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Suggest Treatment For Extreme Pain In Neck And Head
Question: My father has been suffering from extreme pain in his neck and head. He went to his DR. and the doctor told him it was arthritis in his neck. At some points the pain was so severe he couldn't chew food, ride in a car because of the bumps and he just wanted to not move his head. He was prescribed to take over the counter Chromium Picolinate. A week later he developed a swollen hand and wrist. That has now subsided. My Dad can tolerate a lot of pain. He has dental work done without Novocain! We are concerned that this is not being diagnosed properly. When he went back to the Dr. he was told to go to physical therapy. which he is doing. He is now struggling with being unstable and unsteady. He will be 80 in October and until this started he was still cutting down trees and splitting his own firewood. Is there a possibility that he could have been bitten by a tick that is causing these problems?
Brief Answer:
tick bite unlikely
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thanks you for using HCM,
A tick bite is unlikely to cause pain just in the neck. Both rocky mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease may cause an arthritis but it is an arthritis all over the body not just in one location.
Has he had an MRI of the neck?
If not I suggest that he get one and to see a spine specialist. He may have disc disease in the neck with nerve impingement. With the severity of the pain you describe he definitely needs an MRI to get an accurate diagnosis.
If he has already had an MRI then I would suggest that he see a spine specialist for further treatment. Perhaps some injections in the neck would be helpful to him
Best regards,
Dr. Robinson
tick bite unlikely
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thanks you for using HCM,
A tick bite is unlikely to cause pain just in the neck. Both rocky mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease may cause an arthritis but it is an arthritis all over the body not just in one location.
Has he had an MRI of the neck?
If not I suggest that he get one and to see a spine specialist. He may have disc disease in the neck with nerve impingement. With the severity of the pain you describe he definitely needs an MRI to get an accurate diagnosis.
If he has already had an MRI then I would suggest that he see a spine specialist for further treatment. Perhaps some injections in the neck would be helpful to him
Best regards,
Dr. Robinson
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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