Neck numbness

Day seven after surgery my headache has finally disappeared so no more pain meds, my bp is still temperamental but I’m hopeful it will calm down again, but my question is my chin and neck on the surgical side is still numb, is this something the surgeon gave me or is this nerve damage, if it’s something the surgeon gave me any idea when it will ware off??? I’m not minding it but it would be good to know if it’s about to ware off and I’m gonna get hit with pain lol I think I’ll send a message to my surgeon and ask the same question but you guys are usually quicker to respond

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I had numbness around my chin & jaw line, plus up around my ear post-surgery, that seems to be quite a common area to have numbness caused by the surgery, but obvs this will vary depending where the incision is. Mine wore off gradually over time, I have a little bit left below my ear still. More than likely yours is from the facial or trigeminal nerve being stretched/ irritated during surgery & should come back gradually over the next month…
Glad that your headache has improved!

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I agree w/ @Jules. I think it’s just nerves recovering from surgery. I also had numbness around my neck incision & jawline after my second surgery. Mine lasted several months. The jawline nerve recovery was interesting because some days I had the sensation of my skin being very warm but when I touched it, it was the same temp as the rest of my face. Other times, it felt as though someone was blowing cool air onto the area. Lastly, some days it would tingle like it was waking up from being “asleep”. It’s still very slightly numb but I don’t notice it unless I run my fingers across it. Being a little numb is a whole lot better than being in pain!! :wink:

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I hope your BP is calming down and glad you are seeing headaches improve. I was very numb for weeks and didn’t start defrosting until well into 4-6 week post op period which is very normal. An acupuncturist starting attaching tens like unit to needles in my neck which surprisingly helped stimulate the nerves to turn back on along with light massage. It seemed to eventually only partially subside within 4-6 months but still lingering 3 years out after surgery. My position is that I can take numbness over pain. Good luck on your healing journey. Dont over do it. Give yourself at least 4 weeks to expect any noticeable changes and up to 12 weeks to see huge changes. Everyone heals differently.

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I just had my left styloid removed may 10. They told me it’s very normal for numbness on my jaw to my collarbone and that 2-3 months jt would be normal. I agree with the other posts it has many sensations there that feel weird. They said to do light lymphatic massage with my hand and gently tap along it to help the nerves. I couldn’t stand touching it for a week now I can touch it without pain if that helps you for timeline.

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Thank you @Freedom & hope you’re healing well and that your surgery will be successful!

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