Frequent neck & shoulder pain

For about a year I've had this strange muscle tension in my neck and shoulder, sometimes it'll feel as though it's in my jaw too. It's on my left side, and I do believe it started since I got an abscess and had all my Mercury fillings removed - I have detoxed many times, been on various probiotics, done metal detoxing, took anti-candida measures etcetc. Infact, now I think about it, it definitely started since all that stuff done with my teeth - I used to have to put DMSO all around the area.
I used to have back problems from 13 as I fell down the stairs on my Coccyx and gained a slightly curved spine from that - the pain from that left completely when I started Paleo in 2013 (compared to everyday) - but I've still got a weak back (it shakes etc when doing exercise)

The times the neck/shoulder hurts are when I'm tired, stressed, eaten fruit or chocolate, drank caffeine - but sometimes it can just randomly happen (OSIT) and it doesn't ALWAYS happen after doing these things either?? Yesterday I didn't experience any pain at all, but as soon as 5pm-6pmcame it just started hurting - and sometimes it takes me a while to get to sleep! It even hurts to touch the actual muscles from right under my left ear, across my muscle towards the shoulder bone and even towards the back. Just that whole left side tends to ache!

I've been going Hot Yoga for a while now, and that sometimes eases the pain but I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this? I've been for deep tissue massages, but every time I go it's like the tension shifts to the other side? a masseuse said it could be caused from the knot on the right side, but it's just strange the way is doesn't hurt when I go and get a massage..


Any advice would be much appreciated!!

Lilyalic said:

I've been going Hot Yoga or a while now, and that sometimes eases the pain but I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this? I've been for deep tissue massages, but every time I go it's like the tension shifts to the other side? a masseuse said it could be caused from the knot on the right side, but it's just strange the way is doesn't hurt when I go and get a massage..

Click to expand...

Have you been doing supine twists? I've found they are very good for reducing shoulder and neck tension, as it can be the large muscle groups in the back that are causing it.
You may need to experiment with your knee position, as I didn't notice relief until I brought them further up.
i.e. like this:



Working on core strength would probably be useful too, as this will help with stability and posture.
Core exercises: Why you should strengthen your core muscles

RedFox said:

Lilyalic said:

I've been going Hot Yoga or a while now, and that sometimes eases the pain but I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this? I've been for deep tissue massages, but every time I go it's like the tension shifts to the other side? a masseuse said it could be caused from the knot on the right side, but it's just strange the way is doesn't hurt when I go and get a massage..

Click to expand...

Have you been doing supine twists? I've found they are very good for reducing shoulder and neck tension, as it can be the large muscle groups in the back that are causing it.
You may need to experiment with your knee position, as I didn't notice relief until I brought them further up.
i.e. like this:

Working on core strength would probably be useful too, as this will help with stability and posture.
Core exercises: Why you should strengthen your core muscles

Click to expand...

They're pretty much included in every Yoga session but it'd be a good idea to practice them every day at home too! especially the general twists from sitting down where you place a hand on your knee, and the other hand behind your back and look towards the back of the room.

Thank you, RedFox!

Have you done this position with the foot on top of the knee that is touching the floor on the floor? (some Yoga instructors do this) I find that stretches it out even more! I've just practiced it then and found that it felt better that way. Still, it doesn't seem to target the main part of the pain between the neck and the shoulder. - I have to pull my head forwards, and then diagonal (opposite the actual pain) - so towards the right - and that gets it!

A lot of tension builds in the back and spine when we don't sit properly and also when we are stressed or anxious.
One can be anxious without even realizing it until pain appears.

This isn't to say that there aren't other contributing factors, but these are also things to keep in mind.

Another thing to watch is your pillow and sleeping positions.

Pain in the neck and may cause diseases of distant organs (pancreas, gallbladder, heart and coronary blood vessels, lungs, , head). The causes can be nerve diseases (meningitis, neuritis, radiculopathy, myelopathy), degenerative changes of the cervical spine, overuse syndrome, fibromyalgia, inflammatory rheumatic diseases, poor posture, etc.. Degenerative changes of the cervical spine by far the most common cause of neck pain. The legacy of the great mobility of the cervical spine, the modern way of life, are the reasons for the occurrence of degenerative changes in the cervical spine. Role and everyday microtrauma, which leads to sedentary work with the head in the forced position (for example, work on the computer, sewing machine, etc.), Driving a car, watching TV for hours and some hobbies. Unadjusted height work surface and chair in the workplace contribute to increased stress of the cervical spine, as well as low-grade night's rest at too high or low pillow.
Sufficient oxygen also relaxes muscles and prevents accumulation of stress in the neck and shoulder muscles.Humidity, pressure changes, and the draft could make the situation worse. Try to eliminate some problems if you have not already. :)

Maybe you have amoebae? Read the "autoimmune diseases... amoeba" thread.

