Does anyone else have experience with pain from muscle knots? Somehow, and I sure don't know how, I have developed muscle knots over the last several months. I have really bad neck pain that radiates up into my occipital area. The knots are supposedly in my back. I don't feel it in my back. I feel it in my neck. I have done just about everything possible to help elivate the pain. I have been to the chiropractor for adjustments, had all kinds of heat therapy, ultra sound therapy, massage therapy, and physical therapy. I have done so many neck exercises, I think my neck is as strong as a body builder...but it still hurts. I have taken muscle relaxants, which didn't make me sleepy like my doctor said it would, but made me feel drugged, nauseas, and made my heart pound. I had to quit taking those. Then the doctor told me to take 600 to 800 mg of Ibuprofen. I have never taken Ibuprofen before. It worked pretty darn good for the pain but I had to quit that too. After a month of taking ibuprofen, I had horrible insomnia, heartburn, indigestion, and headaches from taking it. Massage( deep tissue) therapy had worked the best, but that is very expensive and insurance doesn't cover the cost of that. Good grief! What to do?

I feel so bad for you Cookie and understand what constant pain feels like. Have you tried a hard, water pounding, hot jacuzzi? Water will gently beat the hell out of pain and the deep relief seems to last for quite awhile. I don't suffer from any pains but many of the elder folks here suffer neck or back pain and they tell me the jacuzzi really works.

Geart suggestion Chats.

Cookie, I made your Red Velvet cake for our son's 22nd birthday dinner on Sunday. The texture was totally velvet! Thanks.

My MIL once gave us this hand held massager from Brookstone. Here's a link to a similar one:

http://www.brookstone.com/handheld-massagers_max-percussion-massager-dual-node.html?bkiid=categoryLandingPage_Massage_Personal_Massagers|C4CategoryProdList1FDT|8378369

When we got it as a gift, we thought it was over the top and that we probably wouldn't use it. As we've gotten older, I love the dang thing. I get stress lumps in my shoulders and that thing truly breaks them up. Be careful. It's very powerful. Begin by using it on the lowest setting then gradually progress. It may seem a bit expensive, but when compared to the price of all those massages, it's a bargain.

My youngest son is a videographer. He came home after shooting a big gig where he had to be in ridiculous positions for long periods of time. His back and shoulders were a mess. This thing worked like a charm. I'm thinking of getting him one for Christmas.

Hope this helps.

A couple times during my life I've had muscle knots so severe,
I thought I broke my back. Medics gave me muscle relaxants and
that go rid of 'em. The last time I had 'em, I thought I had
a kidney infection. Doctors say nerves around the muscles tighten
to such an extreme, the pain is nearly unbearable. Good luck
Cookie. Like Chatty and Dots suggestions!

Thank you! Those are really great suggestions. Chatty, the Jacuzzi sounds woooonderful!! I don't have one....yet, ha.

Dotsie, the hand massager looks very interesting. If you say it works, that is a good enough review for me. I'm going to look that over in great detail later on. It's no more expensive than all the money I have already spent on all the lotions, potions, and pillows over the last several months, plus the doctor visits and all the different therapies. I have been so frustrated with this. I can just scream! I am just not use to having anything wrong with me.

Jabber, you are right. It is painful as heck! Sometimes just unbearable. The muscles are in constant spasm. What kind of muscle relaxant did you take...do you remember? I will have to go back to the doctor and see if they can give me another kind of muscle relaxer that maybe I can tolerate. I have never been good with meds. I always seem to have side effects with them. My fear is that I have had this too long and the spasms won't go away now.

Dotsie, I'm so glad the cake turned out well for you. My family/relatives never tire of it. It is a good cake. But then again, we haven't met to many cakes we didn't like.

Cookie,
I don't know what type of meds I took. I had that problem, probably three decades ago and then again in March, while in
Florida. But can't remember what they gave me to ease the
situation. Sorry!

Cookie, most health clubs that have a pool also have a hot tub. May be you could call around.

Taking ibuporfen so often wouldn't make anyone feel good.

A person's back does take alot of stress and stiffens up..did the physiotherapist indicate that it was your back ultimately causing the neck pain... If yes, please believe her/him.

Have you been shown how to do back stretches and other all over body stretches with beginner's yoga, pilates, etc.? Just focusing on neck isn't the whole solution.

Whenever I get neck pain, back spasms or twinges, I know I have not been doing my basic yoga/pilates exercises regularily. And when I do, my body relaxes. combined with hot showers, etc.

Then the pain goes away. I sleep more deeply and longer.
Yoga and basic pilates, if taught properly teaches a person how to position their body to relax , safe positions to do certain exercises. Of course, strengthens core, so the back doesn't take so much stress.

All the massages, drugs, aren't going to banish this forever.

It is major switch how to look at how one's body functions now, or isn't functioning as well, muscle-wise, etc. this type of approach, exercise..is for life to help yourself.

Hope you go for walks later.

I have frequent problems with muscle knots in my back and have a found a few things helpful:

I lie on the floor with a towel rolled under my neck then elevate my legs by resting them on a chair or the couch. Sometimes I take a small rubber ball and place it under the sore spot - it hurts like heck for a few seconds, but if I move around slightly while lying on the ball, it works out the knot(s). I found a massage cushion at Bed, Bath and Beyond - it was on sale for about $80. It has a back and seat and is placed in almost any chair. It provides a pretty deep massage and can be adjusted to hit a target area or just go up and down your back.

When things are really bad, I take a flexiril, which I get from my doctor. I try to avoid that, though, because I'm sensitive to meds and need a couple days to sleep off the effects.