Are you a Dr. that may be able to answer severe neck (muscle knot) pain that no others have been able to?
Greetings! Here is a back pain question I found when I was looking at Yahoo.
For many years I have had neck pain (approx. in the c5-c6 area and occasionally get a very palpable knot/swelling in the muscle (spinalis capitis is the best I can find to be the name of this muscle). The “knot” and associated pain would be on average of three times a month for no apparent reason other than the times I drank excessive alcohol, then it happened every time and was always much worse. I wondered what alcohol had to do directly with this knot. I do not drink anymore and lately the bulge in the muscle happens about three times a week. I broke my c5c6 5 months ago and the surgeon also mentioned deterioration in the same disks and suggested doing surgery for this at the same times as repairing (?) the breaks, so I was cut in the front and the back. well, the same pain and knotting of this muscle is still happening and has recently become worse. i’m wondering why this bulge is never noticeable in any films. I’ve had multiple x-rays (i know they don’t show muscle) but also MRI’s and CT’s. Is there any type of imaging to actually see the muscle? I have had nerve tests, many years of P.T. (which the surgeon scoffed at saying P.T. does nothing for bone deterioration and the associated pain, which obviously it hasn’t) the mentioned surgery 4 months ago (which also did nothing, maybe even made it worse). I went back to the surgeon last week and he has ordered another CT and MRI but honestly, I’ve had so many and well, you know the story. Can you think of anything we are over looking? What would be causing the muscle to knot up/bulge? Can you explain what is happening to muscle tissue on a cellular level, when the muscle does this? What happens to the cells to cause this swelling?
Doug B. If you answered HERE before even getting my e-mail of the same, you beat me to it! Sorry, and thanks so much for the explanation of the tight muscles pulling on the vert. possibly causing the deterioration. I could never put that together nor could ever get any of the Dr.’s too. I tried your trick, not sure if i did it right, but either THAT or the 3 pills (flexeril, morphine and percocet) decreased the pain momentarily to a tolerable degree. thanks so much for the temp. relief. You are very nice to offer your time answereing questions ans helping people without anydirect benefit.
My bad typing looked lazy, sorry, I got teary eyed.
Very interesting. Sometimes questions can be helpful, and sometimes they create even more questions. This one created more.
Have an awesome day!
February 8th, 2012 at 1:37 am
You are actually looking at two problems in one here. One is that the dr. can’t tell you about a simple pinched muscle when you have one and no, the machines can’t pick up pinched muscles. Then even if he knew what it was they still have no way of adressing it in p.t. for if those people had any idea of what to do they would have tried it on you by now, right?
So your pain is caused by tight muscles and to get rid of tight muscles you have to release them to get them freed up. Tight muscles are also pulling on your vertebrae to cause the deterioration that he saw. Releasing the muscles takes the strain off them as well. Here’s how to release your neck muscles to get rid of the knots and pains:
Neck
Put your hands alongside your head so your thumbs are on the front of the muscle under your ear and your fingers are on the back of the muscle behind your head. Squeeze your thumb and fingers together and hold. Relax your body. When your fingers and thumb touch, about two minutes, slowly lower your head as far as you can, release the pressure but hold your neck lowered for another 30 seconds.
For best results relax your body first by taking a deep breath and exhaling then remain this relaxed.
February 8th, 2012 at 1:37 am
You are actually looking at two problems in one here. One is that the dr. can’t tell you about a simple pinched muscle when you have one and no, the machines can’t pick up pinched muscles. Then even if he knew what it was they still have no way of adressing it in p.t. for if those people had any idea of what to do they would have tried it on you by now, right?
So your pain is caused by tight muscles and to get rid of tight muscles you have to release them to get them freed up. Tight muscles are also pulling on your vertebrae to cause the deterioration that he saw. Releasing the muscles takes the strain off them as well. Here’s how to release your neck muscles to get rid of the knots and pains:
Neck
Put your hands alongside your head so your thumbs are on the front of the muscle under your ear and your fingers are on the back of the muscle behind your head. Squeeze your thumb and fingers together and hold. Relax your body. When your fingers and thumb touch, about two minutes, slowly lower your head as far as you can, release the pressure but hold your neck lowered for another 30 seconds.
For best results relax your body first by taking a deep breath and exhaling then remain this relaxed.
February 8th, 2012 at 1:37 am
Muscle knots are a symptom of body imbalances. These imbalances are caused by compensating- shifting muscle use and tension- due to injury or poor posture.
It is not a cellular level problem. If you want to “see” the problem, process the pain signal.
February 8th, 2012 at 1:37 am
Muscle knots are a symptom of body imbalances. These imbalances are caused by compensating- shifting muscle use and tension- due to injury or poor posture.
It is not a cellular level problem. If you want to “see” the problem, process the pain signal.
February 8th, 2012 at 1:37 am
I would suggest seeing an osteopathic physician who specialized in osteopathic manipulative medicine. They are specifically trained to deal with these musculoskeletal types of problems and can perhaps figure out if there is a structural or postural root to your problem. Do you perhaps sit as a desk all day where you are leaning forward putting strain on your neck?
February 8th, 2012 at 1:37 am
I would suggest seeing an osteopathic physician who specialized in osteopathic manipulative medicine. They are specifically trained to deal with these musculoskeletal types of problems and can perhaps figure out if there is a structural or postural root to your problem. Do you perhaps sit as a desk all day where you are leaning forward putting strain on your neck?