And probably start taking boron.

Craniosacral therapy might help too as it can act on emotional trauma and tension bound up within the fascia.

I haven't tried this method, but a friend of mine bought the book and spoke highly of it. Here is an interview:

Natural health physician and Mercola.com founder Dr. Joseph Mercola interviews Esther Gokhale about the Gokhale Method.


https://youtu.be/YQVpgJuhueA

I'd recommend a good chiropractor as that's what I did when I had pain in that area but more on my neck/ shoulder left side. He also recommended the gym to strengthen the muscles and I'd agrees core strength is always good.

The exercise I found most helpful was on a lat pull down machine. I'd use one pulley handle so you have a narrow grip with your hands above your head. I had chronic recurrent problems but chiropractic sessions and strengthening exercises have cleared it up.

This is the grip I mean but of course I don't know if you can have access to the lat pull down machine.

http://www.oemfitness.com/assets/images/ddh-1.jpg

I would try to strengthen with light weights especially as it may save you money in the long run.

Or any exercises like this though you said you did yoga so you might have covered this.
http://youtu.be/Jh7ebOiVzEU

I hope this helps and good luck with clearing this up.

Hello Lilyalic, I agree with Thebull as that lat exercise can redistribute the stress on the upper spinal column. (worked for me, I used the elastic strap over the door trick, gently pulling down)

The other thing that I thought would be advisable is to get a heart check.
Heart problems can radiate down the arms and into the jaw, and can be caused by having dental work or problems with your teeth.
Good Luck with it.

You've had some great advice from the other members here. If you haven't already I would maybe take a look at Gabor Mate's book When the Body says No or Peter Levine's In an Unspoken Voice. It may give you an insight from a different perspective as to why the problem is persisting. You may be holding on to some stress here.

Hi Lilyalic, I sometimes get pain in the same area, I do body weight exercise's, pull/chin up dips lunges and squat's and my neck sometimes get stiff, I've found sun salutations, loosen up my neck muscles and I get instant relief, it's a good core strength exercise too

Hi Lilyalic, sorry to hear about your problems. This is just my educated guess, but your problem sounds like it could be related to your jaw (not kididng!). I've had a lot of similar pain that you describe, and addressing my jaw problems has been a big help.

So, check out that you don't have problem in the jaw: the jaw joint (TMJ). This is best done by a professional (dentist, cranial chiropractor), but you can come a long way learning and trying out some things yourself.

First, a couple of questions:

- Do you experience tension in the TMJ (temporomandibular joint). Start to observe your jaw - are you tensing your jaw (e.g. when you speak)?

-Do you experience teeth grinding (usually at night; you might not notice this yourself), clicking or popping noises when opening your jaw (wide open)?

-Is there any skewness when you open your jaw wide open (the tip of the mandible doesn't follow a straight downward line)?

Excessive tension in the TMJ can put the whole body out of balance, and cause enormous pain in the spine, neck, shoulders, give you migraine etc. A good start would be to check out this video series, where it is explained how the jaw works and what the usual problems are - part 1 here:

https://youtu.be/8MKx5c0BRrQ

One of the things you learn by watching that, is that an imbalanced bite can cause the jaw to be drawn backward (that’s called a posteriorised jaw joint), which stresses the jaw muscles. An imbalanced bite can be a structural/genetic condition that you’ve had since being born. Or, as it often is, it can be the result of well meaning dentistry procedures, where a “perfect” occlusion (the coming together of the teeth) is achieved by various methods, e.g. removing teeth and installing dental braces or other contraptions.

