Hey Kattoo,
Good question, don't know how you would decipher nerve pain, surgical pain, muscle pain, or arthritis from the spine area. I would guess that an MRI, CT scan, or an X-ray would be the only way to confirm arthritis in the spine region. I have severe OA (osteoarthritis) throughout my body and I can only
tell you how it feels in my hands, feet, and other comnnecting joints.
Take care,
Ranger

I have osteoarthritis throughout my body and also cervical stenosis, in my experience of 27ish years of arthritis, both cause nerve pain, swelling and burning sensation.

I really hope you can get some good pain management

Take care
Liz

Well-It feels stiff,sore and achy.It spasms..but that might be from what I'm doing with my jaw to try to control,or change the pain that I feel.It creaks and crunches whenever I turn my head.Whenever I look in one direction for a few minutes,say I'm looking at a person talking,or watching TV,it stiffens up and hurts again all over.It's as if I'm constantly needing to grease a rusty bike part to keep it running smoothly,and if I don't use/move it constantly it stiffens up.On the other hand,it gets tired and sore/achy from moving it all the time..like my head is too heavy to hold up.

That's the best that I can explain how my OA and arthritis feels.I don't get any burning pain,or at least that is not how I would describe my pain.

cervical arthritis is the reason I dont want surgery...

How did surgery go for you katto? Im woried that surgery will just make my arthritis worse in my neck I really dont know what to do from here on. Did you see an osteoarthritis doc?

What does it feel like? Good question. I doubt you will be able to get a meaningful explanation as everybody is different, and there are so many physical problems that have a bearing on it. You'll probably never know.

I have found that mine is of 3 types.

Occipital neuralgia, which for me is a dull, constant pain at the skull base, and nothing will shift it until it decides to go.

General head and neck achy feeling, feel 'off'.

Inability to turn neck to sides, pain lower left or right of skull. This is muscular, from shoulders. Aggravated by the way I hold my neck, shoulder use, posture.
So I suppose mine is just a constant achy feeling over the head and neck, also into the shouders a bit.

I rarely come in this section, so I forgot I posted this thread! lol anyways..thanks foryour answers. Here are mine:

Ranger - I hope you feel better and take care as well.

Liz - My nerve pain is now mainly in my hand and fingers..and it is still very uncomfortable. Before surgery, it was very bad in my left shoulder blade, all the way my left arm, hand and fingers. Now I get it randomly in the other spots.

I used to have some burning in the back of my neck, but that went away, too. Now it is more of the post-operative pain in the back of my neck, which is hard to describe. Closest thing I can relate it to, is a neck sprain. I also have those stiff, achy spasms, robin described. What have you done to help with your arthritis?

Robin - Shortly after my accident I felt like I couldn't hold my head up. I was also diagnosed with a cervical sprain at that point, so maybe that was it. But like I said above, I can also relate to those other sensations. I also have very limited neck movement. I guess that has to do with post surgery and my cervical arthritis.

JKED302 - In total, I have seen 1 ER doc, 3 orthopedic surgeons, 1 neurosurgeon, 1 PM, and my PCP. Currently, I am under the care of just my neurosurgeon, physical therapist and I will be seeing my PM on Thursday. What have dosc said about you needing surgery?

Peter B - My stiffness extends from my neck, to the base all the way to where it meets my shoulders.

Have any of you tried p.t. for your arthritis??

I was also rear ended in 2004 and have suffered everyday since. I hope you have a good attorney, because I chose not to sue and I really regret making that decision.

I have arthritis in my neck and especially my left shoulder. Everyday I wake up and feel like I slept wrong and have a stiff, sore neck 24/7. The accident also messed up my lower back. I have herniations in my neck, bulging discs at L2-L3 and DDD in my back. Two neuros and 1 ortho surgeon told me I'm not a candidate for sugery at this time.

I have tried everything under the sun to help with the pain, meds, PT, accupunture, aqua therapy, tens unit, manipulation, yada yada. I just have to face the fact that I'm broken and the old me is gone forever. Don't mean to harp about stuff.....usually I try to make the most of my life and move on, but I had a bad day at work today and that always adds into the mix.

