At first I thought the cause was that I just started a stressful job. I got really frustrated and sad one night before I went to bed. I get frustrated really easily these days, and cry whenever I think about. It’s a little unusual for me. I woke up the next morning with a crick in my neck. It has happened before, usually when I get overly stressed. Except it was much worse. Over the weekend it got worse and worse. I had a pretty relaxing weekend and drank to make the pain go away. Sunday I felt good enough to play softball, so I did. It was a double header. The first game I felt fine, a little sore but I just put some cream on it to help. The second game it got increasingly worse, spreading to my shoulder. Today I feel like I have partial paralysis on my neck and right shoulder. I am in a lot of pain. I have been searching the internet to find out if something could be seriously wrong with me. I am running a fever today.
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Had that happen a couple of times. Sometimes it is the prelude to a very bad migrane headache, ALWAYS it means something is wrong emotionally (speaking for myself). When I have an issue I am very obsessed or concerned, upset about, it may appear to friends and co-workers that I am ok, but the pain in my shoulders and neck say otherwise. There have been times where I can’t even turn my neck it is so stiff. Always it is due to stress. Your mind is very powerful, and perhaps you need to listen to your body and deal with the emotional issue at hand. Some things are just NOT worth it in the end. Take the warning and do something about it, your body will not let you continue being stressed emotionally without punishing you physically! p.s. even the chiropractor and ibuprofen did not help me, nothing ever helps until I take care of the issue that is bothering me.
I think I would go to the doctors, it could be a pinched nerve or a herniated disc in you neck and now with a fever it could be a number of things. Don’t just brush this off as stress go to the doctor today. Feel better.
Go buy some carmex chapstick and rub on neck and put an ice bottle on neck for 20 min.
Not to be a perv – or to embarrass you, but are you what might be described as well endowed? I have heard that especially well endowed youg women can suffer from excruciating back, shoulder and neck pain from sitting for hours doing computer or sewing, or similar work. The weight is too much for their musculature to support, and over time the carelidge and muscles get torn and streached to the limit, the spine tried to help, and sooner or later discs start to swell uonder the pressure, and the disks can eventually rupture as well, if not just stay swollen and pinched. Neck muscles, place strain on the templar region of the skull and “can you say migrane’?
So bottom line, – if you look like Dolly Parton’s little sister Polly, you might consider breast reduction surgery. If chest size is NOT the problem, then I suggest the following:
1. Get the to an acupunctureist. Find a good one – and start going regularly, tell him/her of your pain & job , and feelings – i.e. – everything, so he/she is armed with all the knowledge he or she can use to help you.
2. Get thee to a sports medicine clinic. Tell them you are looking for a support bra – a sports bra, tell them your tale of woe – they may even have to have something custom made to fit your need. while you are there get them to give you the hand outs for the exercizes you need to be doing to strengthen those areas of your upper back, neck, and shoulders which give you so much pain, and pick up some exercise “bands” while you are there. Your insurance will probably cover this if you ask your primary Physican for a referral ahead of time.
3. At work, set an auto reminder for your computer to reminder to alert you to get up and get a drink or water, and just walk around for a few minutes, and strech your neck, shoulders, and arms every twenty minutes on the hour.
At lunch take a brisk walk, exaggerating the swing of your arms, – wear good walking shoes or tennies.
If you use ice as a pain reliever, (and it’s a good one), always have a layer of cloth – say a towel, bewteen the ice & your skin, and limit the ice down periods to 20 minutes a time per hour.
For heat, a damp heat is best. I made a custom high neck, shoulders, and back heat pad, and I love it. The outer shell is heavy twill, then two layers of flannel inside of that, and inside of that a layer of 4 mil plastic is glued to the flannel. I stitch the two halves together to create a sillohuette of an over sized torso – once this is a “drape” not a sweater. the two pieces are sticed together first using straight lines of tripple striches about 3″ apart. These are going to create “tubes” which when filled with sand, are going to be about 1 3/8″ in diameter When donme these are really heavym but they feel good when I get them damp and then microwave them or heatthem in the stove and slip them into a custom made slip cover of terry closth, and drape that over ny neck, back, & shoulders for 1/2 – 1 hour. plan on taking a nice nap.
I supplement pain relief with Vicodin, and when real bad Oxy Cotin.
Good luck, – I’m pulling for you.
These are all real good ideas. I would also suggest general Chiropractic and if that doesn’t help within a few visits I would strongly suggest that you look into Upper Cervical Care. http://www.uppercervicalcare.com or http://www.upcspine.com. My blog may have some useful info as well http://www.theuppercervicalblog.blogspot.com. Best of luck to you, I hope you find an answer to correcting the cause of the problem.
Your new job may be related to the cause, because it may be triggering unresolved issues. But quitting your job may not be the cure. You should consider a diagnosis of TMS, tension myositis syndrome. While the pain may come from a physical cause; it is more likely coming from repressed issues deep in your psychology. This is a common problem, but it is rarely diagnosed by most doctors who are looking for a physical cause. Read any book by Dr. John Sarno. His most recent, Divided Mind, is the most comprehensive. But one of his early ones, which are shorter, can be helpful. He takes you through a personal treatment program that may have you pain free without pain medication or physical treatments.
Tension has caused muscle knotting in this area, and it can turn into a viscious cycle. The thing that helped me the most in a similiar situation was getting a Shiatsu (deep tissue) massage. Its about 50 bucks an hour, but definitely worth it.
Also, I switched to one of those curved cervical pillows and that has helped alleviate the tension. Good luck.
This is probably not because of your new job. The stress may be due to having to leave your former job, depending on the circumstances. Of course a lot of it may be due to new stress but there may be other factors.
Do you sit at a computer all day? If so, use better posture and get up and stretch occasionally.
Have you hurt your back or knees recently? You may have injured a disk in your back (which would account for pain spreading to your shoulder).
Did you warm up before the games? If not, you are using muscles that are stiff before you even begin.
Do you need a new mattress?
Do you need a new pillow?
You might try some ibuprofen to see if that relieves the pain but you probably should make an appointment to see a doctor.
Sound like you may have pulled a nerve.
Give it a few days and if it gets worse see a dr..
Mean time use Bengay and relax in some hot water.
I have a very simular affliction. I have been to multiple doctors and have been given multiple diagnosis. I have pain/numbness in my right shoulder and in the right side of my neck. I have been told its arthritis, sprengels deformity (spelling may be off), tonsilitis, stress, etc. Physical therapy treatment hardly helped and pain medications did less. I have been dealing with this problem since 2001. If you find any good information I’d like to know the answer. Im tired of going to the doctor, being there for five minutes and walking out with a whole new diagnosis and no real answers or solutions. It would be nice to find a doctor who wants to figure this out. Lately the pain and numbness has spread to my scalp and facial muscles including what feels like the inside of my mouth and throat. Hopefully this is not whats instore for you. This is at best miserable on a good day.
Sounds like a pinched nerve. It could be your pillow or the way you are sleeping. It could very well also be stress. The fever is a little scary though,I would go to the doctor and let the doctor diagnose you. In the future when you are stressed out you can try hot stress reliever tea from celestial seasoning, or herbal calm tabs. This will definately relax you.