I get constant headache following neck injury. Why?

Hi,

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I feel really sorry for this painful situation you have to face. After careful review of your detailed case, I want to add that musculoskeletal insult is the main cause behind this pain and lifestyle modification is its main solution. I will elaborate all of this in a very simple way so that you may come out of this pain and can sleep comfortably.

Thanks for uploading all the supporting documents and I have thoroughly reviewed all of them. (attachment removed to protect patient identity). Fortunately, your cervical spine and the surrounding structures bear no visible signs of major trauma that may have warranted immediate interventions by an orthopedist and neurosurgeons.

Your cervical spine, spinal ligaments, and the muscles got extreme stress due to excess weight on them. The spinal in cervical region is not made for weight-bearing. Due to stress or strain caused by weight, there had been a stretch and/or compression causing a change in anatomical structures out there.

You need to change the sleeping posture and position your head so that there is a least possible strain on the cervical spine. Keep track of everything you are doing to modify sleep habits. Adopt the one that best suits you. Buy a mattress that is angle adjustable. There are smart mattresses available in the market that makes sleeping a bit comfortable for the cervical spine patients and the general healthy population too at the same time. They are temperature controlled too so if you need to provide heat to the body they help doing it with the click of a button.

First, try sleeping without pillows underneath your head. Try sleeping straight (supine position) your whole body facing upwards. Then try sleeping on the right side, then on the left side of the body. It is only you who can tell which ever suits you best. Then you may try keeping a soft pillow under the head. If it hurts again, you need to try the angle-adjustable mattress and try different angles every night. Keep track if raising the angle soothes you or decreasing the angle is a better option for you.

Meanwhile, physical therapy is my advice for you. Please consult a physical therapist for proper evaluation and management accordingly. It will assist you in getting out of this pain very fast. You may use heat wraps around the neck to soothe the deep neck structures. It alleviates the pain and improves circulation. Keep a balanced and healthy diet and avoid stressing your spine out by spending a lot of time in front of TV, laptop, smartphone, etc. These are bad for your cervical spine as they all make the neck stiff at a certain angle.