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Having Severe Pain On Side Of Neck And Head. CT Scan And MRI Normal. Any Ideas?
Question: For the past 3 months I have been having very severe, sharp, pain on the left side of my neck, and head. It is mostly focused in the temple area and behind the left eye. When I awaken int he morning, I am fine. But, as the day goes along, it comes on and gets very bad by the evening. When I bend forward, it hurts. When I stand up or sit down, it hurts. Then, my neck stiffens and hurts. When I cough or sneeze, it feels like a very irritated nerve is vibrating and causes momentary severe pain along the left side of my head. My doctor sent me for a CT scan and an MRI, both came back normal. I have noticed that if I open my jaw very wide when bending, sitting or standing, it usually does not hurt. By the way, I am an attoreny and spend a good deal of my day at a computer, doing research.I would very much appreciate any ideas of what I should do next.
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
1. If your Scans are normal, then this is most probably a Trigeminal Neuralgia.
2. There many conditions that need to be ruled out such as:
a. Migraine and it's variants
b. Cluster headaches
c. Peripheral Neuropathy
d. Early Multiple Sclerosis
e. Post herpetic Neuralgia
and so on.
3. Get your Scan images reviewed for any vascular compression of the nerve entry root zone.
4. A trial of certain medications for neuralgias or migraine may help. However these must be taken only under the strict supervision of your doctor.
I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Thank you for your query.
1. If your Scans are normal, then this is most probably a Trigeminal Neuralgia.
2. There many conditions that need to be ruled out such as:
a. Migraine and it's variants
b. Cluster headaches
c. Peripheral Neuropathy
d. Early Multiple Sclerosis
e. Post herpetic Neuralgia
and so on.
3. Get your Scan images reviewed for any vascular compression of the nerve entry root zone.
4. A trial of certain medications for neuralgias or migraine may help. However these must be taken only under the strict supervision of your doctor.
I hope that I have answered your query. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Aparna Kohli
Answered by
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