Does anyone with migraine have a very sore neck?
I am on Memantine and Sumatriptan, both of which seem to be working. However, the Sumatriptan knocks out the migraine but does nothing for the terrible sore, stiff neck. (Always on the left side.) So although I get pain relief in my head, the neck is so sore I cannot stand it. I often end up lying down with the heating pad on my neck but the pain is not eliminated. Help!
Hello, i have something similar.
Since i have Ajovy. my migraine is a lot better, almost gone except for the prodrome symtomes very nauseus and dizziness. It also looks like the place were i have migraine is shifted to my neck and my spine. It feely has the intensty of an migraine attack and mostly at one side of my body. It's like the Ajovy prevent head migraine, but returnsot know on a different spot. It can also be very painfull. If i take a triptane it go's away, but most it comes back after a few days. Gr. MarijkeGr. Marijke
Hi,
. Good to see you again, but I'm sorry you're having neck issues. They are super common with migraine -- whether that's because of an injury that triggers migraine attacks, or as a symptom of the attack itself. We have had some really good conversations on this topic so I'll leave you a few to take a look at when you're feeling up for it. Of course, there's no magic solution, but maybe something in here will help take the edge off a bit. I especially like the article with specific stretches.
https://migraine.com/video/neck-pain-solution (there are a ton of comments on this one)
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/neck-pain-trigger-or-symptom
https://migraine.com/living-migraine/stretches-relieve-neck-pain
Also, I have never tried this myself, but I know some folks have actually gotten nerve blocks in their neck to treat that area in a targeted way. Not sure if you've looked into that.
Thinking of you. You know we're here for you. -Melissa, team memberThank you so much. It is comforting to know I am not alone with this sypmtom. I will definitely try the exercises.
I am an internal medicine physician who has had migraines for 45 years or so and has been treating patients with them for more than 35 years. Here are my thoughts on the matter.
In one paper I read many years ago, neck pain was the second most frequent symptom of migraine after headache. This is very common and one I experience myself. For this reason, a lot of migraine patients are misdiagnosed as having "cervicogenic" or "tension" headaches and they are mismanaged because they aren't offered actual migraine treatment, but only NSAIDS and PT. These patients aren't here at this forum because they've not been properly diagnosed; they are at some tension headache support group wondering why their diclofenac gel applied topically to their neck isn't doing any good.
In my own experience -- and many patients tell me, too -- sumatriptan doesn't help neck pain, though it relieves many other symptoms. You're not alone in this. I find using a microwavable hot pack to the back of my neck helps. My wife used to massage my neck, but we're now elderly and her hand arthritis is too bad to do this anymore.
