Neck stiff and painful - relapse or something else?

Symptoms and treatments
1

Last night around 8pm - my neck and shoulder felt sore and its painful to move my head around. I couldn’t sleep all night because of it.

I am just wondering could this be a relapse or is it just a sprained neck? (I cant remember doing anything to cause it)

What should I do?

Cheers

2

Hi Spluff

I found this short video which may help it discusses causes of a stiff neck from bad posture, injury to infection.

xx

3

Also neck pain can be caused by anxiety and stress as it’s putting strain on areas of the body. Sleeping or sitting in a draft can cause neck pain such as by a door or window.

4

thanks lenney - i am just wondering how i know if this is a relapse caused problem or just a normal painful stiff neck?

5

Does it respond to ordinary painkillers? If so, it’s probably musculo-skeletal, not neurological.

In general, I do not assume every episode of pain is a relapse - particularly just one pain, in one place, that responds to painkillers.

I’m not saying, of course, that these aches and pains have nothing at all to do with MS. But they may be cause by faulty gait, faulty posture, weak and/or stiff muscles making us more vulnerable to injury, and so on. Not necessarily a relapse.

Overall, I think I get many more injuries relating to MS than actual relapses. I put my back out really badly about a couple of times a year. I don’t count each of these as a relapse. I can tell the back is not right, because there is a place it clicks, even when it’s relatively pain free. This is the exact place the pain radiates from when it occasionally “goes” (and it’s a horrible pain - going all the way through from back to front).

I’m sure MS is a contributory factor, because my muscles are not supporting my back properly. But that aside, it’s a fairly straightforward injury, and I have to rest and take painkillers for usually at least a week, before it begins to ease (I have to still be careful for some time after that, because if I’m not, it will go again).

Tina

6

First, you should consult a doctor. If it is just the pain caused by ordinary bad posture, strengthening the neck exercise will help restore neck movement. Without enough time and energy, the neck heating pad will become your good friend. Regular massage will make you feel more comfortable.

[Edited by Moderator]

7

This is something I get, plus all down my back, mine is down to spasms, I take Baclofen for it, I also use heat pads, have a massage and do neck and back exercises, but before you think yours might be the same, get it checked out.