Pain in the neck....literally.

arice76 · December 2013

My neck (and sometimes shoulders) have been killing me on and off for the past few weeks. Sometimes the pain develops into a tension headache, sometimes not. I know backache issues are common on pregnancy, but wasn't aware neck pain could be an issue.

I've spoken to my doc about it, and she is confident it is not a pre-e headache (I'm being watched for this), but neck tension issues. She really didn't have much advice on how to manage it, except for our old friend, Tylenol. Anyone else have any suggestions? Thanks in advance

magentawarped · December 2013

My chiropractor has been my best friend this pregnancy.

spicysurro · December 2013

Yeah I've experienced it too, possibly look at the pillow you are sleeping on, mine made my neck sore since Ive started sleeping in different positions, also I agree with PP Chiropractors are your friend!

RondackHiker · December 2013

Are you sleeping on your side? A nice and supportive pillow that keeps your head/neck in line with your spine would be a good investment.

I'd also recommend a visit to a chiropractor and possibly a massage/yoga and stretching.

Good luck!

slwprincess · December 2013

I had this terribly with my second pregnancy. It was so odd to me b/c I was plagued with LOWER back pain during my first. It only got worse (MUCH worse) after baby was born and I was BF all the time which is notorious for causing neck/shoulder pain if your posture isn't just right. Of course, its hard to have good posture when you are in pain already! So I highly suggest that you try to fix it now.

My chiro told me that its fairly common during pregnancy and its caused by a mixture of bad posture (duh, we're pregnant!) and those pesky hormones loosening up the joints. Now personally, I cannot afford to go to the chiro as much as they say I need to go to get myself "fixed" (they recommended 2-3 times a week for 3+ mos!) At $35 per visit, I was having a hard time justifying it. But, we also realized right before I got pregnant that our mattress was sagging. This irritated me b/c the mattress was only about 3 years old and was a good name brand that should have lasted a lot longer. DH was also experiencing back pain so we ended up getting a Tempurpedic which was flipping expensive as heck but 0% interest and a 20+ year warranty so I decided I'd rather spend my money on that than the chiro. I cannot tell you how awesome this bed has been during pregnancy! I'm kicking myself for not buying one the first time! The first thing I noticed was no hip pain at all. Then after about a week, no more neck/shoulder pain. Even now, I may have a lot of other pregnancy aches going on, but my back and shoulders feel better than they have in years. I realize that a new mattress may not be in the budget with a new baby on the way... so maybe look into a memory foam mattress topper? Also, regular massages may help loosen up those muscles.

Beachmommy1029 · December 2013

A thought- my friend is a certified prenatal massage therapist and said to not massage the traps... Apparently it's one of those trigger spots. She is from South Africa so they may have a different practice there but keep that in mind/ask your dr before your recruit anyone to rub your shoulders... I know mine have been pretty tight.

cksmith29 · December 2013

I agree with PPs. Find a good chiropractor. There is a lot of new weight hanging off the front of you, and it impacts everything.

arice76 · January 2014

@magentawarped, @hollywoodvibe18, @RondackHiker, @slwprincess, @Beachmommy1029, @cksmith29. Thank you all for the suggestions! I've been sleeping on my side on a special neck support pillow. Looks like a visit to the chiropractor might be in my near future. That, or a new mattress

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Pain in the neck....literally.

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