Has anyone else had this? Sometimes right before I get a bad hit my neck will tighten up and I get terrible knot feeling in the neck muscles. The pain from neck feels like it is going up into my head. My wife puts ice on my neck during an attack and it feels good. After my CH has passed my neck is very sore and feels bruised. I can understand that my muscles in my neck are getting tight during a bad CH but I start having this feeling before the headache hits sometimes. I don't if this is related to the tingling and numbness I get on the side of my face.

Yep, the "cluster lump".  Very common.  Not all of us get it, but quite a few do.

I've seen it explained as inflamed nerve ganglia, and surrounding tissue.  It seems to be most prominent during a hit.  Some get one at the base of the skull.  Others get one at around C-5 on the CH side of the spine.  A few get one on the cheek, or on the roof of the mouth.  Mine tends to show up near C-7/T-1 on the left side, where the shoulder meets the neck.

Wherever it occurs, although it doesn't compare to the focal point behind the eye, it's damned uncomfortable. 

Putting ice (or better yet, ice wrapped in a sopping wet cloth) seems to help to some extent.  I've found it's best (at least for me) to remove the ice gradually, finishing with a wet cloth.  Withdrawing the ice all at once can result in a nasty rebound.

It's probably natural to think about getting a deep-tissue massage to "loosen it up".  Only thing I can say is....don't.      It doesn't work, and it hurts like all get out.

Best,

George

Good point about neck pain leading up to an attack.  I pulled my shoulder muscle very badly on Monday - had a stiff neck and back all week, along with shadow headaches.  It all lead to a CH yesterday and needless to say, neck, shoulders and back were all tight before and definitely during attack.  Plus, for the first time last night, during a hit, my jaw locked on the right side and I couldn't open my mouth all the way.

As soon as its over, the muscles release and tingle.  My jaw unlocked, too.
wild.

I put a menthol patch on the area or rub on some bengay for the neck pain.  And I use a temperpedic pillow for neck support at night when I am in my cycle.  I notice that it will help to provide relief to my neck and ward off shadow headaches.  But obviously does not do much for the "big ones".

I get the stiff lumpy painful neck as well.  My son was the 1st to note that sometimes just before I get a hit I start rubbing my neck on the same side as the CH hits.  I must have been doing it unconsciously since I didn't correlate it until he pointed it out.  Gotta Love our Supporters!!

Joni wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 12:31am:


Yes, thank the lord I go into remission with these headaches.  My heart goes out to those that are chronic.  When I am in remission I forget how bad the pain is until I am back in the peak of the cycle again.  I guess that is a good thing.

I always get the neck pain before a hard hit,so when I get the neck pain I reach for my abortives. But during an attack it's just a pain in the ass.   NO SMART REMARKS PLEASE!!!

Yeah, me too. I feel my clusters primarily in the occiputal region. I've had them reach right down to the middle of my back. The trapezius muscle goes wild. Cold application helps. Neuro once told me it was "referred pain." Whatever.

I had a nerve block last Monday and for 3 days I was pain free.  Friday I started having headaches. As the weekend went on the headaches increased in the afternoons. These headaches don't feel like clusters but just bad headaches on the back and side of my head and runs down into my neck and traps.  What is this?

Quote:

Chiropractics have little no affect on CH since it's an internal Hypothalamus issue. 
But thanks for the commercial break.
Now back to your regular scheduled programming....

Probably should have   but couldn't resist.  Going back to my corner now. 

i get the knot too - base of the skull - feels like a golf ball.   I found out if i fatigue the muscle during an attack it helps the neck pain and it takes the edge off the CH (barely - but every little bit helps, yeah?)  I do this with a little 5 lb weight that i hold out straight away from my body (either forward or to the side) til i can't hold it anymore.

Bad thing is that once the attack is over you are pretty sore....it does help the post attack nap, though

Two indents at right and left base of skull, press and knead gently,these are pressure points for headaches.

If you look at the path of the trigeminal nerve, that's 2 spots where it comes to the surface, Makes sense you could get a small amount of relief rubbing there.

Since discovering oxygen, I don't need the massage anymore.  If you haven't used 02 yet, do check it out, it's good stuff for CH'ers!

Joe