I noticed that the right side of the back of my neck is very tense and tight and noticeably larger than the left side. It has almost been 1 year since MAV started for me and am wondering if my neck has been like this the whole time. I just noticed it about a month ago. I finally motivated myself to go 90% healthy diet and jogging/eliptical 2 weeks ago. I’m not taking any meds as I’m trying to avoid them, but now that I’ve actually made an honest effort at this new healthy lifestyle, after 2 weeks, this is what I notice, the right side dizziness is still there but has lessened, I get less minispins or shifts, brain fog is nearly eliminated, sleep is better although I do wake up more in the middle of the night but am able to go right back to sleep. The neck has loosened up a bit but still larger than the left side. Anxiety and depression are pretty much gone although i still have some moments. But the biggest thing is that I feel sometimes throughout the day that I am normal again. Then I don’t feel normal. It’s like I’m on an MAV rollercoaster right now. But the symptoms that I do get are less intense. For the most part I think that if I keep this up for months, it’s all gonna go away. But this time I really believe it!!! I hope I’m right and I know it could take months and I’m ready for the challenge now. Now so than ever. It was a tough first week though. The first week was good for about 4 days and then I hit the floor but pulled myself together, prepared my foods for the day and kept up the cardio anyway. I nearly fell off the eliptical multiple times at the gym, but I just held on tight and kept going. It is now becoming easier and the last few times I’ve had no problem on it and completed my workout with ease. now after completing the second week, I’m starting to see things change for the better. I know it’s only been 2 weeks so I’m not gonna get all silly about the improvement quite yet. My mind has been the biggest improvement more than anything else. I have a ton of energy now. Something I haven’t seen in months. I feel good. But if I could just get rid of the dizziness completely once and for all that would be MEGA! I’m excited and I think I’m gonna make it happen. My mind is operating great.
I’m eating about 4-5 servings of mixed vegi’s, 3-4 servings of different fruits, whole grains, wheat bread, oatmeal some flax seeds and tomato sauce for my whole grain pasta and a TON of water everyday. (I don’t know of any foods that are triggers for me, aside from just having a shit diet for a long long time now).
I’m also getting 7-9 hours of sleep at every night.
The reason I brought up the new finding of the neck is because my dizziness is all right sided, like being pulled to right, funny right sided vision slight fullness in right ear etc. and I think the tensed up neck has been causing my dizziness all this time. I read somewhere that there are balance receptors in the neck and when the connection in there somehow gets interupted it can cause rocking/swaying sensation. That’s me all day long. I know the migraine can cause a tense neck too. Any thoughts anyone???
i know i get bad pain in the left side of my neck/shoulders and my dr. said that is usually after a migraine hits. i am rocky 24/7 so i never know when i am having a migraine. i guess all the time? here are my suggestions, remember i am not a doctor…have you had your neck scanned? i cannot remember the name but it’s basically an mri on your neck? also, maybe a chiropractor could help? and i remember you mentioned you are eating a lot of grains and whole wheat pasta. you may want to pay attention to the wheat content? i know more and more people are realizing they are allergic to wheat are having to go gluten-free. maybe give that a shot for a few weeks? that could be a trigger for you as well. good luck!
Hey Greg,
That’s great that you are getting results.I hope that it continues to improve for you.Exercise can help so many things.I too have increased my cardio,at first it was difficult but 2 weeks sounds about right to start to feel improvement.
As far as one side of your neck being more developed than the other,it’s important to remember that none of us are truly symmetrical.One side of the body is usually a bit more dominant and developed than the other.There are receptors in the neck,and elsewhere in the body which help to keep us balanced.
The neck is also the spot where we usually feel stress,also lifestyle can impact this area,such as sitting in front of a computer for long periods.Migraine can also affect the neck.
Have you tried any gentle massage? The chiro I would be very leary of,there are many good ones and some lousy ones as well.The neck is such a vulnerable area so be careful who you have treat it.
Have you looked into tmj issues? This area can contribute to tension and problems in the neck.I saw a bite specialist dentist and she has helped me a lot.
I would ask my doc next visit if he notices a difference in my neck.How can you see it ,I am curious?
I wish you continued success!
I’m pleased to read you are seeing the benefits of your new healthy lifestyle
Re your neck, mine is very much linked to my migraines, and if I wake up with a stiff neck it usually will lead to a migraine. However, I would definitely get yours checked out by a doctor if you can see a difference in the size on one side, as this could mean you have something else going on. Just because we have MAV it doesn’t mean we don’t get other things unfortunately!
I appreciate all the help. The wheat bread is something new I added into the diet, but I did try it out a little while back to see if I had any additional symptoms from it, and it doesn’t seem worsen it any. As far as the chiro goes, I thought of that too, but I don’t think I’m gonna go to one. Maybe a physical therapist though. I’d hate to go to a chiro and get worse possibly. There has to be some more success stories for the chiro for me to think about it more.
The MRI on the neck sounds interesting. That may the next medical procedure for me if I get to a point where I’m at a standstill. I’m not looking to just improve, I’m fighting to get back to normal again, hopefully better than I was before, as I’m sure everyone here is. I want it gone so I can forget I ever even had encountered this bastard!
James, I can’t see it anymore cause it has gone down some. It’s kind of hard to explain but, you know those two tendons/muscles that run up and down? and each are near the center of the neck close to your head. You can see them more on little kids. But the one on the right is always pulled out and very tight. I can feel it clearly and it is definately not normal. It doesn’t hurt though. I’ve also felt about a dozen other people that I know on there neck and those 2 tendons/muscles are all perfectly the same. All of them. And they felt mine and were agreeing that somethings up. I’m thinking red flag on my neck. I did have 2 massages to start getting it down some. It helped a little.
