Pain in the Back of Head When Swallowing

[rlr2006]

Hello, I have been experiencing a sharp pain in the back left side of my head when I swallow food or drink. I injured my neck a few years ago and have three consecutive slipped disks in my cervical spine and I have been experiencing extra neck pain and headaches these past few days. The pain is moderate for the most part and the headaches are dull and throbbing and have not gone away or felt better with rest and medication. My main concern is the stabbing pain in the back of my head when I swallow anything. It is very sudden but very painful and I would say it is a moderate to severe pain. One that makes me cringe and drop what I am doing at the time to grab the spot that hurts. It's been four days now since the headaches began and three days since the pain in the back of my head when swallowing started. I'm not too concerned but I wonder if I should be. Any thoughts?

[newsie2000]

There are doctors whom provide treatment on a sliding scale; like your community health department.

[rlr2006]

Hello,
Thank you so much for your reply!
I wanted to make one small comment about the possible chance that it is TMJ  or dental or ear pain. Could those be ruled out if I am not experiencing any pain or problems with my ears or teeth or jaw? I feel like it could most definitely be a pinched nerve in my neck considering my neck problems. In the last MRI I had on my neck, the three bulging discs were considered not serious but mild and that I need to be careful as to not further injure myself. I'm no longer on health insurance and so I am hoping it could not be caused by a herniation but instead maybe some swelling from this past weekend. I worked much more and in consecutive shifts than I have since before my neck and back injury three years ago. Another reason I'm beginning to feel that it is due to my neck problems is because the symptoms happen in the same cycle each time; my neck pain starts up, then the throbbing headache with any movement of my neck, and with the headache comes the pain in the back of my head when swallowing. I know it would be best to visit my doctor to get an official diagnosis. I simply can't afford that option but was wondering if you would know what the risks are of not going and doing home treatments (ice, rest and anti-inflammatory-Diclofenac) instead? Thank you for your time and your advice!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Pinched nerve in the neck, temperomandibular joint disorder or TMJ and even dental and ear pain could be the cause.
Do discuss this with your doctor and get yourself examined. You may need to consult a neurologist, ENT and a dentist. Take care!