Alison has neck and skull
- Related Injuries: Neck
February 28, 2017
Dear Guru
I am like Alison with neck and skull pain.. Suddenly came on 10 days ago  I know I have tense shoulders and have weekly shoulder and neck massage. However last week it really hurt when she massaged by neck and skull area. It helped but it is back again.  it could be due to having had a triple bypass in September but do not understand why it has just started.  Will the
wonderfully stretch help or is there something else I should do.  You talk about the Thorax should I get an  Chiropractor to manipulate the area?
I would welcome your help.
Amanda
February 28, 2017
Hi Amanda
It’s pretty common stuff – and I don’t think this is (directly) related to you triple bypass.
Most things that we see clinically “just start”, due to no apparent reason which is frustrating for you. But, I think it a case of the straw that broke the camels back. We pretty good at adapting to lots of differing postural patterns and keep pretty pain free. But sometimes all it takes is a really small, innocuous knock that tips us over the edge, like keeping on the computer for a little too long, or sitting and then suddenly looking up. All pretty normal, but if we rest right at the (pain free) edge of what movement we can control, a little nudge drops us over onto the painful side.
Thinks of it like a bruise or blister at the top of your cervical spine. It took a while to almost hurt, then did. The rolled towel will help, but not immediately (you can’t suddenly rid yourself of a bruise of blister – it’ll take a few days) and certainly go easy on it after your op in  September  – look on the same video page, there are some great thoracic spine mobility exercises, start there.
You need thoracic mobility and more control around your neck (the bypass, and the aftermath will have certainly give you less thoracic movement, hence the indirect relation). I don’t think you need manipulating, as lots of passive intervention are pretty short lasting – you need to to be given the ability to move more and better, and that, with rehab takes a while.
Get your thoracic spine moving, keep tall, don’t allow your chin to drift forwards and exercise. By all means see someone to get you moving, but make sure you keep the movement in your thoracic spine, to allow your neck to do (relatively) less and let the pain settle.
Hope this helps
The Guru
Six Physio
