehead be "cut" to feel no pain? What about head or neck nerves?

This link describes my pain very well

http://www.symptomchecker.myofascialtherapy.org/symptomcheck/symptom_upper_sternocleidomastoid.html

Thank you for reading

Post Edited (Highflyer) : 3/26/2009 10:51:10 PM (GMT-6)

Hi highflie, that is so weird what you are talking about and the link you gave for that condition. i have had the exact symptoms you describe. i have had a headache everyday for 2 years, and the pain is always one sided, and radiates to my forhead, eye, by my ear. it feels like i have a ear infection and sometimes the right side of my jaw and teeth ache. i used to have shooting pain in my neck but that has went away, dont ask me how. i, like you have had all of the tests and tried all of the holistic treatments and even took 3 months off and went to florida to relax to see if they were tension headaches. but there has been nothing that has made it better or let me skip a day of headaches. i am currently taking idomentacin 3 times a day, and that works pretty well, but still when i am getting close to my next dose i can feel the headache starting so there is always a constant reminder. i know i might have rebound headaches from medicaition use but i read that it can take up to a month for any improvement to show if thats what it is at all, i dont know about you but i cant function without my medication to treat my headaches, i have a job and bills. so doing cold turkey is not an option. am i destined to have a headache every day for the rest of my life. i dont know what i will do.

 Mesage and trigger point therapy. Basiclly all in the same. It give me relief. They work out the knots in the muscle. They apply lots of pressure to the areas that refer pain. If your going to try it, you must find a very good message therapist. Its alot to explaing but youll find alot w/ a google search

Highflyer,
Have you tried Radio Frequency nerve ablation? You asked about cutting out all the nerves. RF essentially does that. RF does work best if the pain is coming from only a few nerves so only a PM/NS could say whether it might work for you. I had the procedure done 8 years ago at C1 & C2 for head & neck pain and it has lasted until just recently. The RF reduced my pain by approx. 80%.

I feel your pain. I have had chronic tension headaches for years off and on. Then when I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 2 days before the new year (2009) they got worse. I ended up in the ER 3 different times because of them. They took a cat-scan of my neck and head to make sure their was nothing wrong. The DR. told me there was nothing. I have since found only 1 thing that sort of works. I have been going to my chiropractor and he stretches out my neck and shoulders. It feels fabulous.

Hara - Diabetis, Fibromyalgia, MDepression, Anxiety, Sleep Apnea

Granted some Chiropractors don't understand about the pain we feel with Fibro. I love mine now because he doesn't hurt me like the last one did. He is also showing me how to get the trunk of my body stronger so it can hold me up now that I've had surgery.

Hara