Dr Dopers or Others - Does This Have A Name?

Factual Questions
1

Mods, I am not looking for medical advice, I just want to know if this thing that happens to me sometimes has a name. I mean, if I get an answer that says something like “OMG see your doctor tomorrow! TONIGHT IF YOU CAN!” then that’s ok, but I don’t really want medical advice.

The explanation:

I get what I call “housework headaches”. (And who doesn’t, really?) That’s when I notice this, but it happens really almost every time I do mild excersize from a stop. For example, tonight I decided the house could use a sweep and a mop, cause I have three cats and a dog and we’re having people over tomorrow, which means that I needed to remove the perpetual layer of hair that lives on my floor.

So! I got the broom and swept, got the mop & bucket and started mopping and I got the usual headache. I have gotten these for as long as I can remember.

They are on the back of my head, usually on one side. They are directly over the bony protrusion at either side of the top of my spine. They hurt, but its more of an ache, with a slight overlay of the pins and needles feeling you get when your foot goes to sleep. If I touch the area, it is sore to the touch. When I stop moving, it stops. If I start moving again, it doesn’t usually come back. (For example, if I sweep, then surf the dope for 15 min, then mop, it won’t come back when I’m mopping.

And now that I’m typing this, it occurs to me that it seems to happen more often (but not always) when my head is at an angle - sweeping, mopping, vaccumming, etc.

I’m fairly sure this isn’t life threatening, because it happens almost every single time I start to mildly excersize. Like, when I sweep and mop, I do a pretty good job, do it swiftly, etc.

The Question: Does this have a name? I hope it does, cause it bugs me!

Thanks,
G

2

Pins and needles sounds more like pinched nerve than headache.

But…could be a headache, could be a tumor, could be an earwig in your spine.

Not sure how long this thread might last…

3

What you need is a trip to a doctor and an Xray of your neck and upper spine.

Could be a simple muscle spasm, due to uneven wear on your neck muscles, or it could be a trapped nerve due to narrowing of the vertebral canal or compression of the spinal cord.

Seeing a doctor would be a good idea.

Do NOT under any circumstances see an osteopath/chiropractor and allow them to manipulate your neck or head unless you they take Xrays first.

4

Ok, thanks! I’ll go see the doc. I just thought if it was gonna kill me it would have by now.

Thanks again,
G

5

Well, for what it’s worth, I have never been to a chiropractor who would touch the upper (cervical) spine without an X-ray. Much less can I imagine a D.O. doing a manipulation without X-rays, being MDs as they are, and all.

I get a lot of relief from neck problems, from my chiropractor. But I would never allow one to touch me who had not seen my X-rays first.