Please respond if you have a very tender spot on the side of your neck just below the earlobe in the space just behind the angle of the mandible.
Check.Pain present on both sides.
I do.
Mine's okay to touch, but sets pain off afterwards all round that area. Are you thinking about Ernest Syndrome? I googled it yesterday. It could well be some people's problem, but equally if the ES involves calcification of this ligament, or is just causing inflammation in this area, which is quite likely, then we'd probably all have pain there. With the nerve blocks used to diagnose it would they be able to tell if it's Ernest or Eagles aggravating that ligament? Could be worth asking at a consultation!
Jules
Hello,
I have eagle syndrome on both sides. I have had the left side operated on. After the surgery I continues to have pain and a tender spot on the side of my neck where you talk about. I see a therapist weekly to work on relaxing the muscles in my neck to help the muscle from contracting. I also limit my neck usage.....computers, lifting and limit unnecessary talking......additionally I work on my posture and make sure my bra's are not too tight on my shoulders.....additional pressure on my shoulders makes my neck muscles contract and the pain cycle begin.
The therapy approach I use is myokinesthetic system you can look up dr. Mikes work to find a therapist in your area.....
Ann
Yes, for me that's ground zero. I would pass out if that spot were pressed to hard.
Per my recent trip to Mayo, apparently the greater auricular nerve travels up the neck and then splits at the base of the ear, tightly continuing on either side. So it's possible that this nerve is compressed and causing pain at that site.
Hopeful
I wish I could talk a doctor into operating on me while I’m awake just open my neck and I’ll point to the dime size area that stays tender inflamed and tingles every time I breath in.
Yup, cant turn my neck, pain goes down my arm too.
For those of you who have tenderness behind the ear, please research ernest syndrome. The tenderness at the insertion of the stylomandibular ligament at the mandible is the difference between this and eagle syndrome
Not much info available but plz research ernest syndrome.
imunique724 said:
Yup, cant turn my neck, pain goes down my arm too.
The problem is, these really can't be treated as isolated conditions. Especially if they have been going on for years. I had TMJ surgery years ago and that relieved a bit, but I continued to have all the others. I Have had $$$$ spent on physical therapy, injections, medications, mouth guards, blah, blah. Tender points galore, migraines. I had whip lash a couple of times, was punched in the face, was choked out, had chronic infections as a child, strep throat, etc., I also just had surgery for a syndrome called superior canal dehiscence syndrome in 2012 and 2013. I just watched a YOUTUBE video discussing Eagle's, Ernest's, TMJ and and Barre-Lieou. It was short and gave specific differences on pain locations. But, I know they are all connected. Not until I had the SCDS and the Eagle's surgery have I been pain free regarding all the horrible pains I have suffered. That is not to say that some of the pain memory might not return. And other than expected aspects of the scds, I have never felt this good. It is scary. My ENT gave me injections to block the Eagle's pain, they did, so he said that helped verify Eagle's. Have you had any?
I want to add a bit about my history...I too have spent lots of money on unnecessary doctors, drugs, removal of teeth, injections, TMJ doctors which have left me with ostyoprosis and a much more limited life then when I started. After having stelliod surgery on my left side I was still left with limited movement of my neck and limited ability to talk. I was sent to a TMJ doctor and got a very expensive bit plate and did therapy with him along with very very painful injections. It was at this time that I realized my entire neck and shoulder were locked up and if I did not find a way to unlock the area my life would be very limited. I stumbled upon the approach a myo kinesthetic and much to my TMJ doctor's surprise the disks in my jaw relaxed and I no longer needed his expensive services. I now work on nutrition to stop my bones from breaking, I have had 3 broken bones over the last few years, and to help with inflammation in my body. I work on my nervous system to relax it. Correct posture, feeding my muscles good nutrition and water is important to keep my head able to move. I have made great progress, I still have tender points and I can get my self in pain if I choose not to avoid my triggers. When my doctors suggest more surgery, injections or pills I tell them I will think about it but I will no longer stress my body with medications. We are the owners of our bodies, we need to take control of our care weighing our options. What works for one may not work for the other. Understanding how tight muscles trigger pain in nerves was a key to me being able to live a life worth living. I hope more people on this sight will look at the total picture of there health and not just look for a silver bullet of injections, surgery or medication. I have learned when my muscles are fluid, not tight my pain is under control, if my muscles become tight I am in pain. I still use my bit plate, therapy weekly and limit any medication I put in my body.