Anyway, back to your question, my pain is achey, stiff muscular pain. I really feel it today because of the rain we're having in Ohio.

Good luck to you......you've had major surgery and it's going to take time to recover.

up that info., starshine. thank you. i always type up tons of questions before my doctor appointments i've learned to do it that way, because i always remember something i wanted to ask after i already leave!

maddysmom..you bet i hired an attorney..he's been practicing for over 30 years and is one of the best in his field. what made you decide not to sue? what reason were you given for not being a surgery candidate. wow...you've been dealing with this for 5 years? good luck to you, too and i hope you find some relief!

kattoo 13, I have had great success in treating the stiff neck muscles.
Remedial massage is the one to use. She found knots in my shoulder blade muscles. These were tight and contracted, and so were making the neck muscles tight too.
She works on these knots, stretches the muscles, and the neack and head pain go.
I'm having weekly sessions at the moment.
I strongly suggest that you give it a try. Must be remedial, though. In this they try to find the exact muscle that is the root cause.

I have facet joint arthropy(arthritis) and it's natural to have arthritis as it's the spine's way of causing inflammation to protect the spinal cord. I had facet joint injections that have helped my back pain as well as take flexeril for the muscle spasms caused by arthritis. I describe it as the deep aching and crackling. Muscle spasms could be from arthritis as your always guarding your neck with your shoulders so there's always tension caused by the spine. I have arthritis in my neck and getsometimes a terrible spasm so naturally I tense up then comes the muscle spasms from the guarding. Yours may be moreso from the surgery right now and may lessen in time for you. I had relief with gentle PT but I haven't had surgery. I hope it lessens as your healing from your surgery. Take care. Charry

Im going for facet joint injections on june 16th

Starshine I need to learn about medial branch block and/or ablation...a.s.a.p

From my injury in the accident. My neck became worse. The injury started the DDD and arthritis. The doc said I would have gotten it when I was in my late 50's or 60's but due to two herniated disks from the accident everything else came on and that's why by the time they did operate I have permanent nerve damage and doc told me he scraped out a lot of arthritis and felt bad because I am young. Told me it went well but I will need PT to regain strength and hopefully nerve function.

Cin

My opinion is that arthritic pain is more of a burning pain, while nerve pain is more of an aching, searing pain that shoots to specific areas. I have spondylosis in my lower back and when bending I feel a burning pain compared to my neck and upper back, where it's a constant aching, searing, pulling pain. Also, the arthritic pain usually is only in the place where it is, while the nerve pain shoots to different areas like arms and back of legs.

I also think the crunching sound is more from arthritis. My doctor said probably from tight ligaments, but I can feel the grating when moving my neck, like bone on bone. Yucky feeling and sound.

I agree with the last post. My neck gets a sort of pressure feeling-if it was a light it would be glowing softly.
This is probably the inflammation which comes in to protect the joints.
The inflammation swells the area, putting pressure on the surrounding muscles, which then complain by being painful.And that is where almost all of my pain comes from.
Had a constant neck ache for 2 days and 3 nights this week. After my massage yesterday it's all but gone.
So that proves to me that it is muscular pain, no doubt caused or at least aggravated by the arthritis.
I'm going to force myself to rest today to give the muscles a chance to recover.
I usually jump in to catch up and undo all of the good that the massage has done.
All I see now are things that need doing!!!

I don't know how he scraped it out. He told me during the surgery he had to get a lot of it out??? I'll ask him when I see him again. He said I had a lot for a young person. He also told my family that when he went out to tell them that everything went well. I don't feel any better so I really don't know??? I do hope as time goes by, I feel better but I can't sit too long and I'm not getting the rest I need. I try but it's hard with three kids and a dog.

Cindy

Well, I still don't really know.
The constant dull lower skull/ neck ache that I thought was the arthritis pain has also proven to be muscular in cause-this time the central back muscles.
So it has turned out that ALL of my neck, head and shoulder pain has been from my muscles-just as the pain Dr. predicted.
Feels like it is coming from the neck joints and bones, but after my massage it goes away completely. Of course it comes back as I do stuff, but it has shown me where the problem lies.

"crunching" sounds?