Help me identify the cause of my sudden, excruciating neck pain.

October 12, 2008 10:40 AM

Help me identify the cause of my sudden, excruciating neck pain.

Two or three times in the past few years, I've experienced incidents of sudden, intensely painful neck pain. It happens when I've been leaning my head back against something (e.g., lying on the floor with my head on a high pillow) and then lift my head up quickly. When it happens, it feels like I've severely strained a muscle on the right side of my neck, close to my windpipe. Swallowing becomes extremely painful, to the extent that I'd probably go to the emergency room if it weren't for the fact that a heating pad makes the pain disappear within minutes. Does anyone know which muscle is causing the problem here? I wonder if my build (tall and lanky with a long, slim neck) makes me prone to neck problems. I'm a 20-something female with no serious health issues otherwise.

posted by zembla3 to health & fitness (6 answers total)

This is the craziest coincidence. I was just sitting down and looking at MeFi to distract myself from a similar kind of pain.
I don't know what the cause is, besides sudden movement which causes the seizure of a specific muscle (with me, it's usually my trapezius, on either side, and it happens much more often than 2-3 times a year). I'm glad you mentioned the heating pad; I am sitting here now, hoping that will help. Usually I just self-massage and wait for it to lessen.
I am a little concerned about the choking aspect of your problem. I suggest visiting a massage therapist (and/or doctor) and asking about triggers for this problem, as well as some exercises and stretches that could prevent/remedy future occurrences.
posted by purpletangerine at 11:17 AM on October 12, 2008

There are too many muscles in the neck to pinpoint any one culprit. Neck muscle spasms happen to most everyone--serious health problems or not. You won't be able to do much of anything to relieve it except to put damp heat on it (yes, damp heat!--a hot towel is far better than an electric heating pad), take a few aspirin or ibuprofen, and wait. Neck muscles, at least in my experience, are slower to "come down" from a spasm, so patience is key.

I would recommend a PT, chiropractor, osteopath, massage therapist or some who deals in soft tissue. A regular doctor would not be much help other than prescribing muscle relaxants (which I would not recommend) or referring you to one of the above.

Self-massage is only partly helpful because in reaching up to your neck, you are likely contracting the muscles that are probably contributing to the problem. Which is also why passive stretches are more effective than you moving your head about in attempts to stretch the neck: you're not truly relaxing all the muscles, so the muscles that are in spasm aren't disengaging.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:16 PM on October 12, 2008

I get this when I sneeze or cough while lying on my stomach with my head turned. As for making it feel better... computech_apolloniajames has great ideas, but yeah, it seems to take a while, patience is the key.
posted by silkygreenbelly at 5:45 PM on October 12, 2008

Patience is NOT he key. Nor is Metafilter. Go to a doctor, chirporactor etc.
posted by Nick Verstayne at 6:40 PM on October 12, 2008

ok *the* Key....
posted by Nick Verstayne at 6:40 PM on October 12, 2008

Inversion table. Godsend.
posted by flabdablet at 3:08 AM on October 13, 2008