Migraines & Headaches Community

Don't know why your dr ignored you there, but I would go and see a pain spec and try to get a corticosteroid injection in your neck, which could help you. My regular dr does it for me, but not all of them do it in office. Try moving your screen up and down from time to time. Also you might be bale to use a TENS unit while you're working. The pain spec can give you one or a prescription for one.

You may want to address the ergonomic problem at work first. Make sure that the keyboard, chair, and computer screen are all at the proper heights for you so that you reduce the immediate strain that you are under while you are doing your job. If you are still having a lot of neck pain, it would probably still be worth trying your family doctor a second time before seeing a neurologist. The neurologist is going to order the same tests, and prescribe pretty much the same medications that your primary doctor will, but will charge more, and you will probably have a longer wait for an appointment (unless you are already an established patient.) You may want to consider chirorpractic and/or physical theapy as a supplemental treatment; either will help with the neck discomfort, and you will probably need to show one or the other as a conservative therapy before your insurance company will pay for any imaging (mine required 4-6 weeks of failed treatment for neck pain before an MRI would be approved.) A pain management specialist can help, but (once again,) most of the time you have to show failed prior treatment, and few will see you without a physician referral first. This is all assuming that the migraines are fairly stable, and it's the neck pain that's the trigger; if you are having a major change in your migraines (other than frequency,) and the family doctor can't help, then it's worth going straight to the neurologist.

Thanks for the tips. I started today by moving my screen and will be seeing my family doctor Monday.

Lots of great stuff here. I have started with the ergonomics and tried several things today. I also have to remind myself to sit up straight with feet flat on the floor. Will be seeing the family doctor next week. If that is unsuccesful, the neurologist is next. Thanks for the help.

I would go to physical therapy when I first when in for my head aches it was because my neck was a tight need to loosen it up they need to do a myalilfical therapy where u just lay on a heated pad and then they rub your neck and work out the tight nots in your neck . it works wounders. your head will feel wounder full in just a coule of weeks. but for now excdrine tension headache will do the trick but whatch how much u take and make sure it's with food.

Was physical therapy recommended by your doctor or was this something you did on your own?

it was recommended by my nero head doc. that i go to PT. after a couple of days they worked in a few neck excersies that would help tighten the mussles that were week and i do thoughs every day .