Research Presentation Confirms Migraine and Neck Pain

I get neck pain on my right optical nerve - normally the day before a big mig - and if you press behind my right ear I can go threw the roof with pain - does anyone else get neck pain?
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Many Migraineurs have accompanying neck pain during a Migraine attack. For some, neck pain occurs more frequently than nausea. As common as neck pain is for so many Migraineurs, treatment of our attacks is delayed when we discuss the neck pain that's associated with our Migraines.

During the American Headache Society's 53rd Annual Scientific Meeting in June, Teri and I attended many sessions on various scientific topics including a poster presentation devoted to neck muscles and Migraine. This poster detailed what role neck muscles play in Migraine frequency and treatment.

For the study, F.K. Cantor from the National Institute of Neurologic Diseases and Stroke in Bethesda, Maryland, used the unrecognized records of 18 patients' (17 female and one male) who had repeated Migraine and neck pain.

1. Six patients had acute ipsilateral (one sided) neck pain during a Migraine attack.
   
   11 patients reported coincident deterioration of an unconnected chronic neck muscle issue and Migraine severity.
   
   Seven patients with compressed ipsilateral neck muscles had a stronger Migraine or were able to reproduce Migraine symptoms. One patient also had nausea, dizziness and aura along with the sternocleidomastoid muscle (muscle on side of your neck) compression.
   
   Trigger point injections and/or physical therapy helped 14 out of the 17 patients who were treated.
   
   Three out of six of the patients who had neck pain as a symptom of their attack had immediate relief with the use of triptans or beta-blockers.
   
   15 patients using different medications (13 used triptans, one used propranolol and one used Topamax) had various degrees of relief with these medications

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http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/c/202/142608/presentation-neck

Hi Tee,

I agree, and in fact my ongoing neck problems can be a trigger for my migraines. Also been told by my GP that when my shoulder and neck is sore that it may well be the start of the migraine, and to consider taking my triptan at this stage to see if this stops further HM symptoms.

Oh That's interesting - funny enough I had a bad neck pain today and took a Triptan - first time I have done that - and the neck pain has gone

I, too, have neck pain, but it will hurt sometimes without causing a migraine. I was in a car wreck about 15 years ago, and I pulled the muscles in my neck. It wasn't anything major, but now the muscles tend to knot up and get tense if stressed at all. Then, that tension will cause a tension headache, which can trigger a migraine. I don't take triptans at the first sign of neck pain, but I will try to stretch my neck, prop my head up on a pillow, or take a muscle relaxer to ward off the possible migraine. Neuromuscular massage also helps get rid of the knots.