Lymph node vs. muscle knot (?) help!

[Savvy_Darling]

Oh my god guys please don't hate me for posting another thread.

I was taking my own advice and massaging my neck to help release tension that could have been causing my head pain and aches..

JUST MY LUCK. I felt a lil bump on my neck muscle. It's moveable and small like size of a pea or smaller. (Thinking its a tad smaller)

Posting a pic of location.. I don't know if lymph nodes are even there?? I looked up lymph nodes locations and I still can't be 100% sure if they're in that location or not.. It's hard to tell. I'm trying to say it's a muscle knot. Not a swollen lymph node to prove my brain tumor fears. Very hard to keep calm though.

Things I took note of :

It's on my left side and when I lean my head to the left it's less palpable... When I'm leaning it to the right (stretching the muscle it's more palpable).
Also-- when laying down I can't even feel it...but when lean my head up I can feel it again.

It's not painful but if I massage at it it kinda feels maybe a slight pain sensation. Very slight.

The location is if you slide your fingers across your shoulder to where your neck joins to it and go I'd say about 2 inches up there's where the bump or whatever it is is located. Not sure what muscle could be there? Trapezius ? Are muscle knots even felt? What other less sinister things could this be. /:

Anyways as you guys all know I was worried about the tumor scenario and I was finally trying to wind down and give myself a nice massage and this happens.

I can't win!

What do you think? Lymph nodes or muscle knots? Need some help here.

(Swear this is my last thread) :doh::lac::unsure::weep:

[Fishmanpa]

We have 600 or so lymph nodes in our bodies and they range in size from <.5cm to 2cm. If you poke around you're bound to come across a few.

IMO, it's just a NORMAL node. Movable is GOOD!

Positive thoughts

[Savvy_Darling]

Yea it doesn't feel hard anyways I say moveable because my finger moves over it easy.. I Felt the other side of my neck around the same area to see if it's the same and it's not so that's why it also worried me. I don't think ive felt this before and I know I can feel lymph nodes somewhat easily in other places which never worried me because it's the same with my boyfriend.

Thankyou for your opinion fishmanpa , it's greatly valued of course :)

[Savvy_Darling]

Ugh /: anyone else have any opinions?
On the bright side I haven't got a migraine today and I'm feeling pretty good but it's this darn lil bump :( I really don't know what to think about it. I was hoping its just a muscle knot but if it's a lymph node I'm worried because I'm not too sure I've felt it before there meaning it might be swollen. Wishing I could catch a freakin break. :mad:

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think a muscle knot. You've said before about being tense and hunching over your phone, so there are likely causes for a not of some kind in that region.

Yes, there are lymph nodes close to where you are pointing but with you turning your neck it is possible that you are pointing in between 2 of the groups it could be. And I haven't considered how deep they are in that and whether you would be able to feel them. (would have to check that)

You also need to remember that a lymph node become inflamed is most commonly a localised infection. The immune system actually will make your lymph nodes inflame for this very reason. So, even if it were, there are very possible reasons for it. Plenty of people post on here about them and then, after some questioning, you find out they had a cough, cold, infected gum/tooth, absess, etc and these are all possible causes for an inflamed local lymph node.

But you have muscles there. The trapezius is the fan muscle from your shoulders/back to your neck but it runs more up the neck at the back than the side as that's the slim point of the fan. The muscles it could are more likely are shown on this diagram:



http://humananatomybody.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Anatomy-Head-and-Neck-Muscles-image-kmHN.jpg



Can you see how where you are pointing could indicate one of those bands of muscle? Or perhaps where they touch?

I've had plenty of muscle knots over the years. The more prominent ones being ribs, lower leg, forearm.

I wont' post a diagram of lymph nodes because from looking myself, you could or not be touching one and I don't think it would be understandable unless you have been trained to spot them like a GP.

A useful thing to do now would be to look at your migraine threads. You are feeling better, which is good, but can you see the same spiral occurring? The old saying "one pain lessens another" comes to mind. Whilst I won't have HA, I am a symptom focussed person and as I started to recover I would see one big symptom fade and feel a new one but really it was a lesser one that was already there.

[nirvanainchains]

To be honest, you’re too super health conscious that it makes me annoyed. No wonder your boyfriend never understand you. You should seriously get a help, go for a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist of some sort. I'm afraid, someday you’ll be in a mental assylum.

[Savvy_Darling]

This IS the health anxiety forum. . .

Does it make you feel better about yourself to put others down?

I remember a few monthes ago when you were on here posting about being worried about all your aches and pains and how you wanted to "shoot yourself" just because you're doing better doesn't mean you can you forget about how you use to be and think you're better than anyone.

& you can leave my boyfriend outta this. You're not him. Like most other girls husbands/boyfriends on here they just don't understand. He still loves me.

That's okay..what goes around comes around and you'll get your karma for being so disrespectful.
I've never been rude to anyone on here & it's because I have compassion for others. You could have just not commented... you're nothing to me so you're opinion is irrelevant.

