Okay for at least the last 2 weeks my neck has been sore and slightly stiff. It seems to be only in the back of the neck too. When I turn my head left or right I can really feel it. Then it starts to bother my shoulders. On Some days I can feel achy feelings around my collar bone when I have the fullness in the Thyroid area. I do not get much relief when I take any over the counter stuff. As the time has gone on I think it has improved but after so long I forget what normal is. Has anybody else had this experience or is it just something else I need to mark in my diary?? Thanks for reading
I've had incredible aching stiffness in the back of my neck and shoulders for years and years, having no clue it's a sign of a thyroid problem. When the tension there got bad enough, I'd get awful spasms of pain.
Now that I'm on meds, it's getting better... occasionally I have no stiffness there at all.
One thing that helps me is to take a naproxen tablet or two and to drape one of those heated beanbag things - mine is called a "Bed Buddy" - over the area. It seems to loosen things up enough that I can gently stretch the muscles.
__________________ "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses." Abraham Lincoln
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Mine too has lessoned but I was begining to wonder if I needed to have that checked out too. But as these symptoms come on I can recall having them back in 88 when I was first diagnosed. I'm still going through a med decrease and it will be 2 weeks. I think and I say I think things have lessoned to a degree, but some new things pop up to. Seems the brain fog has let up now and some of the muscle aches. But I still have muscle stiffness issues and this neck feels so tight. I do try to work it out through out the day. Its not so bad at night anymore where it felt so hard when you layed on your back. I wonder what the connection is to Thyroid???
[This message has been edited by Ellyn (edited 06-30-2003).]
Ellyn,
I found an article by Mary Shomon about the muscle pain of hypoT. I'll have to paraphrase her words, so I hope I have this correct --
Hypothyroidism is known to cause myopathies, the medical term for diseases that affect skeletal muscle. Myopathies most often are seen in the thigh and shoulder area, the large muscles which are closest to the center of the body. In myopathies such as those caused by autoimmune thyroid disease, white blood cells may attack parts of the muscle and the surrounding blood vessels, or abnormal levels of certain biochemical substances end up accumulating in your muscles, leading to weakness or pain.
If time and meds don't make a significant improvement in my shoulder pain, I think I'll explore other avenues... massage or even accupuncture. Perhaps my chiropractor may know something about this. I should ask him. Meanwhile, I keep my Bed Buddy handy. If you don't know what I'm talking about, try a heating pad with moist heat... it should be about the same thing, just not as portable. I can walk around and do my housework with the Bed Buddy on. For some reason, this gizmo works better for me than a hot shower or bath in easing the tension.
__________________ "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses." Abraham Lincoln
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Ellyn:
I hear you girl! I feel like my head is a bowling ball on top of my neck! I have such aches and pains in neck, shoulder, and upper back. I try to work on it during the day too, but really is stiff. My chiropractor eases some of the pain, but that lasts only a short time. I too would like to try just about anything including acupuncture.
My Neck is sore and feels stiff 
