Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Neck issues

Disclaimer: AS suspected but not confirmed yet

Does anyone find they get a very stiff neck with their AS? Mostly it's my back that's painful but sometimes my neck and shoulders get very stiff and I seem to spend all day stretching to try and relieve it.

Oh, yeah. AS attacks the whole spine.

my neck gets "stiff", the muscles are in spasm. stretching, heat, ice, muscle relaxant, and exercise (swimming or isometrics) to strengthen the muscles all are helpful, sleeping on a very flat feather pillow also help a lot as a preventative measure.

I second Sue's suggestions. Swimming, small flat pillow, isometrics, stretching...

My neck behaves pretty well if I stretch it the MINUTE I feel it stiffening up, or do some iso's if I'm in the middle of a bunch of people.

Peace

I get that stiff,tight neck and the muscles in between my shoulders want to bunch up in a wad. The only things that seem to help are hot showers, heating pads or a good massage.
Donna

oh yeah my neck bones have fused. top three the doc said. only thing that helps is streching exercises and heat. there are
streches on this site somewhere cant remember though. look under
helpful tips and go to the post helpful exercises. it really works for me.
wish you well

Im beyond a stiff neck...neck is now fused and so is lower back....do all you can to prevent fusion........ i didnt untill it was too late..now a life time of disability.

Fonzy

I agree with the posters who advocate exercise to prevent fusion before it's too late. I haven't snapped, crackled or popped in over three years. Thanks to a resection osteotomy titanium moors my spine from s-1 to t-6, but over the past 15 years since the lumbar osteotomy my neck has fused, despite attempts to prevent it from doing so. I no longer can turn my neck without turning my body. I drive to work on roads where I'm either greeted by a stop signal, light, or height from which to see oncoming traffic both ways, otherwise I rely on my wife or colleagues to shuttle me about. If I lived in a larger metropolitan area I doubt I could drive the limited amount that I do. I hope your pain proves to be shortlived.

Yup, my neck is bad, too. Left side in particular.

Stretching, range of motion, ice, heat (on the shoulder muscles to loosen their stranglehold on my neck), massage (shoulders again), walks where I let my arms swing loosely (shoulders again) and my anti-inflammatory salve are the only things that help. It's the one spot the biologics don't seem to touch, neither do NSAIDS. From a pain relief standpoint, the salve is the only thing that touches it.

Hugs,

Do people generally find that their AS symptoms vary on a daily basis or do they move in cycles? Last week it was mostly my neck and shoulders, but this week it seems to be back and ankles. The week before last it was ankles and heels! Mine seem to move around slowly from one place to another over a few days to a week.