View Full Version : Chronic Back of neck pain when turn head
The back of my neck start to hurt 4 months ago when I turn my head to the left or right. No radiating pain or dizziness or other symptoms. If I don’t turn my head, no local points I can feel pain if I press around the back of my neck. I went to my primary care doc, she gave me a neck exam and sent me to physical therapy (muscular she thinks). I then did 2 chiro sessions and stopped. Didn’t help. Through out this time, I also have gone to ENT for a different reason but she did give me a full ENT exam. I also came back to the primary doc for another recheck. She sent me for weekly chiro now.
I’ve been going to chiropractor weekly for 3 weeks , along with his exercises daily at home. The pain gets better and some time worst on other day. I know I have bad posture. My shoulder blades and neck muscles are tight according to the chiro.
Anyway now I’m getting worried that I shall have demanded the Doctors to send me for imaging tests like X-Ray or MRI to rule out nothing serious with my neck/shoulder. Because I have health anxiety so I was trying to trust their 3 exams (2 different doctors). Is this gonna be backfired because I waited this long? I can’t see the GP for another week. I will demand for some imaging tests and of course I’m getting panic already. I waited this long.
How do you trust your doctors when they don’t send you for additional tests?
Thanks for reading
nomorepanic
14-05-21, 12:22
I really don't think you need further tests.
I have had neck pain like this due to bad posture so you know what is likely to cause it and have to work at the exercises to improve it and also improve your posture.
Why put yourself through further tests that are almost certainly not needed?
I think what you have said here sums up us health anxiety sufferers. I recommend finding a doctor you trust and try and see that same doctor each time. You will hopefully start to trust you doctor.
If your neck muscles are tight, could your worrying be aggravating the situation? Just a thought, might be nothing in it.
My doctor still insisted on it’s muscular and didn’t want to send me to MRI or CT scan. Just saw her this morning. I’m going to go to an ENT then. My doc knows me well and my anxiety and sending me for imaging test will help with reassurance but she doesn’t for some reasons. The pain keeps flaring up (when I turn my head, the back of the neck feel painful and stiff). it’s driving me crazy.
I have neck pain a lot, and it turned out to be wear and tear in my cervical spine. Lots of crunching and horrible noises when I turn my neck. Such is the joy of getting older. :yesyes:
So doctor called me today and told me that she talked to the chiro and both of them strongly believe that my neck pain is muscle related.
She told me straight that she knows I’m worried about tumor/cancer stuff but her exams (3 times I saw her In the past 3 months) didn’t show anything that would make her worry to send me for MRI. She explained about spinal tumor and neuro signs (I didn’t need to hear all of this). She said there most likely to see incidental findings in MRI which could be benign but once they are found, she needs to investigate which would be extremely stressful for me knowing my anxiety. She said she won’t send patients to unnecessary scanning without clinical needs, especially someone who have anxiety like me.
Bottom line she asking me to believe her and the chiro and give myself another 4 weeks to work on my chiro excercises and try to relax on my vacation. Then come back and see her to discuss about my neck and shoulder pain. She thinks a scanning won’t solve my neck/shoulder pain issue.
It will be 6 months if I wait till end of June. I’m torn Between asking for 3rd opinion from an ENT doc and pushing for scanning again or put my live up by trusting my doctor here. The incidental findings via MRI also scares me because I know I would be in hell if something is found and I have to go through complete investigation.
I feel like I’m stuck. Either way I’ll be extremely stressful. I don’t know what to do.
The incidental findings via MRI also scares me because I know I would be in hell if something is found and I have to go through complete investigation.
There was an incidental finding on my cervical spine MRI. It's very common, and incidental findings on the spine (usually benign) are HA fodder- hence the warning. Your doctor is right, she would have to investigate but in my case, all that was required was a follow up scan. It should have been 6 months later but ended up being 12 because of the impact of COVID on waiting times..
IF your doc suspected cancer, she wouldn't be delaying, but scans should only be requested when necessary (as in because specific symptoms warrant one) not as reassurance for health anxiety.
She sounds extremely clued up about HA and she is dead right about these wretched "incidentalomas" which are food and drink for HA as Nora says.
I will only have MRIs and CTs for this reason. These scans are extremely sensitive and should only be ordered for clinical need.
You aren't stuck because your doctor has given you a treatment plan with the chiro and doesn't see the need for any further tests. You must trust her professional opinion and not your HA mindset.
Starting last night my right hand feel tingling and after I woke up today, still feel it. This is one of the symptoms that the doctor was mentioning before as *worrying symtoms” for spinal tumor which I didn’t have when she checked me :( I’m freaking out. The more I think about it, the more I feel it. I will email her but I feel like I need another opinion from an ENT or something.
Starting last night my right hand feel tingling and after I woke up today, still feel it. This is one of the symptoms that the doctor was mentioning before as *worrying symtoms” for spinal tumor which I didn’t have when she checked me :( I’m freaking out. The more I think about it, the more I feel it. I will email her but I feel like I need another opinion from an ENT or something.
It's anxiety.
Whenever I'm particularly anxious, my hands tingle. It's part of the fight or flight reflex.
Whenever I'm particularly anxious, my hands tingle. It's part of the fight or flight reflex.
When I’m busy I didn’t pay attention, it feels ok. When I start thinking about it, it comes. Problem is it on one hand only. Would anxiety cause both hands? I told the doctor. Would check out again next week. Sigh, this doesn’t help one bit on top of the neck pain
I can’t tell anymore if it’s anxiety or physical syntoms.
I can’t tell anymore if it’s anxiety or physical syntoms.
Anxiety actually causes physical symptoms (https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms). I would also suggest looking at your thread history as you'll see many similar posts over the years, none of which came to fruition.
FMP
Anxiouscow
10-06-21, 17:59
I can’t tell anymore if it’s anxiety or physical syntoms.
Feel free to PM me about this. I've been in your shoes and I know how you feel, but I must stress how important it is to trust your doctor.
I can only echo what FMP and others have said to you, but if you feel like you need support, you know where to find me.
Anxiety actually causes physical symptoms (https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms). I would also suggest looking at your thread history as you'll see many similar posts over the years, none of which came to fruition.
FMP
I really appreciate your help over the years, Fishmanpa. I guess I’m in the time when anxiety flares up because of multiple physical symptoms and doctor can’t give me the definitive reassurance that what I’m experiencing are nothing sinister. I have an anxiety health app on my phone that I’m trying to follow and to be honest, the mind is not helping
Feel free to PM me about this. I've been in your shoes and I know how you feel, but I must stress how important it is to trust your doctor.
I can only echo what FMP and others have said to you, but if you feel like you need support, you know where to find me.
Thanks so much Anxiouscow. Really appreciate. I will reach out if I can’t handle this.
I’ve been walking and get myself active wherever the thought hit. I’m trying to trust my doctor and gave myself time to see if the pain lessen with chiro work for at least 2 months. It’s getting harder to trust when the symptoms/pain is daily :( and now new symtom of tingling added to it
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