I'm hoping that someone else has heard of this type of pain as
I am beginning to lose hope.
I have been having pain in the right side of my neck, in the rear, and it goes up the back of my head, sometimes I feel it on the side in back of my ear, and I also have pain around my right eye. The strange thing is that I only experience this after I use my right arm. If I don't use my arm, I don't get the pain. But if I use it to lift something even as little as a gallon of milk, it sets off this pain cycle that lasts 3-4 days. It's very difficult to not use the arm, so I end up having pain most of the time. It does not respond to over the counter pain meds, but it does respond to vicodin or percocet.
I have been to physical therapy (made it worse), had an mri of my cspine (showed arthritis), went to a pain management center who wanted to do a nerve block but he seemed really unsure if it would help so I did not go through with it. I also consulted with a neurosurgeon who said he had no idea and it wasn't anything surgical so he couldn't do anything else.
I have decided I need to try again to get some relief from this as it is bringing me down.
Has anybody experienced a similar situation and if so were you successful at getting any treatment?
Thanks for any advice!
Betsy

Some of the members with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) get similar headaches - arm use makes it worse usually too.
TOS can be caused by long term repetitive work injuries and a few other things too. Like whiplash, muscle or bone anomalies, hyper mobility...an extra cervical rib.

What type of work /hobbies do you do?

You might read about trigger points too.

We have a TOS forum here if you want to read more about it - I'll give you the link to the useful sticky thread - it's a good way to learn about it quickly.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread84.html

What you describe above is classic of occipital nerve pain, termed neuralgia when the cause is unknown or neuritis when it results from compressed nerves. If the muscles in your neck are tight around the area of the third and/or fourth vertebrae, that is sufficient enough to compress the nerves and cause pain. I also have shoulder problems which contribute to my neck problems, so it doesn't seem too strange to me that you're having this trouble. You may need to try a pain management doctor again for some relief. He/she should be able to do some nerve blocks to the nerves in your skull and the auricular nerve around the ear. The relief isn't permanent, but I take whatever I can get to get some relief from it. Read some of the posts here and you should see some similarities. Medications can bring some relief, but they are usually anticonvulsants and antidepressants. I find that vicodin doesn't really help the pain, it justs makes me indifferent to it, so it does help, just not directly as the other meds would. Take care and I'm sorry you're experiencing this pain. There is a lot of good information in the forums. Take some time to browse the posts if you haven't already. Take care

can you direct me to where you got this information? I'm new to the forum but not new to this pain (22 years and counting). I never connected my arm pain to my head/neck pain but recently it has become very obvious to me that it is part of the same package. I'm going back to the pain clinic on tuesday and want to have information with me for back up. thanks

Thoracic outlet syndrome is not well know by the average doctor, so I really suggest reading the useful sticky thread about it if you are having neck, arm & shoulder pain. post # 1 on the link has a large list of links

the sticky thread also has various therapy links - one that might apply to your ON symptoms is the info on trigger points.

Here is one link that describes the causes. Most of the information I've obtained, I've gotten first hand from my Pain management doctor, but there is enough info from this link to give you a starting place. I came across the info that the nerves exit the spine around C3 or 4 on the net somewhere and then I asked my doctor about it and he verified it, saying the range is C2-4.

http://www.webmd.com/migraines-heada...ses-treatments

I hope this helps. And do follow the link even though it references migraines, it speaks to occipital neuralgia.

The occipital nerve is a main branch of C2 (the second cervical nerve.) C2 exits the spine and travels through the trapezius (upper shoulder muscle connected to the neck) before branching into the greater and lesser occipital nerves. If C2 is compressed or pulled by the trapezius due to arm movements, occipital pain CAN occur. It happened regularly to me in the early stages of my ON, and still happens often.

Hello Jo*mar
I'm a newbie to NeuroTalk.
Looking for any info/links on the following.
post operative recovery time: vascular TOS. right rib excision ( operation done recently 31/08/11 ) and the same again to be repeated on the left side.

Do you know of any link with TOS and Scintillating Scotoma??? I have experienced this 3 times. Along with ON, muscle spasm in the opposite eye to the one that I had Scintillaing Scotoma. I've not mentioned eye stuff to consultants as I'm already dealing with so many other symptoms related to TOS.
Thanks for any info that may be given and best wishes to all!

Hi Betsy,

I seem to have the same problem you have. I believe mine is caused by using the Mouse and Keyboard for 10 to12 hours a day, 5 days a week, for about 10 years at work, without being informed of the danger of developing an RSI. I believe overuse of the Trapezius muscle is causing it to spasm and is pinching a nerve or is causing a muscle in my neck to pinch the occipital nerves.

I usually end up performing some task that require the use of my right arm about once a week and end up with the pain and headache. But I have gone up to two weeks without any pain or headache.

If I use my right arm for a task that lasts for 30 mins or more, I get what feels like a migraine headache, only on the right side of my head. It starts with pain at a spot in my back between my right shoulder blade and spine. I also have burning pain at the top of my shoulder about half way between the tip of my shoulder and my neck.

The first sign that tells me the migraine headache is on the way is pain at the base of my skull, where the neck and skull meet, about 2 inches from behind my ear. (That pain at the base of my skull usually dose not occur until day or two after the right-handed task, that cause the initial shoulder/back pain, was performed.) Then the pain continues on a path up over the top of my head down my forehead and stops at the eyebrow/eye-socket. Not an entire strip of pan, but pain in certain spots along that strip. This headache pain is only on the right side of my head. If left untreated, it will last at least 2 days.

I do not have any tenderness of my skull to the touch and I do not have any pain in the area of my temple or jaw.

I take Relpax, which does make the headache go a way in about an hour or tow after taking the pill and seems to even relieve some of the pain at my back/shoulder. Relpax seems to somehow block pain signals going to the brain. I don't like taking the medication, because it makes me feel strange, like I'm not all there.

I do seem to get some relief from using an ice pack on my shoulders immediately after experiencing any pain in those 2 spots in the back/shoulder.
Also, applying pressure points by laying on the bed with a 1-3/4" hard rubber ball (got a 3-pack at the $1 store) between my back and the mattress, can prevent the headache. I place the ball just to the right of my spine. I start with the ball just under my right shoulder blade, then lay with it in that spot for about 5 mins, then move it down about 1" at a time, laying for about 5 mins each time I move the ball down 1”. I do this until the ball is just above my hip (about 15 1” moves). That will usually make the pain go away and prevent the headache, as long as the pain has not started at the base of my skull. If the pain has started at the base of my skull, the only things that will make it go a way is Relpax or waiting it out for at least 2 days.

Laying down does make the headache worse.

I have had physical therapy, but that made it worse, due to any use of my right arm over 30 mins will cause the pain.

I did see some websites talk about getting Botox shots in the Trapezius muscle and was thinking about looking into that.

Have you tried anything else that has provided relief?

David.

Sounds very much like my story! Computer use is the elephant in the room and is causing huge problems-just ask any physio or chiro.

The only cure is to STOP what you are doing for at least 3 months, but 6 is better.
It just won't heal with constant use.
Sad but true. This will be the next epidemic.
I had to stop work because of it 7 years ago, and still have trouble after 30 mins on the PC.
It's a huge problem for those who have to use computers constantly.
If you start by doing stretches and a walk around every 30 mins, you will help delay the severity, but it will eventually catch up.
BIG PROBLEM WORLDWIDE.