I have had Tn for nearly two years now but recently I have been suffering greatly with pain in my neck and head it stems from the place where my head is joined onto my scull. It radiates through my head and into the back of my eyes. I feel like my head is to heavy for my body to support. I few weeks back I bought a new chair with higher back as I thought it may help. It hasn't. I mentioned this on facebook and someone said I may have Occipital Neuralgia to go along with my TN. I looked on You tube and everyone that seemed to have it worked in jobs that required a lot of upper body strength or sitting at a computer with their head forward for many hours. I worked very hard as a massage therapist for 12 years sometimes massaging for seven hours in a day. This last year I have had to stop because of the TN, and now this extra nonsense has set in. So if anyone can give me any advice I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you're having a pain free time x
My head feels really heavy as well. Mine goes from eye to cheek to jaw. Around the eyes and cheek is were my real stabbing occurs. My head feels like its balancing on my thalamus. For me voltaren gel works pretty well in the eye are but not so much my cheek. Massaging is a tough job, I believe its your turn to get a massage now
put that term in the search box--- --- I know nothing of it - but there are people active on these boards that have it. This way you will be able to find their postings!
I do need a massage, I know I have brought this on myself with to many hours giving people pleasure!! I know what you mean about it feeling like its balancing on your Thalamus. I spent quite a long time on the computer yesterday and I really suffered last night. Its very annoying as all my pleasures are doing things like painting and drawing. I have to keep saying to myself, keep your chin up, in more ways than one!! x
thermotronica said:
My head feels really heavy as well. Mine goes from eye to cheek to jaw. Around the eyes and cheek is were my real stabbing occurs. My head feels like its balancing on my thalamus. For me voltaren gel works pretty well in the eye are but not so much my cheek. Massaging is a tough job, I believe its your turn to get a massage now
I have both Occipital and Trigeminal neuralgia. With ON I experience an electic shock pain that starts in my neck and travels up the back right side of my head. It is excruciatingly painful and (for me) comes in waves. Massage did not work for me nor medications such as Neurontin, it is currently being managed with occipital nerve blocks. I no longer get the shocks up the back of my head so long as I get my blocks regularly. I recommend you see your neurologist as soon as possible. It’s just as debilitating as TN.
Take care.
Debra, I think this is what I am experiencing now. Pain in the back of head/neck, side of neck and sometimes radiates to my ear. Not anywhere near as bad as the TN pain. I found some information from Pat Gascoigne, a member on this site, on trigger point therapy. She recommends a certain book, can't remember what it is. But my husband got me a different trigger point book for my birthday and it really helps. I don't think it is solving the underlying cause but helps tremendously with the pain.
I had to take a "Back Class" for my cervical spine when it was getting really bad, and the one thing that they stressed over and over, is that when you sit at your desk, that you MUST balance your head directly on top of your spine - that means getting your spine in correct ergonomic posture in your chair - be it through lumbar support pads, chair adjustment (do you have an adjustable chair, one with knobs all over the sides? (I am schooled in adjusting those knobs, I used to show people how to use them all of the time, ask me anything :o)), whatever - but you must sit straight - consider that your head is the weight of a BOWLING BALL, and you are asking your neck to support it if you are sitting with your head forward. That is a considerable strain! I also used to work specifiying office furniture and worked side by side with people who did ergonomic evaluations for people so that I could set their work stations up correctly.
Are you lucky enough to work for a corporation that offers ergonomic evaluations? If so, do it - you will be so relieved, if not, get to one of those "back stores", or any store that specializes in ergonomics, and get them to show you what to do - they will know what to ask you and how to help you at your desk. I had to really fight with my boss to get an eval, even though I worked for a big corp (hospital) that offered them. It only happened after I had rotator cuff surgery and the surgeon required it because he know that I worked for the same hospital. But enough about me - you NEED to do this, that's what your post said to me, loudly, in my (former) professional/experiential(is that a word?) opinion.
Good luck! Feel free to ask me about your chair or workstation :o)
Thanks Lilly, I worked as a massage therapist for 12 years and I think this has caused it.Always having my head over at an angle. My Chiropractor said the same, that your head weights as much as a bowling ball and for a long time I have been holding it at an angle. I had some X rays and I have 'military spine' , which is when you don;t have the natural curve in your upper spine/neck area. I think this whole 'heavy head' thing is caused by my over use and not listening to my body.Also a couple of years ago I was at the beach and some young men were playing football one of them kicked the ball and it hit me square on the back of the head. It hurt like crazy and knocked me over. It was sore for a few days but I didn't really think anything else of it at the time, but it was shortly after that that I first had TN, so I'm wondering if that also contributed . Who knows, there doesn't seem to be an answer of why we get these things. My Neuro has given Anatriptiline to take at night, I have taken it for the last two days and have had the most horrible nightmares, I can;t wake up until lunch time and feel spaced out to an even bigger degree than normal. Its not nice!! Thanks for your kind words and support.
x
Lily said:
Hi Debra,
I had to take a "Back Class" for my cervical spine when it was getting really bad, and the one thing that they stressed over and over, is that when you sit at your desk, that you MUST balance your head directly on top of your spine - that means getting your spine in correct ergonomic posture in your chair - be it through lumbar support pads, chair adjustment (do you have an adjustable chair, one with knobs all over the sides? (I am schooled in adjusting those knobs, I used to show people how to use them all of the time, ask me anything :o)), whatever - but you must sit straight - consider that your head is the weight of a BOWLING BALL, and you are asking your neck to support it if you are sitting with your head forward. That is a considerable strain! I also used to work specifiying office furniture and worked side by side with people who did ergonomic evaluations for people so that I could set their work stations up correctly.
Are you lucky enough to work for a corporation that offers ergonomic evaluations? If so, do it - you will be so relieved, if not, get to one of those "back stores", or any store that specializes in ergonomics, and get them to show you what to do - they will know what to ask you and how to help you at your desk. I had to really fight with my boss to get an eval, even though I worked for a big corp (hospital) that offered them. It only happened after I had rotator cuff surgery and the surgeon required it because he know that I worked for the same hospital. But enough about me - you NEED to do this, that's what your post said to me, loudly, in my (former) professional/experiential(is that a word?) opinion.
Good luck! Feel free to ask me about your chair or workstation :o)
I have ON.. it's not fun.. the pain also radiates into my face. My neck/back of head feels like they are on fire,,,
at it's worst, the only way I can describe it is that it feels like someone is grabbing that back of my brainstem and lighting the nerve endings on fire... :[
Meds don't help me. I'm getting Occipital Nerve Block this friday.... hoping for relief.