What could be wrong if your grandmother feels a tingly sensation from the lower back of her head to the end of her neck and it happens a couple of times a month but today her back and arms hurt too?

Answer 1

Now would be a good time to take her to a doctor. It's possible that it's nothing serious, it's also possible that it's a mild stroke. There are several possibilities... 1. If the pain begins at the hairline, about a quarter of the way between the midline and the ear, and when there is a lot of pain that "shoots" from that area and up into the scalp & same side of the head, it could be an occipital neuralgia (the patient usually has a lot of headaches on that side if the head). There is a nerve that exits from the base of the skull and traverses about half-way up the side of the scalp & head. If the nerve is inflamed, pushing on the areaa can cause the shooting pains up into the side of the head. IF this is it, a simple steroid injection (by a physician/PA) can solve the problem! If it is a spinal nerve compression in the neck, this could call for physical therapy and possible surgery, AFTER A COMPLETE NEUROLOGICAL WORKUP WITH MRI, ETC). Question here is, does the numbness travel down into the arm or hand?? Is there any wasting of the muscles in the arm/hand on the same side as the neck symptoms?? It could be something as simple as "myofascial disease" (trigger point). This is where the muscle and membranes that separate the muscle groups (like the white tough tissue that is on the outside of a tenderloin) becomes inflamed from a fall --or sudden stretch-- and the nerve that runs through that area also becomes inflamed. If you push on the 'sore' area, does the pain shoot down into the shoulder/neck area?? If so, this could be the "myofascial disease" as described above. The headaches that you describe above apparently involve the entire head & neck; these headaches are most likely a result of the upper back & neck "tension" & constant muscle tension in reaction to the pain she's been having. (Are they like a 'band' around her head??) Whatever it is, she'll certainly need to be evaluated by a properly trained professional (sorry... I don't personally feel a chiropracter should be involved with treating this type of problem unless it's been properly diagnosed and can be treated by physical therapy [Note: most younger chiropractors have been trained to know their limitations and after correctly diagnosing a surgical problem will recommend a neurosurgeon your grandmonter can see]. For an article on myofascial pain, see the website I recommended.