Cervicogenic Headache

It might be the same thing that caused me to have tingling in my right hand - a nerve trapped between two vertebrae. A very good physio gave me appropriate exercises and told me to sleep on only one pillow. Now the tingling has gone, but I still have shoulder pain and a headache that comes and goes.

The single best thing I did was to get a neck support pillow, the type that's in two sections and is fairly flat. I rarely get neck tension or the headaches now but when I do Ibuprofen is as good as anything.

Amitryptilline is an old fashioned, quite sedative tricyclic antidepressant but can also help with nerve pain. It doesn't do much for the 'mechanics' unfortunately. I'd also recommend an Osteopath if it's really bad but a combination approach is sometimes the best solution. Hope it eases soon.

I'm sure I read here on Gransnet about rolling up a towel and placing it under your head at night to help with this. You'll probably have to experiment with the exact placing to get comfy. I got horrible pain when I overdid the machine sewing. I tried it and the relief was astonishing. I wish I could find out who suggested it it to thank them but couldn't find it again. I hope this helps. Hope you feel better soon GrannyGravy as pain can be debilitating and depressing.

Apologies for my bad grammar, I have one of these at the moment.

I have found that a supportive orthopaedic pillow helps along with gentle shoulder and head massage if you can manage to do some relaxing/meditation breathing is also soothing, last resort prescribed sumatriptan.

I didn't know it was called this . I have quite horrible headaches emanating from my neck but as I have lost the facet joints there isn't much than can be done. I do the exercises when I think about it and take co-codamol if its really bad.

I suffer from this but have not found a medication that works for me.

I found that knitting, sewing and using a laptop would cause pain due to the position of my head. I also changed my pillow to a flatter one so that my head was not at an angle.

I still suffer but probably only once a week, the pain lasts about 24hrs, then I can usually trace the cause back to sitting in one position for too long.

Improve my sleep, as opposed to impress it

I think that DH has this too (amongst other things )
With him I think that it's a RA thing.
I was on Amitriptyline for several months for nerve pain in my leg. It is said to take a few weeks to get into your system, it works in a different way to other painkillers.
It certainly seemed to impress my sleep, which is another use for it.
However, I wasn't sure if it was doing the business pain wise so I'm currently trying pregabalin instead.

Morning ? physio gave me couple of things to help. Massage either side of spine, top of shoulders, for couple mins each day. Pull chin into neck and hold for a minute, lovely double chin look ? about five times. Then slowly move head to left as far as comfortable, hold for minute then to the right about five times too. Certainly helps me and often massage neck/shoulder either side of spine to warm muscles, along with trying to improve posture generally. ?

Try not to take any drugs, if you can avoid them.
Avoid chiropractic like the plague; though I would recommend osteopaths, since they tend to include more massage before they crack you.
Awareness of posture is the best medicine, especially when sitting for long periods with your head still, such as watching TV.
I had radiaotherapy on my neck so suffer a lot after ten years as the bones are weakened. I try to imagine my head is attached to a balloon and try to relax. Eventually I feel a crunch and I feel the relief.

Each persin will be different. But avoid tensing up and think light thtoughts

Luca it’s Amatriptilyne

Oh so that’s what it’s called didn’t know it had a name. I often have this yesterday and today in fact,I usually rub volterol on my neck and shoulders, if that doesn’t work it’s paracetamol, which only dulls the pain it only seems to ease of it’s own accord.

Mine was cured in 60 seconds by an osteopath.

Crack, crack, crack went my neck.

I hadn't been able to think or speak for the pain the day before.

I had this and saw my acupuncture fellow who sorted it out with needles and massage. My GP recommended that or a chiropractor.

What medication have you had ? I think I have this.