Pain in neck/upper spine when tilting head backwards

[Ryan_11]

I've had this problem for quite a while now. I'm a 26 year old male. I have a desk job but never suffer from any pain while at the desk or afterwards. The cause may be from weight training that I started 8 months ago, although I never felt any pain in any of the gym sessions or had a sore neck or upper back afterwards.

I only noticed the problem when I was flossing my teeth before bed one night and tilted my head back to get a better angle. When it was almost all the way back (as far as it would go normally) I noticed a pain/hard ache in the back of my neck/upper spine. Around where the crease develops between the head and upper back when tilting the head back. If I had to pinpoint it I'd say it's near the top of the spine but not quite in the neck. About where the last couple of vertebrae are that you can feel if you massage your upper spine.

I kind of forgot about it as the pain was only present in that certain position and as it's an uncommon position it doesn't affect my lifestyle. However I'd say it's been present for at least a few months.

Anyway, the reason for this post is that I went to a physio as I had a little bit of ulnar nerve twinges in my left elbow/tricep after working out. He then worked on my neck 'to relieve pressure'. His techniques were kind of pulling on my head from behind (when I was lying down) and poking in the neck area.

Unfortunately in the week after this I had pain in both arms and some tingling in my right little finger. He'd obviously caused a lot of irritation to the ulnar nerve where it originates in the neck.

I've just had 4 weeks off all exercise and am feeling better, although the pain in my neck is still there and is a bit worse than before thanks to the physio (but again only when tilting my head back).

I went to another physio and he just said that my nervous system was extremely irritable (thanks to what the other guy had done) and it should calm down after a couple of weeks. It's a week later and I'm feeling much better from a nerve point of view, but the pain in my upper spine/neck is concerning.

Does anyone know what this could be? How to get rid of it? Who would be the best person to see for treatment?

My experience is that physical therapists are pretty much useless unless used for rehab/sports injuries etc, it's just trial and error for anything else. Doctors are clueless and just send you for scans, and I don't think a scan would reveal anything as I'm fine doing everything else apart from tilting my head back. I'm also a bit dubious of chiropractors as they are the same as physios and from my recent experiences I don't want to risk having manual therapy to make things worse again. I realise this doesn't leave many options left but any first hand experience or advise would be appreciated.

[Sharbee]

I've experienced this pain for 2 1/2 months.  It's the worst pain I've ever had.  I can only sleep with sleeping pills.  It takes everything I have to endure a day at work.  I finally got an MRI and learned I have a herniated disc between C5 and C6.  Like you, at times it's so unbearable that I now understand suicide.  Please seek out a neurosurgeon for the correct help!  Hang in there!

[susan8888]

Sharbee....I just found out that I have a problem with the C5 and C6 ...after 3 weeks of hell.  He said the edges of the disks were jagged and also arthritis had set in.  My soreness is on the left hand side of my neck and pain that radiates down the arm and into the shoulders.  He suggested physio and gave me some painkillers as laying down at night kills me.  I also take naproxen and a muscle relaxant.  He said it will pass but will come back again.  I also felt suicidal at one point especially when I got spasms at night.  I find hot water helps and/or a heating pad.  Many nights I fell asleep with a cold facecloth on my neck.  I alternate between hot and cold.  Hoping this will go soon but who knows ...been 3 weeks now.

[dave1994]

have the same prob just thought id google it and it seem there is no diagnostic..... i have seen an osteo as i had back problems a month or so after, she didnt fix it on either visit, back healed tho...... the pain hurts when i tilt my head back and more so the more i tilt my head back to the right, pain is in the same place had it about 15 months maybe more.... i knw this isnt serious cuz the time frame but its still annoying as hell..... lemme knw what u find..........im male, age 21.

[liamp]

I'm in so much pain every day, to sleep I have to sit in the bathtub, holding the shower head on my head spraying hot water on my head and kneck, i suffer chronic migraines every day of my life. Tilting my head backwards is the only way yo lessen this headache. I sleep every night in the bathtub full of hot water spraying a shower head on myself.
I find the heat helps lessen the pain, but it doesn't stop the pain, as soon as I stand up or straighten my head I am in ago and feels like my head I going to explode. I cry every single day, I left my job, my partner left me because she cannot see me like this. Watching or hearing my crying every day 9-10 times a day for a long time, I don't know what else to do, frankly if I had the bollox ir the means I would kill myself. I cannot cope anymore and the reply for the docs is , take some paracetomal. I'm sorry but I've been buying under the counter morphine and although i am out of my mind, the pain is still thier, it never stops I shake my head when it feels like it has gone, but I can feel it I can feel the headache at bay ready to start again  please someone help me please I'm begging you I'm begging for help. Something must be be done. I haven't slept in a bed for 2 years, I sleep in a bathtub clutching the shower.