The therapy approach I use is not physical therapy, tmj therapy, trigger point therapy or massage therapy. And finding a trained therapist who understand how to release the small tight muscles in a neck and jaw is very specialized. I am very thank full that I have found my therapists.
Good luck to you all
Ann
Ann: what kind of exercises/therapy does the myo kinetic therapist do with you? I am interested in any type exercises I could do to help myself. I have been doing some tongue exercises that helps a little…thanks
Hello Kay
If you go on youtube you can see what myokinetic's is. It is not an exercise program but it is a treatment that I have learned to do on my self in my jaw. I still have a therapist work on my neck and back weekly but I do the work myself in between. It works on releasing the small muscles in your body. For some reason my muscles constantly get tight from daily life. If I could manange to figure out why my muscles tighten my pain would lessen.
For my jaw I put a finger on each side where my tmj joint is....while laying down and I open and close my mouth 10 times. That point in my face is usually tight....
Good luck in your research
Ann,
Thanks for your response! I will check it out, Glad you get some relief from the technique. I guess it makes sense to me that exercise and stretching may help if muscles and ligament are part of the issue. Are you taking muscle relaxers? That is what helps me the most. I take Robaxin and my dr just increased my dosing. Take care, and Happy Holidays!! Oops, just retread your note…sounds like meds are not the way to go for you…you have to do what you feel best for you and are comfortable with!!! best wishes!
Hello Kay,
I believe a lot of peoples facial pain has to do with tight muscles.....either they cause inflammation and discomfort or they muscles tighten around nerves or one muscle a shoulder tightens and that tightens the entire side. Since my pain started in the dentist chair I believe stress, keeping my head in a turned and strange position for several hours inflamed my face to start my pain. I believe the eagle syndrome stelliod bone pressed into a nerve as well. If my neck, back and jaw is relaxed and my life is with little stress my discomfort is little. Once I lift anything, use a computer for more than a few minutes or talk too much my pain starts. Someone once told me the pain needs to be peeled back like an onion. I work hard at nutrition and getting my body to digest food better. Working on all aspects of inflammation I believe is the key. I would take drugs if they helped but so far they have caused me to get ostyosprosis and I have broken 3 bones in 2 years.
Enjoy your holiday
Ann
My son had ES on both sides and he never had tender spots behind his ears. He did have pain in the ears though.
Hi! Ear Mom,
My pain is mostly in my teeth but I have had extreme stabbing pain in my ear as well. I found the pain in my teeth or ear or head all comes from the small muscles in the attachment area. Once I learned where those attachment areas are I can feel when they are inflammed and when my pain will start up. The worse area is at the top of my jaw just under my ear, it is a major attachment area and when my therapist works on those tiny muscles my pain stops. For the first 7 years of my pain I could not isolate where those tender muscles were, when they were pointed out by my myo massage therapist I finally understood the connection.
I hope your son is doing well.
Ann
My pain went away with the surgery. All the facial, teeth, ears, throat, chest, head, etc. Even the inflamed and bleeding gums stopped.
I want to warn Eagles patients about what happened to me. I had a very negative outcome from massage. I told the guy about my pain and he thought it came from a tiny muscle buried deep in my neck. I told him about the styloid in there, but he said he didn't feel it. So he did his massage over a couple sessions, and he apparently pushed the remaining part of my styloid into the nerves even deeper and my pain that I considered to be pretty bad increased to being so bad that it was making me scream at times. It took me about 8 months after that until I found a surgeon that was willing to do a revision surgery on me and it was 8 months of what I considered to be horrific pain.