Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group pain in the neck!

Has anyone got any suggestions for neck pain, I've had it about three weeks now... and I've tried everything and it just keeps getting worse. I've got a foam pillow - makes it worse, neck exercise's ditto. Help!

Louisa

Hi Louisa! My AS started in my neck, so I tried everything. The foam pillows didn't work for me either! The best thing (for me) has been massage. Whether I go pay for a real one, try to do it myself, or guilt my hubby into a quick neck rub, it always seems to help the most. When I go to a massage therapist, I always ask for an occiputal release. They kind of pull your head gently away from your body. It's actually quite fabulous! I even bought a little accordian-like contraption called a Pronex that you lie down in and pump up to achieve the same thing. Hope you find something that works for you. I know how rotten neck pain can be!

Sam

My neck is fused and I have had two operations on it that failed to help the pain.Homedics makes a freezable gel filled neck wrap that works wonders for me. It is called a
Thera-Med Cold Pack Collar Pad. 1-800-327-7845 or www.thera-med.com , They are somewhere here in the USA and I bought two through the local Longs drug store.They wrap around your neck and are secured by Velcro.
Kev

hiya,


the neck or the neck!!!!!!

what sort of pain and discomfort are you getting?

David

Hiya,

you go careful on that release stuff in AS lots of things can go wrong in the neck it can be dangerous! Please trust me on that and straining the supporting soft tissue can/will aggavate things long term.......please please be careful! been there and suffered for it!

Any mobilisation here has to be carefully managed new lesions can be formed very quickly, and not only in the bones discs ligaments also nerves stretched and blood vessels damaged!!!!

Do this sort of release under someone competent who's checked your scans and knows the risks involved.....liekly as I 've been told we will not attempt that ......

Try putting tiger balm over the area honest provides lots of relief will relax the muscles and then try yth stretches etc

David

Absolutely! Don't let just anyone pull on your neck! It can cause serious problems. I guess I didn't indicate that it's not for everyone. If you have any fusion, it's a bad idea, or if your therapist isn't experienced or familiar with AS it's a bad idea. I'm lucky and have a great therapist who has really been great to my dad and me (we both have AS) She doesn't really pull the bones in my neck more like..well..it's hard to describe.

I also had been to someone who really didn't know what they were doing and caused some real problems for me in the neck area. Just be careful, and of course, ask your doc before you try anything new. Hope you find something soon!!

My chiro does gentle stretches in my neck for me, which always feels amazing!!! I could do (and do do) stretches myself, but somehow the stretch goes further when she does it, probably because I have to completely relax my neck and shoulder muscles for her to do them.

Hugs,

Hi Louisa,
I find using a large firm pillow & sleeping on my side helps, I've kept the same pillow now for around three years & I'm convinced it helps.

Good luck, hope you find some releif.

George.

Use cold pack to numb the pain. It's the weather, I go through the same syptoms.

When you find relief, let me know. I'm dealin' with neck pain pretty much 24/7.
Darla