very bad back pain,neck pain and, headache

[Marcellaf]

I dont take Meds...for my anxiety.
But my back ,and neck ache has also triggered a bad headache...And I'm HOPING ITS Just anxiety and nothing serious....

Does anyone else suffer from back/neck aches?
How do you treat it? or prevent it?

[phishn4842]

yeah i get terrible neck pain, and the headaches can get un bearable...I also notice that I am always very thirsty...so staying hydrated is a great place to start....beyond that, exercising will sometimes help, also sometimes does the opposite though....just some fresh air helps...theres a lot of things to try....hope this helps..

Scott

[jitters]

I think that the pains are probably caused by tension (anxiety) but back and neck pains are very common in all walks of life. Making sure you are hydrated can certainly help with headaches and many other issues. As far as diet goes some cod liver oil tablets could help lubricate those joints, and ease any pain these take time to work though.

Back pain can make you feel miserable, but it usually gets better on its own. And there are a range of treatments that can help relieve the pain and keep you moving. Your doctor may offer you a combination of these treatments.


Treatments for short-term back pain

Which treatments work best? We've carefully weighed up the research and divided the treatments into categories.

You can find out more about each treatment by clicking on the links below.

For help in deciding which treatment is best for you, see How to use medical research in your health decisions.

Treatments that work

* Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): This is a group of drugs that reduce pain and inflammation. One of the most common is ibuprofen.

* Staying active: Your doctor may advise you to stay active to reduce your pain and speed up your recovery.

Treatments that are likely to work

* Multidisciplinary treatment programmes: These programmes are run by a team of professionals, including doctors, psychologists and physiotherapists.

* Spinal manipulation: This is where a trained therapist moves the joints in your back.

Treatments that work, but whose harms may outweigh benefits

* Muscle relaxants: These are drugs that can help with muscle spasms (when your muscles tighten on their own). They are a type of sedative. Doctors commonly prescribe one called diazepam.

Treatments that need further study

* Acupuncture: This is when thin needles are inserted into the skin at specific points in the body. It is believed to unblock energy.

* Back schools: These schools offer a series of classes where you learn how your back works and what can go wrong with it.

* Behaviour therapy: This involves learning how to change your behaviour and thinking to help you cope with the pain.

* Biofeedback: This treatment helps you learn to keep your muscles relaxed.

* Epidural steroid injections: Steroids are drugs that are injected into the base of your spine to reduce inflammation.

* Back supports: These are corsets, support belts, back braces and jackets worn to support your back.


* Massage: A therapist kneads, strokes and manipulates the soft parts of your lower back, including your muscles.


* Painkillers: These include over-the-counter treatments such as paracetamol, as well as stronger painkillers you can only get on prescription.


* Temperature treatments: These treatments include massage, ice, heat and ultrasound.

* Traction: This treatment stretches your spine. A therapist does it by hand or using weights.

* Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): You wear a small battery-operated device (TENS unit) around your waist. It sends out small pulses of electricity to help relieve pain.

Treatments that are unlikely to work

* Exercise, including back exercises: This is a programme of exercises to strengthen your back, keep you flexible and increase your fitness.

Treatments that are likely to be ineffective or harmful

* Bed rest: This is when you stay in bed for a couple of days or more.


Treatments for long-term back pain

Treatments that work

* Multidisciplinary treatment programmes: These are run by a team of professionals, including doctors, psychologists, and physiotherapists.

* Exercise, including back exercises: This is a programme of exercises designed to strengthen your back, keep you flexible and increase your general fitness.


Treatments that are likely to work

* Antidepressants: These drugs relieve depression and may also help with pain. Doctors often use a type of antidepressant called a tricyclic antidepressant for bad back pain. Examples of these are imipramine, amitriptyline, nortriptyline and doxepin.

* Painkillers: These include over-the-counter treatments such as paracetamol, as well as stronger painkillers you can only get on prescription.

* Back schools: These schools offer a series of classes where you learn how your back works and what can go wrong with it.

* Behaviour therapy: This involves learning how to change your behaviour and thoughts about your pain to help you to cope with it.

* Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): These drugs reduce pain and inflammation. The most common one is ibuprofen.

* Spinal manipulation: A trained therapist moves your joints.

* Acupuncture: This is when thin needles are inserted into the skin at specific points in the body. It is believed to unblock energy.


Treatments that need further study

* Back supports: These are corsets, support belts, back braces and jackets worn to support your back.

* Biofeedback: This treatment helps you learn to keep your muscles relaxed.

* Epidural steroid injections: Steroids are injected into the base of your spine to reduce inflammation.

* Injections into ligaments or trigger points: These are injections into the muscles or ligaments near tender points in your lower back.

* Massage: A therapist kneads, strokes and manipulates the soft parts of your lower back including the muscles.

* Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): A small battery-operated device (TENS unit) is worn around your waist and delivers continuous pulses of electricity to help relieve pain.

* Traction: This treatment stretches your spine. A therapist does it by hand or uses weights.

Treatments that work, but whose harms may outweigh benefits

* Muscle relaxants: These are sedative-type drugs used to relieve muscle spasms.

Treatments that are likely to be ineffective or harmful

* Facet joint injections: Local anaesthetics or steroid drugs are injected into or near the joints linking together the small bones that make up your spine.


I hope this helps

Duncan

[amarkb]

It sounds like tension too me.

I get tension headaches when I've been stressed.

It's when the muscles get sore around your neck and scalp from holding tension in them.

A good tension headache painkiller helps me a lot. Syndol in the uk.

[ladyashley]

all last week I had a horrible tension headache. I hate it because it makes me so aggitated and I snap at people for no reason just because I am so uncomfortable (my boyfriend has learned to stay away) haha!
The pain is seriously the worse pain I have ever experienced...it comes up my neck then just takes over my whole head- I can feel my blood pumping fast through my head (especially temples) and I'm like "my head is going to explode" I usually take some extra strength tylenol and take a hot shower and try my best to relax. It really sucks though and usually when I get these headaches they last for a few days. Also a couple days ago I went for a massage because I felt like I needed to try something new. When she started to work on my shoulders and neck she was just like MY GOSH I think you are the tensest person I have ever worked on. That of course didn't surprise me seeing as I worry 24/7. The massage helped though- she did a lot with my scalp too which felt amazing. I am going to go once a week for a few more weeks in hopes I can really get my muscles more relaxed. She also suggested yoga and drinking plenty of water :) hope you feel better soon!