Take anti-inflammatory meds regularly to build the steady level in your blood (make sure you are ok to take them first and take them with food)

Put ice and/or heat on the neck (ice reduces swelling and heat brings more circulation to the area

Sleep with a neck roll under your neck. This puts your neck into proper alignment.

Physical therapy is the best treatment, go regularly and comply with their instructions.

Surgery is not usually the answer.

Make sure your posture is correct when sewing, working at the computer, etc.

Relax, sometimes we stress about the pain and tense up our muscles.

Good luck

I take a arthritis mecicine called Celebrex. It is very good. I could not sew without it as the pain in my hands used to be terrible. Please talk to your Dr. or a Rumatoligist. They know all the best stuff. I understand there are some new Meds. just out on the market. It is no fun to have to give up such a pleasure as your sewing.

Thank you all so very much for your advice. Some of these things I've already tried, others I had never heard of before! I do think I'll get a referral for physical therapy. I remember having that when I had a bulging disc in my neck years ago and it was very helpful. As a matter of fact, that is when I was told about the 'bad' arthritis in my neck! Someone mentioned lidoderm patches -- and I remembered I have a bunch of lidocaine patches that was prescribed for my lower back. They didn't help that problem very much, but I'm trying them on my neck/shoulder right now. I'm also going to try to lower my chair. I think it may be too high.

Again, thanks to all of you for taking the time to respond and offer your advice and encouragement. There are so many caring people on this board.

Yes, you can call them yellow raisins. Be sure to take it for awhile before you give up. I hate gin, but when you have pain 24-7 you will try any thing. I`ve given this out to a lot of really painful people and those that stay with it, all say it works.

It sounds to me as though you need to go see a neurologist.,especially with it involving your neck. I have a friend whose specialist was meeting her to do a back surgery but for some reason he decided to do a complete MRI and come to find out her neck was a MUST DO surgery not something she could plan around.Have you tried a rolled towel without pillows to see if helps your neck?Hope this helps you out

Due to neck and shoulder injuries sustained in 2 car accidents 17 years ago, I have continuous pain in that area, plus evey now and again a pinched nerve sustained in a car accident even before the last kicks up and gives me quite a bit of pain.

I am prescribed tramadol and skelaxin for pain and sometimes it doesn't even touch it; I have learned to do what I can as long as I can, then do something else until it eases off. I also have inheirted arthritis from my father. He always told me to work through it, so far I've been able to do this, but now and again I just have to stop and rest.

I move a lot,up and/or down, turn a bit here and there, just anything to change position.

Hope you will be able to continue with your sewing as it is so rewarding.

delma

Oh Linda B, my name is Linda B also! I am so sorry you are hurting! I hope that you can get some relief quickly!

I had shoulder surgery and took Celebrex for 3 months. It worked wonderfully on my arthritis. I also had a tens unit and only took one pain pill after a major shoulder rotator cuff repair with 6 screws, also fixed the arthritis in there and removed a bone spur. The tens unit was wonderful.

I'm ging to tell you a story, if there's anything you get out of it, good, if not, not.

Years ago I had my third child, an unplanned pregnancy for a woman that plans everything, and only 13 months after having my daughter. 10 days after delivering, I got a horrendous headache, and my blood pressure went sky high. Found out it was a doozy of a migraine (I had never had one before) and after a few months, ended up on an old, cheap antidepressant, Elavil. I've been on it ever since.
I was not depressed, just under extreme stress, and not able to sleep, I got some hormone treatment because they said sometimes after delivering, the ???(name?)gland shuts down. It's the gland that helps you deal with stress, fine time for THAT to happen.

It works, I've been taking it for 24 years.
My sister's an RN in a pain mangement clinic, and they use Elavil there (I didn't know this until about 10 years ago) I do notice in various things, it does eliviate some pain.

Arthritis is in the family genes, and I'm included, but to be honest, I have very very little pain.

Also, today, while there for a PAP, I learned from my doc that Elavil will also relieve menopause symptoms, which he said explains why I have very few hot flashes.

It's an antidepressant that has other uses

Linda, you mentioned that you use heat, wet or dry. I have had neck problems for years and am happy to report that it is much better now. I always found that wet heat is the best. Try standing in the shower with the water directed at your neck for 15 minutes twice a day, as hot as you can stand it without burning yourself. Works everytime for me. Hope you feel better. Some type of anti-inflammatory usually helps.

Lucy