Changing posture throws symptoms into chaos
 

I've recently been trying to correct my posture. Both waking posture and sleeping posture.

I have forward-head posture. The day after I started consciously trying to keep my head over my shoulders, I started feeling a sensation pressure in my neck and the back of my head, along with grinding sounds much louder than what I'm accustomed to. Later in the day I started getting bursts of extreme pain in my neck that lasted a few second each.

Perhaps being a complete fool, I did not immediately abort my posture-fixing efforts. I kept at it for about a week, during which period I continued to have the same neck pressure and bursts of pain. After a week I finally gave it up and went back to my old slouching ways.

That was all in January. Since then the neck pain has improved slightly but hasn't gone away. On the other hand, my usual sensitivity to bumps has gone way down (after a brief worsening at the outset). In fact I don't really mind cars at all now.

Since returning to my old slouching ways didn't help my neck, I decided today to try straightening my posture again. Sure enough, even since this morning the pain, pressure, and grinding sounds in my neck have all gotten worse. I don't know whether to push grit my teeth and maintain a straight posture or perhaps try gentler methods of fixing my posture.

I'm wondering if anyone has any similar experiences or ideas about what might be going on here. I'm really at a loss.

How are you working on posture?
Forcing a "perfect" posture is not how to repair..
Some ideas here-
posture repair with corpse pose - Google Search

I suppose what I've been doing is trying to force correct posture.

Specifically, I've been making an effort to keep my head over my shoulders and my spine erect throughout the day.

I should add the neck pain is also triggered by arm movement. I've basically had to stop writing for any length of time, because an hour or two after I start writing I start getting attacks of neck pain.

Has anybody ever examined your upper spine? Whiplash can go down as far as T-2 or even T-4. It took over a year to get a chronic problem from C-5 to T-2 healed. I would get numbness in my arm and hand. It was a combination shoulder, scapula, and spine issue. Some call it TOS, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. My chiro suspected it but did not have the X-ray equipment to image it. A Physiatrist ordered the X-rays and a wonderfully skilled Physical Therapist was able to help me over a period of a year. No insurance for the PT so it cost me plenty. Few PTs have the myofacial release skills to help the spasms release, over and over.

She could just look at my posture and tell if my spine and shoulder/scapula was in proper position. I've never found anybody with her skills. If you can find somebody who does active therapy with myofacial release or similar protocols, you may have a winner.

Neck & arm pain can go together..
Probably muscle/soft tissue related .
I was thinking RSI/overuse or TOS or some variation of those..
Previous whiplash can be a factor, also gaming, computers, a lot of phone use, and old injuries to upper body..

Mark, I've never had anyone closely examine my upper spine. In 2017 I had an MRI of my spine to look for a CSF leak. The MRI was clean. Beyond that I've never had any close examination of my neck.

My understanding (perhaps faulty) is Thoracic Outlet Syndrome usually involves symptoms in the shoulder and hands. That doesn't seem to fit my case. I don't have any pain below the neck. On the other hand my father has a cervical rib, which I understand is genetic and is associated with TOS. So I will ask my doctor about that.

It is good to hear that you were able to overcome your neck issues with therapy, Mark. I am always in favor of therapy and exercise over drugs. I will have to try to find such a therapist as you suggest.

I see a neurologist this week. I will also see an ENT on the off chance that something is out whack in my throat, which is where the pain emanates from.