Pain Relief Procedure

I had my appointment yesterday at the anthesiologist and he wants to start me off with a cervical epidural steroid injection (CESI), which is basically to stop any inflammation which could be causing the pain and muscle spasms I am having. He feels that this could be what is causing the neck pain and migraines. I this doesn't work he then may try and actual nerve block.

If you are having muscle spasms and neck pain, have you considered seeing a chiropractor? It would seem that the muscle spasms are a reaction from the joints in the neck not moving normally, thereby causing you pain, stiffness and most probably headache. It sounds like the anesthesiologist also believes that the source of your pain is from your neck. What type of pain pattern are you having with your headaches (back of head, top of head, temple, behind eyes)? The pattern is the easiest way to determine where the pain is originating from.

I don't know anyone who has had the cervical injection, but do know some who have undergone the lumbar equivalent. The result was temporary and the initial pain after the procedure was quite high.

Good luck.

Karla

Actually I have been seeing a chiropractor since February 1. What prompted all this was a somewhat minor vehicle accident back in December. A month after the accident was when I began having migraines. After medications failed I had an Occipital Nerve block, and after a week and a half of that, i started having some relief. That was when I noticed the neck pain. But the neck pain has not gotten better. In fact if anything I feel it has gotten worse. More recently I noticed the pain has moved into my upper back.

As far as the headaches, they have been here since mid January. They are pretty much constant but the intensity changes. Sometimes it would seem like it is your typical tension headache (temple to temple across forehead), but other times it is in the base of my skull. Once my neck pain gets really bad, then the head pain gets bad. It is hard to explain really, it is deep inside and all over, but I can't explain where exactly. It almost radiates all over. It is weird and hard to put in words.