---------- Post added at 00:50 ---------- Previous post was at 00:38 ----------

Thanks terry , for helping and being nice as always. I'm just gonna monitor it and stay thinking it's just a muscle knot. Which would make sense because I have been so tense and stressed.

Deep breaths...everything's gonna be alright.

Just to clarify to everyone.. I'm not psychotic I'm just anxious. It's not like I see spiders on the wall .. I felt a lil bump while trying to massage myself and it made me worried because I have anxiety. I'm sorry I posted a thread. I was just looking for people like terry & fishmanpa to be nice and rationalize with me. I already was rationalizing with the muscle knot theory I wasn't completely convinced it was a lymph node so I don't think I belong in the looney bin. But what a lovely thing to tell someone with anxiety right?

[nirvanainchains]

“Oh my god guys please don't hate me for posting another thread. ” LOL

[Savvy_Darling]

You talked about ending your life because of your pain. I didn't tell you to go to psych ward about that. I told you to stay strong.
Nevertheless, take your negativity else where. I didn't join this site to be belittled. I joined it for support.

Wishing you well. And hoping no one comes at you ignorantly and tries to hurt you like you've done to me.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Savanna,

You have every right to post, it's not up to others on here to determine otherwise, although some may think so. Besides, you are trying to rationalise it and accept it as anxiety. People can't be expected to read the articles, post a few threads, and then go & cure themselves.

Sadly, forums can attract unpleasant people too. He's not the first to say something like that to others on here. It's very pathetic and seems closer to trolling to me anyway so I hope he is proud of his behaviour. He won't be getting support with an attitude like that so don't let it feed your anxiety further.

---------- Post added at 06:25 ---------- Previous post was at 06:23 ----------


To be honest, you’re too super health conscious that it makes me annoyed. No wonder your boyfriend never understand you. You should seriously get a help, go for a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist of some sort. I'm afraid, someday you’ll be in a mental assylum.

“Oh my god guys please don't hate me for posting another thread. ” LOL

I would suggest you take a look at the forum rules about being respectful. OR perhaps just being respectful to people in life. Belittling someone's mental health issues is something expected from the ignorant, we don't expect it on here.

[Savvy_Darling]

Thanks terry /: I won't let him get to me or my anxiety.
Can't say what he said didn't hurt my feelings but it is what it is. That's the first time someone was so harsh to me on here & hopefully the last. I could never say what he said to someone who is struggling. Im definitely trying to rationalize this time and I probably won't post a new thread in awhile. I guess I over stayed my welcome.
Anyways thanks terry for always being one of the good guys on here.

[MyNameIsTerry]

No you haven't, that's one person and obviously someone lacking compassion. They don't speak for the rest of us. It's hypocritical anyway given his current posting on other threads. That's often the case.

It does hurt, it's something you would expect an ignorant non sufferer say. Stigma. It's a low blow.

[Phuzella]

I've had a bump in that area before . Try to leave it alone :) :)

[Savvy_Darling]

Terry-- I've talked to him before and he was nice to me previously so it definitely shocked me to read what he wrote! I guess maybe he just had it out for me for some odd reason.
Anyways, I'm just gonna forget about it and see all the helpful supportive people that are on here that have helped me. I'm not gonna let one negative member ruin this great site for me.

Phuzella - I will try to leave it alone :p glad I'm not the only one whose gotten a bump there! Muscle knots probably then!

[Phuzella]

I have a medium size mole on my leg. It just started itching. Slight worry bubbled up but I concentrated on the itchy feeling and it went away :). I've used that technique on symptoms before and it's always worked.

[Savvy_Darling]

Really? That's cool... Wonder what I should focus on for this? I guess maybe ignoring all together and it'll hopefully go away on its own :p
I'm also pretty certain it has to be a muscle knot considering when that certain muscle on my neck is tensed i can feel the bump more than if my neck is relaxed. Also my left shoulder and neck side are the ones that seem to feel sore more than in my right side. Knots on the left side. And Not sure but I think lymph nodes can be felt no matter what you do--could be wrong but I guess ignorance is bliss in this situation because I feel better thinking its a muscle knot. Just gonna try and take this day by day and not dramatize it. Maybe I'll try focusing it to go away maybe that will work lol

[Phuzella]

I think it's more like accepting that bodies have all different symptoms, lumps and bumps etc.,and just let them get on with it :)

[Savvy_Darling]

Oh Yes that's also a good way to look at it! :)

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yeah, I've got a large sized lump that I need to have reduced...it's covering my six pack :biggrin:

Keep going, you are doing a good job of rationalising. I think that's improvement because you were struggling with this more a few weeks back.

Some neck stretches might help.

[kahi35]

Just went to get mines check out today. It was bigger over the weekend and my nose has and infection so they saying it's what's causing the lump under my left chin. I'm pretty sure it's that but in the back of my mind I'm second guessing it. And it didn't help just a little while ago when I was watching tv and has those electrode massagers on and I felt spinning dizzy so I was thinking it's the infection geting getting to my head. If you worried just go have it checked. I'm sure it's nothing