JeremyC

Thank you for your reply. The reason I asked about adhesions was because of the feeling I have that the muscles/ligaments/nerves all seem to be glued together. it’s like everything is being pulled as one, especially when I lie on my back, and back of head on pillow. When I move my head on the pillow the sensations are very abnormal on left side like skin, muscles are all stuck together. Hard to explain… probably sounds crazy. It’s a contstant sensation there for over 1 year. It’s very strong feeling. Also, the skin feels like it is floating on numb muscles.

Nevertheless, I appreciate your reply and will not focus on adhesions as I have not had any severe trauma or surgery.

Other questions:

– Have you ever come across a patient who had had neck injury during an anesthesia? As stated in my original message, my symptoms escalated after a gastroscopy during which I was very “actif”.

– One of the only things I can do to relieve the pressure feeling (only very temporarily) I feel is to hang my head over bead (lying on front side). This really pulls/stretches the DEEP areas that seem to be so tight. Would you have reserves about doing this?

– Which structures in the neck could affect sensations in the pallet and/or tongue?

Once again, I am so greatful for the time you take to reply to patients on this forum. You really bring back my trust and belief in the medical system, and belief that there are doctors out there who still REALLY want to help people. It is deeply upsetting to witness my life (family, kids, work, etc.) falling apart because of health problems and struggling so much to find doctors willing to really try to understand what the problem is. I am 34 years old, with a wonderful wife and 2 young daughters, but have to move back in with my elderly mother in an old house because I am going to lose my job. We are fighting for our life… I deeply hope to find a doctor here who is also willing to fight with me.

You have my admiration.

Kindest regards,
Jeremy

Would there be any conditions (trauma, infection, etc.) that could affect the “entire” cervical plexus area which would impact only the sensory nerves. I apologize for these “strange” questions… I am just very confused as to the origin of my suffering and am trying my best to understand.

Thank you

Thank you for your reply.

Perhaps I should also mention that I have a full range of movement with only no or mild pain (at times I feel the neck “catches” in the upper cervical area and feel acute pain but this is rare). My pain is a constant pressure/tightness (even some mild numbness…) in the neck, yet I do not feel stiffness (just some mild stiffness in the morning on rotation). It’s like a giant hand is constantly pushing/squeezing on the the back of my neck. This started 1 year ago, a few months after the acute phase of symptoms, and 1 year after the initial fall I mentionned. It is constant. At the same time this symptom appeared I started also feeling pressure/tightness in my face (cheekbone and upper teeth/palet area), which vaguely feels like I have been stung by a bee… It has been a year now and has only mildly subsided.

My initial post was written to keep things as simple as possible, but I would also like to add that I have been feeling very unwell for 18months. No fever but feel “sick”, many different abnormal nerve sensations (vibrating, buzzing, hot/cold, etc.), always very cold even in warm weather, and this constant strong pressure in neck (and head but less so) which is among the worst of my symptoms. Often it feels like the muscles in my neck are numb but the skin on top is not.

If it is not possible or very unlikely that all my symptoms could be explained by a neck condition/injury, I am under the impression that I may have developped 2 distincts problems in the same year (for example neck injury + Lyme disease), which is making the doctors diagnostic job very difficult.

Among the various “outside the box” causes to my suffering, I have come accross suggestions such as atlas misalignment and twisted dura. These often come up in pseudo scientific blogs and I am therefore cautious when reading about this. In your experience, have you come accross patients with many problems which have dramatically improved with a “atlas adjustement”? Does the twisted dura theory sound in any way plausible? I have a scientific background, but as my sufferining continues to go on, through desperation I am opening up to more “alternative” views. An form of Atlas adjustment or chiropractic high velocity menipulation would be a last resort me. I am French living in Ireland, and I am under the impression the standard of chiropractic care (and all health care in general)in the USA is much higher than here.

I will continue to fight to regain my life whatever the cost. My family is counting on me. Once again, many thanks for the information and advice you provide. For many of us, it will improve our lives and those of our families, and so I cannot thank you enough.

Kind regards,