Cervical Spondylosis 'Delayed' Symptoms. How C/S Symptoms manifest themselves.

[McFly1]

Just a quick update and some thoughts.

"Damaging my neck as I sleep". I see what you are saying there - that the pain / muscle tension is not in fact the damage but rather a reaction to it. And that certainly seems logical. Perhaps I am in some way damaging the neck as I sleep, and then the protective measures kick in to give me the morning headache and muscle spasms? As a long-time insomniac I have had some nights where I'm awake till 4 or 5am - watching TV or just bored - and the neck remains fine. On other nights, I wake after just 1.5 hours asleep to find that the headache and bad neck have already kicked in. Hence my recent conversion to finding the most appropriate position that minimises the damage and its reaction.

So far, I'm doing OK. The multi-pillow, half-on-the-side wedge of pillows is doing not bad.

One new ingredient to add into the mix - CAFFEINE. Normally (as an insomniac) I've studiously avoided any caffeine after 12 noon. But recently I found a 1-2-1 correlation between a better sleep and a single Anadin Extra (paracetamol / aspirin / caffeine). If I try it without the caffeine - using the same dosages of the other two - a poorer sleep. So either I'm suffering withdrawal from caffeine, or somehow the caffeine is helping the other 2 to give me a better sleep.


Finally - on the exercise. Interesting point about the delayed reaction. I've got rid of the press-ups as I think they were putting too much strain on. I'm keeping the swimming though as I find it loosens off my shoulder muscles. I'm careful to stick with breast-stroke under water (using goggles) so that there is zero strain on the neck as I do the lengths. I won't be able to swim during December so that will act as my control month to see if things improve or deteriorate.

Keep on experimenting!