That node, that node, that noOoOode

November 24, 2019 8:53 AM

Painful lymph node (with no swelling). Or is it a pulled muscle?

Friday afternoon, I do a bunch of intense printmaking (hunched over on the floor, vigorous motion). Friday night in bed, watching tv on the iPad, my neck feels a bit achy. Wake up on Saturday, have a headache and realize the pain is coming from a specific area: the lymph node area on the left side of my neck. There is a particular spot that is very very tender, and hurts when pushed. Turning my head, I can feel it, and I have a headache all day Saturday (took 600mg ibuprofen in the morning and 600mg again in the evening, which helped some but not fully). I can feel it a tiny bit when I swallow. Initially I thought it was a pulled muscle, but it’s hard to tell because it’s coming so strongly from the lymph node area.

There is NO swelling in the area, only pain. Nothing on the right side of my neck. No other symptoms. I’m not sick. I’ve had thyroid issues in the past, and a painful thyroid module, but in a different spot. AFAIK the thyroid stuff is resolved currently.

I have a headache again today. Not throbbing, mostly on the left side of my head. Pain is similar to yesterday, no improvement. I will absolutely see a doctor if this doesn’t start resolving in the next day or two. This shit hurts! But I’d love some insight, if anyone has had a similar situation.

posted by sucre to Health & Fitness (2 answers total)

I have a friend with a kid in the hospital right now with an abscessed lymph node in that same spot, which I did not even know was a thing, and as far as I could tell the swelling was not terribly remarkable right up to the point that it suddenly was. If you could pop round an urgent care today, you might should. Definitely watch your temperature and go see someone if you're developing a fever.

Given the headache and the way some people develop upper respiratory infections/viruses in a creeping way, you could take some Sudafed or Mucinex and see if you get any resolution or change in symptoms.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:15 AM on November 24, 2019

Best answer: It's probably where a ligament or something that has been stressed attaches in the neck. It is also possible that you ended up with restricted flow of lymph. But given that you were hunching as you worked it is unlikely to be anything but the result of the print making and then bending your head forward while watching TV in bed. Headaches are par for the course after giving yourself neck strain.

Since the headache is hemiplegic it is possible that you are having a migraine and if so the trigger was again probably the printmaking position and then the watching TV in bed and bending your neck sharply at a time when it needed to be gently exercised to recover from the stress from the printmaking.

Have you tried hot showers, hot packs, ice packs, massage or looking up and doing exercises for neck pain that would be suggested on the internet? Also try doing jaw exercises to relax your jaw as when you get neck pain or head pain or shoulder pain, you often clench your teeth unconsciously.

Avoid doing things that require you to bend your neck at a sharp angle especially where you sustain that position as when you are lying down and using screens and do lots of slow head rolls that do not involve stretching to the full range. Check your posture against a door frame and make sure you are giving your head appropriate support and not leaning forward.
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:16 AM on November 24, 2019 [3 favorites]