Does anyone with RA/PsA have neck pain and headaches?

Sorry, failed to proofread- "beaches" likely subconscious talking. My bad

@rdf56 I've had RA for 25 years. Yes, I have had severe neck pain and more than my share of headaches. Have you mentioned this to your Rheumatololgist? Synovial inflammation in Cervical 1 and 2 can destabilize that area. Have you have an x-rays on that area to evaluate?
I went to Physical therapy after having a thorough work up first to make sure it was safe to do gentle exercises. The other thing to look into is your bed pillows . Have you had an changes in those recently? At one point , I had changed pillows that were probably too high that made my neck much worse. What medication are you taking for your RA?
Nsaids like advil or aleve would probably work better than tramadol. But then you have to worry about stomach irritation if you take too many.

Hi. Thanks for your response. Yes, I have had MRI's and I am now getting Physical therapy. My rheumatologist does say that in addition to regular osteoarthritis, there's a lot going on in my neck and back that is part of my whole RA and PsA picture. I can't take Nsaids due to also having colitis. I'm lucky to have a son in law who's a pt and he checked my pillow which is quite slim, as I'm pretty petite. My regular physical therapist is aware of the need for caution with my neck area. So, my only change in the last week is that we've switched from Xeljanz to Rinvoq and she's hoping this will cover everything. I hope she's right.

@missy245
I have PMR and have been warned about the possibility of GCA since day 1. When I began experiencing severe headaches that started in my neck and extended up into my temples on July 4, I ended up at the ER. They diagnosed migraines. Before that I didn't realize how many different types of migraines there were.

Have you tried wearing a foam neck brace at night? It helped me for years until I learned what was happening.

Research cytokines and anthocyanins. My major improvement came in understanding cytokines and how they can over react and battle our immune system causing inflammation. The offset to calm the cytokines is anthocyanins (Greek for blue flower) that is in deeply pigmented fruit and veggies like blueberries, red cabbage, blackberries, red onion, strawberries and purple grapes. "Hunt" the produce section of your grocery. I also take a bilberry extract supplement.

Anthocyanins are fragile so they are best consumed raw or lightly cooked. Also, frozen fruit, like wild blueberries, is a good choice that better preserves the anthocyanins. Hopefully they will help and you will not need the neck brace. Good luck.

I have axial neck and back pain with Psoriatic arthritis.
Retirement allows me to start slow in the morning
with diclofenac gel and a warm heating wrap from the microwave. I can spend time stretching and doing the exercises I learned in PT. Hope you can stay active and respond soon to Rinvoq.

Thank you for your response and well wishes. I do use heat, but not the Nsaid gel. I was told to try to avoid it because it is absorbed systemically and it's contraindicated in colitis and with heart issues. I do use some thc/cbd stuff that helps a little before bed. I'm hopeful that pt helps. Thanks again. Good luck to you

@searcher1 Thanks for your information- it's an interesting subject. I will keep up with my blueberries and grapes for sure. I appreciate your advice. Good luck with your own health issues

Yes, I have PsA and osteoarthritis and get pain in my neck from both. I take biologics for my PsA and noticed that after I've stopped taking a biologic, the pain worsens in my neck. Once I start taking a new biologic, the pain decreases.

I also use different pillows while sleeping to make sure my neck stays in a neutral position. When my pain gets bad, I use moist heating pads as well as TENS unit. Sometimes I will get short courses of methylprednisolone or prednisone depending on how bad it is. Over the counter anti-inflammatories don't seem to put a dent in my pain or inflammation.

Yes! Stiff neck and pain from time to time with mild headaches come and go. I am more "weather sensitive" now than before PsA. Cold, wet weather is worse.