Hello, I am a 23 year old female. I have had chronic neck pain for the past 3 years. It all started when I was 18 and I began having lower back pain. Even before then, it didn't take a lot to get my lower back to hurting, but the pain would usually go away. I always figured it was because I wasn't really active. When I turned 18, I had lower back pain that simply didn't go away. That is when I decided to see a chiropractor. It took all of about 2 years for my back pain to respond to treatment, and to this day, I still get lower back pain quite easily, but it always goes away with rest. I also want to note that around the time I got this pain, I also decided to be more active and began exercising regularly, and have ever since. The problem is, a couple months after my lower back pain got better, I started to notice pain in my mid and upper back. Again, it took about a year for this pain to respond to chiropractic care. Then, the pain moved up into my neck and shoulders...and I am still in pain. This pain has been the most stubborn and relentless pain I have had so far. I sought chiropractic care for this for almost a year and have had a lot of physical therapy as well. My pain responds a LITTLE bit to massage, but it is only temporary relief. Heat, cold, pain medicine, physical therapy, and chiropractic care have not dampened the pain whatsoever.
The shoulder pain comes and goes but the neck pain is solid pain 24/7; it doesn't stop for 2 seconds out of the day. It hurts when I am active, it hurts when I rest. It is on my right side and it is noticeably harder than the left side. I even have a swollen lymph node in my neck that I am certain has come from the chronic inflammation that is in that area. It has been swollen to the size of a small pea for about a year and a half now.
I just don't know what to do. It really impacts my life. I am a ballet dancer and I am only 5 foot and 94 pounds. I am healthy otherwise and have no major medical issues nor any past injuries or accidents. I am very active and I stretch and exercise my arms and neck everyday..but it doesn't help at all. My ballet teacher even says that when I am turning, my right arm always sags a little. I know this is because my neck and shoulder is always hurting on that side and it makes my arm feel weak. I could be so much happier and a much better dancer if this pain could just go away. At my age, I shouldn't have to be in this much pain for no apparent reason. I shudder to think of how I am going to deal with this for the rest of my life.