Hi to you all.

i have posted on here a couple of times, and had some lovely responses, so THANKYOU to all of you!!!

it is good not too feel so alone.

my lastest symptom is my neck!! i say latest as i seem to be making my way through the list, did anybody else find this? each one seems to last abut 2/3 months.

anyhow my neck really aches, as if someone is trying to push my head forward, and i am resisting by pusing back,(if that makes sense). i noticed this month though i have had it nearly every day (except 3 days last week) and it varys in how bad it is.........and i find it worse when i am driving, or sitting at the computer for a long time!!!


at the moment the cracking noises that can sometimes go with it aren't too bad, and other times, every time i look round my neck is crunching and cracking all the time

does anybody else get this, and do they know why? is it a lack of or excess of something?

it would be really nice to hear back from anyone!!

love kim

YES! The neck thing! -- It is so embarrassing when I turn my neck -- it gives a very loud crack, even my hubby can hear it --- My neck does ache at times, and then I notice my shoulder blade aching ---I'm not sure if it could be tension, I get very worked up with all the different symptoms that come and go... This particulat symptoms can last for a couple of weeks and then disappear again. So frustrating! But I'd rather deal with this particular symptom than some of the more scary ones - What a ride!

A sore or stiff neck, and the crackling sound can be a result from the migraine mechanism being active (swollen blood vessels). Mine sometimes sound like a sandy gritty grinding when I turn my head. The stiffness (for me), can sometimes signal me when I am either about to GET a migraine (a pre-warning), or it can be towards the END of a migraine. Sometimes I think that the neck gets stiff and sore because we are trying to hold our heads a certain way, or trying to keep them still so we won't feel so much pain or head weirdness.

That said, if yours is lasting for months on end without any break at all, and you are not experiencing any other migraine-type symptoms (headache, dizziness, imbalance, sinus problems) than it may be something totally different, like the way you are sleeping, etc. You might want to try a different pillow as silly as it sounds. I did this and it helped a LOT. My pillow isn't so fluffy anymore - it isn't super flat either - just right in the middle so my head is not flexed at all.

I have these same issues. Turns out I have arthritis (bone spurs) in my neck and a pinched nerve. Was so bad I had pain down my arm and numbness in my right had. Physical therapy helped along with a good pillow, the kind that has the "dip" in the middle, which helps to cradle your head and keep your spine in a neutral position. Massages also help a lot.

I hope you get some relief from this. I never had anyone say they could hear the cracking noises, so I wouldn't worry about attracting attention with it.

Chocolate, I sent you a pm. I really would like to know more about this pillow.

How do they check for arthritis? Is it just a blood test? I hope I haven't got that on top of the other crap I'm having to deal with

I have a stiff neck sometimes but mine is due to a few accidents I have had in my life. But, I notice if I am really tense, my neck hurts more. I think a lot of times when we are stressed, we hold a lot of tension in our neck and shoulders. I go to the chiropractor but would also love a good massage once in a while.

Mopsy

Had 2 rounds of acupuncture in the last 2 weeks and have to say it has relieved my neck, shoulders headache problem. I plan on following through with more trreatment. Also try and remind myself to let my shoulder muscles relax during the day. I catch myself pulling them up and holding the tension in.
Girlsmom

EveningPrimrose, in my case they did an MRI and they could see the bone spurs. There are blood tests for other kinds of arthritis but that's not my kind. For a lot of people it is a part of aging. I also have it in my hands, although with glucosamine and chondroitin it seesm to be better.

kimps... if i were you, i'd be asking around for recommendations to a good chiropractor in your area, and going to see that chiro fairly quickly.. i wouldn't go to just anyone you find in the phone book etc, as some are definitely better than others.. whenever my neck is stiff and sore, or clicking etc, especially if i start to have headaches, my chiro fixes me, usually in just one session.

Hi all,

I first noticed a crunching sound in my neck about 17 years ago. Had an xray done then but nothing really was found. It's never really bothered me at all and I could only hear it when I bent my neck forward and moved my head slowly from side to side. However for about the last six months it's been a lot more noticeable, actually it's since I've been experiencing peri symptoms. It's not painful but the cracking and creaking sounds are louder than they have ever been. when I,m in bed at night and I turn over all I can hear is crack, crack, crack. I spoke to the dr about this and he said that it is just general wear and tear and that those noises don't really mean anything. The pysiotherapist that I was going to because my back was a bit bad also said the same thing. I'm not to concerned about it as long as it doesn't get any worse. I started taking glucosamine, multivitamins and Omega 3 about 2-3 months ago and it has improved. I don't crack or crunch as much at all. It's still there but better, I hardly hear it at all at night now.

It's really nice though to hear that it's not only me. I was telling my husband about it the other day and he said that when we go only holiday, for the first few days he gets it too and then it goes. It's as if all the stress that he goes through in work is working it's way out and he's relaxing, so it could be a stress-related thing.

I have the same problem as chocolate,except it's on my left side that I have a pinched nerve and two decayed disks..it sends pain down my left arm,into my chest at times and in my left jaw...which being on my left side has caused many dr's to think it was my heart giving me all these symptoms..after many heart tests and an mri they found the problem...my sisiter has the same thing on her right side