For the last few weeks my neck pain has been brutal. Causing my to have bad tension headaches as well.
My neck started bothering my with this particular pain about 4 years ago now, and has only started back up this year.
I’m not 100 percent sure it’s connected with the arthritis, but wouldn’t put it past it.
I did however have a bone disease (eosinophils granuloma) when I was around 10 in my 5th cervical vertebrae. I wore a neck brace for over a year.
Nothing has been really helping and it’s really affecting my sleeping, hence why I’m writing this at 320 in the am.
Isn’t it so amazing how pain can be so much different and affect us in so many different ways depending on where it is in the body?
WestCoast Meg, I am sorry you are currently having such difficulties with your neck. I do have neck pain & have never had any other neck related issues. So I am fairly certain that my issues are related to PsA. My neck pain is now chronic (pain and stiffness always present to some degree) for the past year and was more episodic (only during flares) in the few years prior. Recently I have had headaches which I expect are related. I went to see an orthopedic regarding numbness and carpal tunnel syndrome like symptoms in my hands. He has referred me for nerve conduction tests as well as a full spine & neck evaluation. The doctor I am referred to is a physiatrist. His bio says that his clinical practice is devoted to the compassionate and comprehensive care of back, neck, joint, and peripheral nerve disorders due to degenerative conditions. As I have not yet had the appointment, I am not sure what this entails. But it seems like a step in the right direction. Have you discussed it with your doctor or had your necked assessed recently?
In terms of strategies of managing it, I have gone through a series of various specialty pillows with marginal success. I use ice packs. One thing that seems to give me some relief is a prescription transdermal lidocaine pain patch. I haven't tried much else yet
I am actually looking forward to getting a formal assessment. I would encourage you to talk to your doctor and possibly get a referral. Given your history, at the very least, it may be helpful to differentiate the issue in order to come up with the best strategies for managing it. I hope you find some relief.
Hi Meg, I'm sorry to hear about your neck pain, and, yes, it can be brutal. I sympathize. There are different theories about what is causing my neck pain. It could be spurs pressing on nerves, weakened supporting muscles, bad posture or a hundred other things. My neck doesn't need much of a reason to flare up and make me miserable (and sometimes even desperate), so I pay pretty much constant attention to making sure it's happy. My physical therapist showed me range of motion exercises and gentle stretches for supporting muscles. I do these every day; if I don't, I will eventually feel it in the form of muscle spasm and increased pain. Before doing the exercises, it's always good to apply heat to relax the muscles. I'm busy and finding time for all this can be a bear, so I've learned to get "two-fors" wherever I can. I let my shower apply the heat and do the exercises while I'm bathing.
When my neck is hurting, heat is my only ally. I use stick-on heat patches made specifically for the neck area. These are great and I can wear them to work concealed under clothing. In colder weather, I always wear a turtle neck to protect from cold air. Of course, there also is the heating pad, or microwavable rice packs.
Another thing that may help while you are sleeping is to roll up a thin bath towel and drape it around the neck area for support. It acts like a flexible cervical collar. I can't stand the collars when I am trying to sleep. I agree that shaped neck pillows have never been beneficial for me, and have actually increased my neck issues when I have tried them. Supporting your neck is crucial to prevent pain.
Finally, my GP lets me keep Flexoril (a great muscle relaxant) at home in case pain becomes severe. It also helps me sleep. :-)
I know what it's like to have a bad neck. I hope you find something that works!
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Yikes. Sorry Meg. I have a pretty tough time with my neck, too. It’s a weak spot and sometimes a flare target. Of course it’s a great place to also carry tension and emotional baggage. I’ve had times where I felt like I couldn’t even hold up the weight of my head and during flares which attack the muscles running at the base of the skull I’ve had to sleep for days sitting up as the weight of my head on the pillow was agony. I also use a bead-filled neck/shoulder wrap that traps my body heat and helps support my neck at night.
I know that massage is a tricky thing because it can add more inflammation, but I’m on a prednisone course at the moment so I got a massage recently as I felt the dice roll with the steroids was worth it. For me it’s one of the more helpful treatments for my neck. It helps the alignment, the aches and pains, and the effects usually last a good few weeks.
Hope you find some relief.
Thank you everyone for your replies.
My GP prescribed my some muscles relaxers which seem to help a lot at night, and my hubby and I splurged in some tempurpedic pillows. Wow are they comfortable!
Janeaatiu, I can totally relate to the heavy head symptoms, that’s a great way to describe it.
Glad to know you got some relief. Those pillows are nice.I'm fortunate as we splurged on a tempurpedic mattress almost two years ago...and about 6 month before my diagnosis. Good timing I think!
West_CoastMeg said:
Thank you everyone for your replies.
My GP prescribed my some muscles relaxers which seem to help a lot at night, and my hubby and I splurged in some tempurpedic pillows. Wow are they comfortable!
Janeaatiu, I can totally relate to the heavy head symptoms, that's a great way to describe it.
Oh nice! I would love to get a tempurpedic bed… One day!
janeatiu said:
Glad to know you got some relief. Those pillows are nice.I'm fortunate as we splurged on a tempurpedic mattress almost two years ago...and about 6 month before my diagnosis. Good timing I think!
West_CoastMeg said:Thank you everyone for your replies.
My GP prescribed my some muscles relaxers which seem to help a lot at night, and my hubby and I splurged in some tempurpedic pillows. Wow are they comfortable!
Janeaatiu, I can totally relate to the heavy head symptoms, that's a great way to describe it.
West coast Meg - we got a bob o pedic, for Bob’s. check it out.
Thanks for the info Stoney! Sadly in in Canada and none of the states they are in are close enough to me. But hey, they could very well expand closer to here 
We had to make payments to get the bed--they are CRAZY expensive. I had bought a faux-purpedic from Pier One a few years ago and it was quite good. Because it was a king size we had to ditch it when we combined households. That's when we got the upgrade. The tempurpedic is way better. But it was a pretty massive financial commitment.
There are also tempur-pedic and gel mattress toppers that won’t put you in the poor house. I’m getting one soon. I’ll fill you in with a thorough review.
Hi Westcoastmeg,
I'm sorry to hear this. I was also having neck issues for a while but they seem to have subsided. My neck had been stiff and sore every day. I'm not sure how it started or why it has gone away for now.
Have you tried heat, moist heat ? The new heating pads often can be used with moist heat. It might help give you some relief. I wouldn't rule out anythings as a connection to PsA either. So much is still unknown about it.
Hang in there.
I know this is an older discussion but I wanted to let you know I got a Sobakawa pillow at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Wow, it holds my neck still. I got the standard which is very small, but it is one of the few pillows bean baggy enough to get right where I need the support. I never wrote a review on anything but I wrote one on their site about this pillow. It has been very difficult for me to find a pillow that I didn't need to adjust all night. And I think the type of psoriatic arthritis I have sometimes leads to a locked in position neck so I am trying to baby it as much as I can.
I also bought the old style temperpedic, kinda stiff, because my husband wears out the too soft tops. But, then it was too hard for my hips and shoulders so I went to Kohl's when they had a 70 percent off and bought 2 memory foam toppers to put on top (princess and the pea) RIDICULOUSLY needy disease! But I am much happier and I figure when he sinks in too much this time I just have to get a new topper instead of another expensive mattress.
Good luck, take care of yourself and don't be afraid to baby your pains so you can feel better.