One of the thing that you can start doing, is to learn how to open you jaw in the right way (as shown in the videos): open the jaw first slightly forward then down-back – to get it to translate correctly. You might find that by training your jaw to open in this “new” way, other symptoms (clicking noises, neck pain, headaches) disappear. Another thing is to check the occlusion of your teeth with a dentist, possibly improving it. Perhaps the removal of your mercury fillings left some "bumps" and unevenness that need to be leveled. Many people I know (myself included) have found relief using a bite splint. You need your dentist to take measures for making one. There are also many exercises you can do to relieve tensions in the TMJ - do a search on YouTube on "TMJ exercises" to find them.

Very closely related to this, is something called tongue thrust. That alone, can be the cause for excessive tensions in the TMJ. In short, tongue thrust is a disorder where you for various reasons have learned a wrong way to swallow and developed the habit of resting the tongue against your lower teeth. It can be surprising to learn, that the correct resting position for the tongue is keeping the tip of your tongue behind the upper gum ridge (just touching it) and slightly aligned with the hard palate. The scientific literature mentions a few possible causes for developing tongue thrust, all during infancy:

-Obstructed nasal pathways (perhaps due to allergies, food sensitivities), leading to 'mouth breathing' instead of 'nose breathing
-Not being nursed (mother's milk), instead being fed with a baby bottle => not learning the correct swallowing pattern
-Tongue tie, also called Ankyloglossia

A good and easy way to try and to correct this, is to strengthen the tongue muscle called styloglossus (a muscle pulling the tongue up/backwards) by doing 'tongue clicking' several times a day. And to learn the correct swallowing pattern, and the correct resting position for the tongue.

For more information check out this article, and this excellent video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZKRT8liqFA

#

I agree with others, that finding a good chiropractor is a very good idea. Lastly, check out this video with easy-to-do exercises for neck and shoulder pain, also explaining the importance of a good posture (most of us sit on a chair all day long, which causes problems). I do these exercises daily at work, and they've been very helpful in relieving my pain.



https://youtu.be/xTCvBqZz3Bc

Aragorn said:

One of the things you learn by watching that, is that an imbalanced bite can cause the jaw to be drawn backward (that’s called a posteriorised jaw joint), which stresses the jaw muscles. An imbalanced bite can be a structural/genetic condition that you’ve had since being born. Or, as it often is, it can be the result of well meaning dentistry procedures, where a “perfect” occlusion (the coming together of the teeth) is achieved by various methods, e.g. removing teeth and installing dental braces or other contraptions.

One of the thing that you can start doing, is to learn how to open you jaw in the right way (as shown in the videos): open the jaw first slightly forward then down-back – to get it to translate correctly. You might find that by training your jaw to open in this “new” way, other symptoms (clicking noises, neck pain, headaches) disappear. Another thing is to check the occlusion of your teeth with a dentist, possibly improving it. Perhaps the removal of your mercury fillings left some "bumps" and unevenness that need to be leveled. Many people I know (myself included) have found relief using a bite splint. You need your dentist to take measures for making one. There are also many exercises you can do to relieve tensions in the TMJ - do a search on YouTube on "TMJ exercises" to find them.

Click to expand...

I am one with a less than "perfect" occlusion (actually I have a bad occlusion) and I had no idea a few years ago that it could be a problem.

It happens I started to feel chronic pain about 4-5 years ago on my right shoulder and neck. I thought it was: job stress + too many hours driving + too many hours in front of the computer + 0 hours practicing sport.

I've been visiting an osteopath for 3 years and each session was great but after a day or a week or a few weeks the pain came back. I checked my back with X rays, all OK. I visited a podiatrist, no problem with my feet. And finally, last July my osteopath told me he had started to speak with a local orthodontist and the former was sending clients to the latter and it seems the clients were improving a lot with their pains. I confirmed it the first day I told the orthodoncist: "I have pain and so and so" and he replied me very gently: "It's no wonder that you have pain". Well, to make a long story short I've been "wearing?" a dental splint or bite splint since then and it's been like a miracle for me. Every month the orthodontist has been working with it to make it more "adaptive" for my teeth and I am using it right now without pain, mainly while sleeping.

Thank you Aragorn for sharing your knowledge about the TMJ subject. I hope my story can help you, Lilyalic, or somebody else.

P.s. Now I should do an orthodontic treatment + surgery + orthodontic treatment to solve my bad occlusion and even with that ordeal I won't have a 100% good occlusion so I've decided I will go on just with the dental splint which has improve enormously my quality of life, osit.