For me, started in the neck and wrists (and ribs). Then 2 years later, in the SI. And for the last 15 years, its been predominantly neck and SI. The rest of my spine isn't nearly as bothered as those two areas.
If heat didn't help much, you could try ice.
Also, see a PT for your neck if it continues to bother you. I had manual PT for the first few years, it helped a lot. Took me awhile to find the good manual PT, but once I did, what a relief. Up here couldn't find a decent PT, so have a chiro that does the manual traction and soft tissue work my neck needs. But he is very good and very cautious with me; I wouldn't let just anyone work on my neck.
I now have a home ultrasound machine because in the PT's office, it was so helpful, on both my neck and my various enthesitis problems.
I've also had trigger point injections and facet joint injections to address my neck problems.
The muscle relaxant zanaflex that I take is largely for my neck (and upper back tightness caused by the neck inflammation). Be wary of taking flexeril; zanaflex and skelaxan are much better drugs. Flexeril is cheaper, but that's all it has going for it as compared to the other two drugs.
How I sleep, how I lay, how I sit, all contribute to the well-being of my neck.
And when all else fails, a short course of prednisone has worked wonders. That plus aleve plus muscle relaxant plus ice plus heat plus PT or chiro plus ultrasound plus not sitting and somehow I got through the worst of the flares.
Hoping Humira will continue to keep things more calmed down than before.
Still can't sit very well due to my neck. Oh well, at least I have a chair in my office that I can lean back in and have my recliner at home that allows me to sit with some comfort most of the time.
For some reason, heating my back on low with a heating pad or icing my back, helps keep my neck calm….
Last edited by Sue22; 11/25/13 07:21 AM.
