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I am a senior aged female. Six months ago, pretty bad daily neck pain started on the left side that goes up my head to my ear and also out my shoulder. I cannot bend my head side to side or backwards without pain. Sleeping at night makes it worse so mornings are the worst. Moving around makes it less painful.
An MRI and CT scan show nothing extraordinary.
A pain management doc has tried a facet joint injection, a medial branch injection, an epidural injection, and an occipital nerve injection. None worked.
An orthopedist suggested that it could be at the atlanto-occiptal joint area or could be related to occipital neuralgia because I have a long history of migraines.
Does anyone have any experience with a diagnosis that addressed pain emerging from the atlanto-occipital area or any treatment for it?
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I have an interesting update to my neck pain that comes with questions. I am a 74 year old female.My neck and head pain started in July 2022 with acute pain that became chronic.
I have been to multiple docs from physiatrist to orthopedic surgeon to anesthesiologist to neurologist. I have been diagnosed over the months with arthritis of the spine, no herniations, and occipital neuralgia. I've had facet, medial branch, and ESI injections from C1 through C6. No fix. I've had occipital nerve blocks. I've done occipital release therapy and am scheduled for MFR soon.
The last medial branch blocks were done at C3-C6 by an anesthesiologist pain doc. It made things worse so the doc prescribed a Dexamethasone steroid pack. Wow! That has helped. I'm on the next to last day of pills with a medication half life of maybe another 24 hours or so after that. I am hoping the relief lasts.
Here are the questions.....why are steroids not tried earlier? Why are docs so reluctant to use them short term.
Anyone have any experience using steroid packs?