Doctor, my neck hurts

Marie-Helene : I assure you that I am not cozy. But this morning, I said to myself: fortunately I have an appointment, because I have to do something.

Dr. Dominique Pierrat: Explain to me how it started. It appeared one morning, one evening, suddenly?

Marie-Helene : It came very gradually, at first small pains from time to time in the neck and a little in the shoulders. But now it’s sometimes three days in a row, like these days, especially in the morning.

Dr. Dominique Pierrat: And at night, does it wake you up?

Marie-Helene : No way. It’s the only time I’m calm. As I told you, the pain is stronger in the morning. It gives me cramps and the discomfort increases when I try to turn my head.

Dr. Dominique Pierrat: Have you changed anything in your habits lately?

Marie-Helene : Actually, I changed jobs recently. I am now in business, which requires me to drive a lot of miles. I feel like it’s not helping my neck.

Dr. Dominique Pierrat: But you also have an active life, do you play sports, a little physical exercise?

Marie-Helene : Not really. I quit the gym when I changed jobs and I feel too tired on weekends.

Dr. Dominique Pierrat: No other unusual symptoms? No dizziness during the day, headache?

Marie-Helene : No, but I have more pain on my right and sometimes the pain spreads a little up my arm.

Dr. Dominique Pierrat: I will examine you.

Palpation of the neck and shoulders shows more pronounced stiffness on the right. The pain is awakened by the movement and Marie-Hélène has a little more trouble turning her head that way.

Marie-Helene : This morning, it’s worse than usual. Yet there, I already got a little rusty.

Dr. Dominique Pierrat: The neurological examination is normal. I think you are suffering from the onset of cervical osteoarthritis. Stopping all physical exercise favors it. The joints need to be solicited to be well! We will check this on an X-ray, even if there may be signs of osteoarthritis on the X-ray and no pain. You will mainly take a painkiller morning and evening, paracetamol should be enough.

Marie-Helene : But then, I will have to take medication every day?

Dr. Dominique Pierrat: No, you’re going to take it these days, because you’re probably having a flare-up. When it is over, you will do physiotherapy sessions. This will end up soothing contractures and allow you to regain flexibility.

Marie-Helene : And do I have to change my habits?

Dr. Dominique Pierrat: To sleep, I advise you to place a small pillow under the cervical vertebrae to allow a good resting of the neck. And to do gentle neck exercises during the day to maintain good mobility. If you take it easy at first, yoga would do you good too. Apart from the painful episodes of course!

What you need to know about neck pain: neck pain is most often of muscular origin. Suddenly, they evoke a torticollis, chronic, they are most often the witness of osteoarthritis. When it is advanced, the pain is sometimes accompanied by headache, dizziness, ringing in the ears. Stress can also lead to stiffness in the neck. It is possible to relieve very intense pain by wearing a cervical collar.

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