Dry eyes and neck pain/problems

[eva b]

Thought I would start this new thread as a few people had posted on another thread about having neck pain contribute to their dry eye symptoms, and wonder how many of you have the same link.

I've had neck problems for years, long before the eye thing started, and have some age and posture related degeneration in my neck vertebrae.

I have experimented with dozens of different kinds of pillows, and like Lucy found the ones with the ridge the worst!!!

However, I have also found great relief from neck massage - not just to my neck but to the way my eyes feel overall.

There are several accupressure points along the base of the skull (where the back of your head meets your neck) which if pressed firmly are quite tender, but it's a "good" kind of pain, and I find that when I get these massaged it does relieve the overall eye comfort.

Mind you, I am extremely fortunate in that my partner is a also a massage therapist, so I can get this done regularly.

I've never tried cranio-sacral therapy, but can see howit would help - also Indian head massage, shiatsu concentrated on the head/neck area, and also that seated chair massage they do in offices these days with a special cradle you put your head on.

It would be interesting to share experiences.

[Lucy]

Eva, don't forget about how often we "tilt our head back" in order to instill drops. Unless someone has found a way to do it without tilting their head..

I'm going on 9 years of dry eye and I can tell you that it was about 3 years into the ordeal that my neck began to bother me. I told my lasik surgeon I had lasik neck. I was, in the early years, doing drops every 20 minutes. This was every waking hour. I won't bother with the math, but that's a lot of head bobbing. That, plus 9 more years on the body do take a toll.

I think massage on the neck/shoulder/head area is excellent for relieving pain in the area. I'm not sure about helping dry eyes though. But whatever makes us feel better is good.

When I've been very sick with Sjogrens and during radiation, I went for a massage when ever I could. I couldn't even go to the store by myself and getting a massage was the only thing I could do to feel better. Lucy

[eva b]

Eva, don't forget about how often we "tilt our head back" in order to instill drops. Unless someone has found a way to do it without tilting their head..

Lucy

very good point, Lucy, and one which I finally figured out for myself after 2 years....duh...

Also the holding head steady while doing compresses adds to the strain.

So I make sure i wait until I've finished my "fiddling" until I get my neck massaged - I'm so blessed that I have a partner who is able to do this for me before I go to bed...

[Lucy]

Eva, I always lie down/recline for the compresses, even if on a recliner. It helps take the strain off the neck for that.

[Stanza]

I have a dislocated jaw - well - not so bad now I have a great oesteopath. Since being treated neck / shoulder pain that I thought was my bad computer posture has gone away as the problem was the jaw pushed out my top vertebrae as well. As for the eyes - there's been improvement since my treatment on the jaw but I don't know if that's just my tear film healing a little due to having found a better routine with drops etc.

[jannz]

Hi Stanza,

How did you figure out your neck / shoulder pain issue was a 'dislocated jaw' ?? MRI ???

And is your osteopath doing manipulations as corrective therapy ?

I've got similar issues so I'm curious...

Many thanks,
Jann