Question: I've had a small lump on the right back side of my neck right next to the spine about 2 finger widths down from the base of my skull. You cannot see it but it can be felt if you press down on that area. It feels about the size of a large marble. About the same time I noticed the bump I have had ongoing dizziness (approximately 1 year). When I lay down or back I can feel my pulse throbbing in my head, feels almost like the blood is having trouble getting there. I also notice that I get dizzier when I try to exercise (dance, run). It does hurt if I massage it too long. Heat and hot showers seem to make the dizziness worse. The doctor has done an MRI on my brain only, nothing abnormal. Bloodwork for deficiencies and immune disorders was also normal. I had an X-ray of the back of my neck which did not show any abnormal curvature of the spine. Could this be muscle related? I have not had a cold or any kind of illness in several years. I do have seasonal allergies but those have been present my entire life and this is just a recent occurrence. Sorry for the long post, let me know if you have any ideas! Thanks

I also want to note that I have a lot of neck stiffness, and shoulder pain. The muscles have always felt very tight. My orthopedic doctor originally diagnosed TMJ and that the grinding of my teeth at night has contributed to the muscle tightness. I am wondering if the knot is a very tense muscle?