r/neckpainhelp

https://preview.redd.it/mvm99owof40h1.jpg?width=419&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f643303cd6d80903dc04caec6f6ff99d1093a6fe

I just did 14 pull-ups as usual. After that, I immediately felt pain in the circled part of my neck/back, especially when I nod my head or lower my head. pls help me

Hello everyone,

I'm 40 years old and I've been dealing with contstant neck pain in my traps since roughly octobre 2024. The pain sometimes is more in the upper region, sometimes more in the lower region.

It crept slowly into my life. I remember using a massage pillow every now and then and it usually subsided after that. But now it's gotten to a point where I basically wake up with pain in my neck and my office job makes it even worse throughout the day. Also my gym workouts make it flair up. Interestingly enough the chest exercises the most. Massaging doesn't do anything anymore.

When I'm active (walking, cleaning, biking, etc) it usually gets a lot better. I would describe it as a burning sensation mostly, like flexing a muscle for way too long and getting lactic acid buildup. I tried to rule out a bad sleeping position as good as I can with different pillows, mattrasses, etc. to no avail. I had 6 PT massaging sessions. (that's what the doctor prescribed me half a year ago) and it really did nothing.

I can usually also crack my neck pretty loud when I tilt my head to one side.

I have NO tingling,strength loss or radiating pain in my shoulder,arms or hands.

I regularly have been going to the gym for the past 15 years.

I tried a week of Ibuprofen which also didn't really change anything. Applying heat sometimes helps a bit, sometimes not. I feel it helps to prevent a bit, but not really to relief.

Is there anything I can do next except getting an MRI? I'm terrified of an MRI because of terrible claustrophobia and like to push that as far away as possible.

Maybe someone can find him/herself in the description of symptoms and hopefully point me in the right direction 🙏

I have had neck symptoms on and off for years. Always tightness , pain, have “ knots” I my shoulders back and sides of neck. Then about 10 years ago I stared getting a cramp under my jaw like a charlie horse, did PT for it and it would come and go. Fast forward 4 years ago bad car accident. Actually ejected from car seat belt , hit head on roof and broke off headrest from impact. Concussion, smashed legs. My neck was pretty bad but back was far worse. Landed on back on console , shifted lumbar out. It got scary and back unstable, leg weakness and numbness and awful back pain.
Had a lumbar fusion 2 years ago doing well now.
Now about 3 months ago I started getting tingling on side of neck and into face. Comes and goes - worst bending or at night when I lay down to sleep.
This is side I get the charlie horse type cramp under my chin. Also have a cramp in left shoulder blade for a year and possibly realized it’s related. ( I do some stretching for that cramp)

The neck pain was there after the accident but I had bigger issues previously with a lot of injuries. I didn’t really pay it much attention but now this tingling started.

My neck is tight and hurts. I assumed this cramping is hitting a nerve to cause tingling but since it’s been going on a few months , I asked my dr to check it out. X-ray ordered. Results below seems worse than I thought. 53f. I’m going to start PT this week but I’m a bit freaked out my back and neck are so bad. I’m going to do PT and hope it helps. I remember when I did PT a long time back when I started this cramp under chin the guy said it was posture. So I hope it will help. Anything else help anyone with cervical spondy to stabilize it? Could you avoid fusion? Thanks

CERVICAL SPINE INDICATION: Cervicalgia. COMPARISON: None. VIEWS: XR SPINE CERVICAL COMPLETE 4 OR 5 VW NON INJURY Images: 7 FINDINGS: No fracture. Preserved cervical lordosis with degenerative retrolisthesis C3-4 and C4-5 with grade 1 anterolisthesis C5-6. Disc height loss C3-4 through C6-7 with multilevel facet arthropathy and uncovertebral joint hypertrophy. Neural foramen are not well profiled due to obliquity with significant neural foraminal narrowing bilaterally at C5-6 and C6-7. The prevertebral soft tissues are within normal limits. The lung apices are clear.