[paulpoo]

Call on god. Jesus will heal you. He loves you and all things are possible to those who believe.  I'm praying for you. God bless and be healed

[Fyrefilled]

I have whats called pseudo tumor Cerebri, or intercranial hypertension. You need a spinal tap to confirm it. Its the only thing that causes this kind of dibilitating pain that pain meds dont touch. Please go see an er doctor or neurologist and ask them to do the tap to see if your spinal pressure is high causing this. If so, you can take a diuretic called diamox to drain the fluid. Takes a week or two but once its in your system u will finally feel relief.

[Sharonapps]

Look into the benefits of deer antler it is great for repairing nerve damage tissue muscle damage also lions mane..also at the same time each day spray magnesium and msm oil combined into the area thats painful it will get rid of the inflamation naturally as well as helping to repair because its topical yr body just takes what it needs so its not like ingesting it.
Also b vitamins b12 and if u can stretching excersices little bit at a time this will jelp re align the spine and help release blockages.
Theres no point in masking this u really need to focus on repair.
You can do it, i really feel for u pls dont give up.

[Nikoloforpeace]

My friend, I have had similar migraine problem too. Non stop, in some periods once every two days, sometimes two days on the row, other times more. I was vomiting multiple times to feel relief and be able to sleep. The problem appearred in a very young age and it was appearing and disappearing through my whole life, especially in times of stress. Finally  I changed completely my life-style because nothing else had worked before and in the end I was even examined for cancer. I have been vegan 100% already for 10 years now, and this was clearly for ethical reasons, but what really made a tremendous difference in my life was meeting my naturopathist mentor (through the youtube) and coming in contact with the filosophy of naturopathy, I found so reasonable the idea that our bodies have been self-constructed through millions of years of evolution having as their priority their health, therefore their survival. Our bodies themselves are the only ones who can self heal therefore, if we only let them do their job, without intervenning and harming them. The human animal has been so far from its natural life-style during the last years, and the result of that is chronic sickness and pain. The last 3 years I moved to the country-side. I started juicing  leafy greens and drinking green juices daily, have a meal of fruits daily, half of my nutrition is raw, not-cooked, I stopped snacking, and stopped consuming processed foods,  exercise an hour per day whole body, especially upper body. Eating my last meal, close to the sunset time.  Sleeping at 10pm, starting the day at 5 in the morning. One day per week juice-fasting. (Means no food, only juices or water for 24-36 hours.) All these, in my current understanding, immitate the ways that  the human animal has been living for millions of years, in nature. In the meanwhile I have been working daily for 10-16 hours, building a vegan restaurant with my hands and those of my partner.  Of cource spiritual practice is essential to. The head-aches became very rare, it's two years now, but the last 5 months, that I understand more, there fore I practice more, they are totally gone. Most importantly I feel more vibrant now, more productive, more giving, a better human being. I finally trust the creation of God or the Self again. I hope this finds you and helps you to start studying, practice and heal and finally help many others too. Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.'' Fat, sick and nearly dead'' documentary, is also a good introduction. Fare well, friend.

[Hectnun]

I have the same problem of the first gu,but mine happened cause I was playing football and some guy hit me through the back,and I heard a pop on my neck,it's barely been like 3days,but when I'm standing straight and tilt my head back it hurts

[philnoir]

Hello Ryan, I see that you are following up on a post you left a three years ago.

I don't quite understand what happened between 2012 and your truck accident, but I do understand that chiropractic care and swimming you have been doing for 6 months is helping your pain. This is good.

Many mild spine syndromes improve with exercise, and soft tissue manipulative therapy.

Perhaps that truck accident was a blessing in disguise?

Best wishes.

[Ryan_11]

I've been seeing a chiropractor for the past 6 months since I was in car accident. A truck rammed me from behind at traffic lights. It didn't seem to make my problem much worse but the insurance paid for the treatment. I've also been swimming in the ocean during spring break with my son and summer with my club. The problem seems to have got better with this life style. I don't know if it's the doctor or the swimming but it's doing the trick. I hope this update will help people with the same problem.