Neck Pain

The arn man
The arn man Member Posts: 9
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

I'm 4 years cancer free.

After surviving a stage four diagnosis and some aggressive treatments I'm disabled and a mere shadow of my former self in more ways than one. I have no more muscle mass. I'm only 5'8 but I lost over a hundred pounds during and after treatment. I'm still more than 50 pounds lighter than I was BC.

Great according to my cardiologist.

In reality? I'm afraid theres a down side.

Every day I experience severe pain in my neck. I haven't had a good stretch in two years because the muscles in my neck and everywhere else frankly get very tight to the point that I am incapacitated til it passes.(only 20 seconds or so, thankfully)

Lately it's occurred to me that perhaps I dont have strong enough muscles in my neck anymore to hold up my head all day. Lets face it, I only think about my neck 8 or 9 hours a day.

My neck measurment for shirts went from 17" to 15" so I definitely lost something.

Doctors dont know what it is.

Sometimes I think the they think I'm making it up to get pain killers even though I never ask for any. I just want them to make it stop.

Has anyone had this problem?

 

 

 

Comments

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #2
    Sorry to read this.

    Question: Does the pain stay in just your neck area, or does it travel down the arm? Have they done an MRI?

    I would guess you have tried muscle relaxers. Just a good chance it could be radiation damage.

    I had shooting pain that went down my arm. Like you hit the funny bone, but it wasn't funny and was constant 24/7 for more than two weeks. Mine was nerve damage, well pinched nerve's from bone spurs. Almost had to have surgery but got very lucky and didn't. The ones that had the surgery have never been the same.

    Not sure what your's is but I do wish you the best.

    Bill

  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #3
    Spasms

    If you had a neck disection it's just spasms.  I get them almost every day, like you say 20 seconds and they are gone. Thank God they are short . Brushing my teeth seems to trigger them often. I've also lost two sizes in my neck size from 17 to 15 , I had a neck disection and there is a bit of a deformity there. I've had great luck with yoga. A very gentle practice will do wonders for you.

  • slk2015
    slk2015 Member Posts: 54
    #4
    Tight neck

    I wonder about this often.  I had a partial neck dissection over a year ago, but my neck gets very, very tight at times.  I often say my neck is trying to strangle me.  There's also a feeling of an electrical shock and my tongue gets tingly at times.  My ENT always said that these things could happen--you never know what will happen when you cut into a person's neck.  He says my neck is healed as far as it will be.  I have a pretty nasty scar and sometimes get swelling.  Eventually these may go away, I guess.  It's kind of hard to know.

  • The arn man
    The arn man Member Posts: 9
    edited July 2016 #5
    wmc said:

    Sorry to read this.

    Question: Does the pain stay in just your neck area, or does it travel down the arm? Have they done an MRI?

    I would guess you have tried muscle relaxers. Just a good chance it could be radiation damage.

    I had shooting pain that went down my arm. Like you hit the funny bone, but it wasn't funny and was constant 24/7 for more than two weeks. Mine was nerve damage, well pinched nerve's from bone spurs. Almost had to have surgery but got very lucky and didn't. The ones that had the surgery have never been the same.

    Not sure what your's is but I do wish you the best.

    Bill

    Scheduled some imaging today.

    Scheduled some imaging today. Thanks for the heads up.

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