# IBS and neck problems?



## Lexer (May 9, 2013)

Hi,

Is it known that IBS causes neck problems?

A short while after my IBS started I began to get neck problems. At first it was about once a week after a long work week(desk work(computer)). The got worse for every year so I went to a couple of chiropractors and physiotherapist but none of them was able to help me. I changed my position at work, changes mouse hand, I added regular workout pauses ever 15 min and so on.

The pain is in right side of the neck and shoulder, it often gets up to the head and forward to the right eye, this gives a lot of headache. Regular painkillers do not help.

The pain is now going all the way down to the right ringfinger and pinky.

Thay have done a MRI on my neck without any findings.

I can feel that my neck is tense and its really hard to relax.

Is this common för IBS patients? Is there any way to handle this?


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## hurley15 (Jul 5, 2013)

My neck is quite often very sore, tense and I get bad headaches and pain down into my shoulder. I always thought this was from an incident that happened last summer but is it possible that it's connected to IBS? hmm I would like to know...


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## Lexer (May 9, 2013)

What type of work do you have? Maybe you sit at a computer a lot as I am?

As I see it there is no doubt about that IBS can result in neck problems. Its simple, a disease like IBS have often a big role in your quality of life. If you don´t find a working solution you will end up with anxiety and this makes your body stiff and vulnerable. If you have this a long time(more then 3 month) you will have a hard time to ever find a solution for it i'm afraid. The changes you do to solve your problems with the neck could take long time to show any improvements (just as with the stomach) so it will be harder and harder to find a working solution.

I have had my neck problems in 4 years and it is only getting worse. I have changed my way of living to hopefully find a solution but its not that easy.

The most important part is to rule out slippery disc and other problems, but when this is done you still have a big job to find a way that will not make your problem worse.

When neck problems is a result of another problem like in my case anxiety for my stomach there is not really a easy solution and when you start to worry about your neck you also get more anxiety and more problems.

I will soon have vacation so I will do my best to stay away of the computer ans see if this can help, but I do still think that the couse is mainly anxiety in some way and the problem will probably return as soon as my vacation is over.


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## screeb (Jul 25, 2001)

I also want to say that the Traction procedure is still necessary to empty the stomach because of the following reasons. Delayed gastric emptying causes increased blood sugar in the brain, which deactivates the LHA/OX-A receptors. Then as part of the gastric emptying procedure (Traction Procedure), one drinks coffee which reduces blood sugar that activates the LHA/OX-A receptors. The LHA projects to the DMV (Dorsal Motor Nucleus of the Vagus(X)--where there is a vagal response). The vagal system (para-sympathetic system that counterbalances the sympathetic system or epinephrine system), causes gastric emptying. One needs to use the traction device to activate LHA/OX-A receptors, such that the stomach will empty under increased blood/brain sugar conditions.

Increased peristalsis (contraction of the underlying muscle), can trigger back contractions in a principle called a "guarding reaction." In this way, back muscles such as erector spinae muscles of the back can cause connecting shoulder and neck muscles to contract. The lower neck muscles are connected with the upper neck muscles by a nodule found in women called
the atlanto-axial myodural bridge (the area where the traction strap impinges). The related suboccipital muscles may induce posterior traction of the traversing soft tissue fibers, resulting in posterior deviation of the dura. The myodural bridge connection to dura has been reported as a direct contributing factor to dural tensive related headaches, (Migraine headaches). The Myodural Bridge tightens on the Dura mater, and tentorium cerebelli, (a "Tent" over the inner brain-separates cerebellum from cortex). The tentorium cerebelli puts tension on Caudal Trigeminal nerve 1 (VC1 ), causing migraine headaches.[4]
Migraine pathophysiology involves the trigeminal innervation of the dura mater and intracranial blood vessels. Electrical stimulation of dural blood vessels is painful and causes activation of neurons in the caudal trigeminal nucleus. The hypothalamic neuropeptide orexin A synthesized in the lateral and posterior hypothalamus and is involved in nociceptive processing. The effect of orexin A was examined on responses of neurons in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis. Orexin-A was able to inhibit dural responses to electrical stimulation via activation of the orexin-A receptor [OX(1)R].[5]
Decreased orexin signaling in the brain may play a role in the pathophysiology in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders accompanied with the inhibition of gut function. Gastroparesis (delayed gastri emptying) causes increased blood sugar in the brain, which deactivates the LHA/OX-A receptors.
Therefore, traction procedure reverses the vagal inhibition and causes gastric emptying of food and movement of chyme through the proximal colon.


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## Reed (Jul 13, 2013)

Couldn't believe when I saw this topic. I just had a flare up and my neck went "out of joint" at the same time. It always seems to happen. I realize that, for me, when I have a flare, I sit and sleep differently to try and accommodate the pain. I also wince a lot - tightening up my neck too. And I've had IBS and neck pain for nearly 40 years.

With this particular neck pain, it migrates around to the front of my head and causes a heck of a headache right above my right eye. I've tried all the regular things - Motrin, Tylenol, Aleve, Excedrin Migraine - and it doesn't touch it. Also have tried Zomig (for migraines) and it usually works, but not on these.

For me, the only thing that works is seeing the chiropractor to have a massage and get my neck adjusted. I go twice each week for three weeks to get it back on track. And I go every two weeks to keep it in place.

Hope that helps.


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## screeb (Jul 25, 2001)

I think it's interesting that Reed is a woman, even though she has a male silhouette as her picture. As I said in the above post, some women (about half) have a myodural bridge which can cause headaches that activate peristalsis in the GI tract. The statistics of IBS are that 90% is diarrhea predominant, and two-thirds of patients are women, which means that roughly 4/5 d-IBS patients are women, and that males have fewer cases of d-IBS than women. I think the fact that the myodural bridge is absent in males may handicap males towards less diarrhea and more constipation.


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