Reply To: Introduce Yourself – no longer in use – Please create a new post if you wish to introduce yourself

[BrianC]

#4531

Hi members.

I have just joined after this week using Dr Google to finally put a name to my neck issues. Cervical Dystonia.

GP’s, physios, sports physiologists, etc had no clue. After raising it with my GP she has referred me to a neurologist …. I took the list of WA based specialists with me that I had found on this site.

I was diagnosed with Familial Tremors, now called Essential Tremors about 30 years ago because of hand and lip tremors, and managed that quite OK with beta blockers.

In 2002 I had a radical neck dissection for a tonsil cancer, which involved removal of lymph glands from the right side of my neck. So all sorts of nerve damage and tightness as a result, but I really had no significant issues until maybe the last 12 months.

My head turns down to the left, and really only became noticeable when driving and finding I had to constantly have one hand on my chin, cheek, forehead, etc to allow me to keep my head up and straight. So constantly driving one handed. Two hands on the wheel almost always results in the head drop and turn, and it is a real fight to get it back up and straight … momentarily. I find that by letting it drop further I can swing back up and around. Walking is becoming more of an issue now too.

I find sometimes that I think “wow I’ve had my head straight for a while”, then it’s like I’ve hit the “on” switch again.

So I see the neurologist in just over a week, and I’m looking through the masses of information out there .. and here.

Has anyone looked into the issue of jaw realignment and CD? I’ve seen a lot of anecdotal stories about apparently successful treatments. It is interesting to me because I did have jaw/mandibular issues in the early 1980’s, predating the start of my essential tremors issues.

Cheers, and thanks for having this forum.

Brian