Neck and head pain

Hi

I have neck and back of the head pain quite often. I have raised this issue with the rheumatology nurse but basically she said it’s rare to have RA in the neck etc. 

I think it is linked though and the pain can get you down. Hope yours gets better soon. I just take painkillers and rub heat gel on it. Xxx

I too have this, and in fact was one of the symptoms that started me on the path to finding out I have RA. I have had 16 cortisone shots into and around my neck (yes, all in 1 day..) which helped for about a week - done pre RA diagnosis, I have tried accupuncture and I feel like the massage after the needles were removed helped the most, but the problem is that you need to lie on your stomach with your face in that hole on the table for about an hour and getting up from that position was excrutiatingly painful for my neck. I also do at home traction with a unit that is positioned on a closed door with a water bag that hangs down and is attatched to a harness thing on my head. This pulls my head up and feels AMAZING! This has helped me tremendously. Its reccommended to only do it for a few minutes at a time even though you want to sit there for an hour! Finally I was diagnosed and after a few trial and errors of meds I'm now on Enbrel and this seems to have helped the most. I can actually turn my head left and right almost like a normal person without pain - unless I try to turn too far, and I can put my head up and down easier now too. My rheumatologist tried to tell me he didn't think it was RA causing my pain at first, but then when it got better while on prednisone and worse off of it, as well as better on Enbrel he finally agreed that the RA is indeed in my neck. Apparantly its not a very common spot - like the hips - but I am affected in both areas. He tells me I have a pretty aggressive form of RA so I am thankful to have found a med that seems to be calming things down. Neck pain has been the worst part of this for me (well, and my feet, hips, hands.....) I was to the point where I couldn't sleep because of it. I got a "My Pillow" too and that has also helped. 

I hope you can find a solution too. I wish you all the best.

I have some issues with my neck C5-7 vertebrae and I was told that RA does go after week points in the body. I am taking Lyrica and methocarbomal at night, supposed to take twice a day, but only before bed. I also use a homeopathic patch my brother gets from his chiropractor which they all help. I did physical therapy and the exercises help too. i find my posture is very important and sitting long periods at a computer is a recipe for no sleep later.

Hi, I find this so interesting. When I was first told I had RA I had extreme neck pain on the right behind my ear. It was so sever I would cry until I was given enough prednisone and pain medication to get relief.  I called this pain a flair and would be given high doses of prednisone and it would go away.  I was on MTX in the beginning and then was put on Remicade and did not have any more problem. Remicade quit working and I was put on Oriencia, before the Oriencia could give full effect I had a pain on the left back of neck that traveled up the back of my head so sever I could not move my head. Took pain pills and went to bed, next morning it,was gone and I have not had any problem since, that was about a year ago.  Point is, I told my Rheumatologist and she said " that is not RA".  So I guess it all depends on the doctor, but I think it's RA.

My pain in my neck and up the back of my head is always on the right. It starts slowly and builds up over a week until it is a struggle To move my head with the pain, then goes away. I think it is to do with RA too.