Question
Hi Dr. Gary Crowley,

In July of 2009 I was physically attacked while living in another country, outside the U.S. I was struck by a two by four on the side of my head. I didn't flinch much, and from what I remember, I tensed up before impact. After recovering in the hospital (back in the states), I began to get terrible lower cervical pain. It was a very sharp pin point pain. I went to see a local Dr., and she prescribed me pain killers and told me to continue resting (lying down) to let the area heal. After several weeks of constant, agonizing sharp pain in the lower neck area, I went back to the doctor's office for a follow up. I could barely walk, nor turn my head, and the slightest movement would cause so much pain my eyes would tear immediately. On the way to the doctor's office, there was some heckling in an apartment building above the street I was walking on, and by instinct I quickly looked up. Upon speedily looking up, a loud 'pop' occurred in my lower neck (the area between both shoulders). The pain immediately disappeared. I was ecstatic, joyful, and confused all at the same time. In fact, I didn't proceed to enter the doctor's office. I was healed.

Late 2011, I awoke from sleep by my alarm, and jolted out of bed. An immediate and almost paralyzing pain shot from my neck down to my lower back.  The exact same pain I had before was back. I couldn't move, but I recognized the feeling. This time I had full-health insurance, and went to see my Dr. in which he did some x-rays, and CT scans. They couldn't find any problems with my neck. He sent me to a physical therapist, upon which the person immediately said the neck muscles on my left side were incredibly tense. He tried rubbing it out, and doing some sort of electric shock vibration thing to the area, and nothing worked. I was still in pain. I then remembered what happened the first time the pain disappeared (by looking straight up). So I did that on my way home from the doctor's office, and 'pop', the pain was gone! This time however, even until this very day, the pain (from 1-10, a low 1) creeps in everyday all day.  So, I simply look straight up (not left or right) and a tiny pop happens in my neck and the pain subsides. It's totally bizarre. I do this maybe 10-15 times a day. The pain is not bad at all, it抯 now more like a 憄ressure?feeling that can get quite uncomfortable. But again, it抯 gone when I look up and the 憄op?happens.

My doctor can't find anything wrong with my neck via the CT scan, and is puzzled. They just keep saying my left side neck muscles are very, very tense.  They think it may be pulling down and pinching a nerve. But this doesn't explain why I'm able to look up and a pop happens, which then stops the pain. I keep thinking a bone is out of wack, and the popping sound is it going back into place, or the popping sound is scar tissue? Any advice/help would be most welcome.

Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hello Afton,

Sounds like you had a "whiplash" type trauma to your neck when you were attacked and many of the muscles in your neck tightened up in response to the event.  And since bones only go where muscles and other soft tissue pull or hold them (bones are chunks of calcium they don't do anything on there own), it sounds like you still need to release more tight tissue in your neck and elsewhere to have a more stable pain free position for that bone you "pop" into place.

First, it's quite common with chronic structural pain for your an MD to find "nothing wrong." MD's do many incredible and amazing things, and they're fantastic when something is ripped, torn, or broken.  But when "nothing is wrong" you need to understand there are probably still many things that "aren't right" and if you fix all the things that "aren't right" your pain will probably go away.

If you think of the muscles in your neck like the rigging on a big old-fashioned sailboat, with the bones in your neck being the wooden masts on the boat; you can then begin to understand how if some of the rigging (muscles) became inappropriately tight that it would pull on the masts (bones) and move them out of there ideal position, and maybe yank on some nerves as well that can cause you pain.

So you just need to release the muscles (rigging) that is too tight so your neck has the space and freedom it needs to have everything be in the right position again.  I believe the "looking strait up" move is more like a chiropractic adjustment that (wonderfully for you) gives temporary relief when the vertebrae clunks back into place, but doesn't release the causative muscle group(s) that are pulling it out of place a little while after you pop it into place.  Those muscles need to be released. And often it's muscles you wouldn't think of.

The good news is that you can probably fix yourself, all by yourself, for free.  I show how in the free videos on my website here at:
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/neck-pain-relief.html
and sometimes releasing your jaw will help with your neck pain, so also check out the jaw pain page:
http://www.do-it-yourself-joint-pain-relief.com/jaw-joint-pain.html

Take your time and just follow along with the videos and you'll probably be able to fix yourself.  Someone just needs to show you how, and that's what my website is for.

I hope this helps.

Gary Crowley