Question
I've been suffering from acute neck pain & stiffness, tightening of the muscles & tension in the Left side of my neck to the base of my skull.
My GP subscribed anti-inflammatory drugs, include seriods, + Skelaxin and pain med..Physical Therapy which included the usual heat, ice, exercise.

Nothing worked. Then I was referred to an Orthopedic surgeon and he diagnosed it as Arthritis.

I've been on Celebrex for 2 weeks, continuing the Skelaxin. No change in systoms.

My 1st appointment for this condition was Oct.1st 2001. Now it's going on 4 months and Nothing has worked so far.  

Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated. I work 40 hrs in an office position & barely get thru the day.  

Answer
Naomi:
It appears you have been thrown into the barrel of statistics that says 90% of the people will get better by the methods you described. Unfortunately, you are not one of those. The problem is not that you have a rare problem, but that you simply have not been to someone who can find your pain, reproduce your pain, and alleviate your pain. There are a few Physical therapists that have been dedicated enough to spend their own money and learn from the best of the best about the spine and dysfunctions like yours. I see patients with your symptoms almost every day. These people are Certified Manual Therapists, designated by the intials MTC after their name. I think that if you find one, and tell them your story, you will see a wry smile of understanding on his or her face, and your road to relief can begin. Trust me, the only reason you have not been helped is because the PT you went to didn't know what you have. It's hard to treat specifics when you only know general techniques. Best of luck.
Dr. Jeff Carr DPT, MTC, ATC, CSCS