Does anyone have issues with near constant neck and shoulder pain. I have been having issues with this off an on but the last few days have been just terrible. I have been in tears at work and nothing helps the head aches are bad enough but now the entire back of my neck and shoulders hurts to the point where I cant carry my bag into work. I can barely shower or get dressed. I have to talk myself into going to work because I am a single parent. I want to cry out of pain and frustration.
Sorry you're havng that terrible pain. It must be really hard.
Neck and shoulder pain is very common with Chiari, as are headaches. I know pain meds aren't very reliable with Chari pain. Try to do things that relieve tension in muscles. Try heat or cold packs. They won't fix your problem,, but they should relieve the pain. Have you spoken to a doctor about your symptoms?
Hi there. I have constant neck pain. I'm down to working only half days. I take ton of ibuprofen and acetaminophen, as well as Norco and Lorazepam. I use a neck heating pad, which sometimes helps. I've had symptoms for over a year now, and they are getting worse. I was diagnosed with CM only recently, and have only just begun to try and understand what I'm dealing with. One of the hardest parts is feeling so alone with this. The constant pain and the inability to be the kind of mom I want to be is crushing. I feel like I'm going crazy and nobody gets it.
I just wanted to reach out to you and tell you you're not alone in this. I wish I had more to offer you for relief, but all I can offer is empathy and friendship from someone who understands. Hang in there, my friend.
Cheers!
Coastirish
Goodness, it does seem that neck and shoulder pain go hand in hand with Chiari. Everyone's pain can have a blend of a variety of different sources. It is important to tease out what is going on and address what are concerns for you.
The accessory nerve can be compromised by brainstem herniation. It is a nerve that works the trapezius muscle. Look up a visual. It is an important muscle in the neck and shoulder region as it attaches to the shoulder blade and spine and works as a stabilizer and a mover.
Trigger point release for the trapezius and levator scalula Look it up online for location and technique or get the TriggerPoint Therapy Work Book which is an excellent resource for a person to try.
Upper Trapezius motor control - need to find a physical therapist who understands and can treat using motor control principles. This is not your average therapy
Chiari has a wonderful way of confusing the brain so much that it does not always know where the head and shoulder are in space. Your brain then gets conflicting messages about what is happening and processes this conflict as pain.
Sensoriperception and body awareness become important - again a physical therapist knowledgeable in this area
Neuro-orthopedic Institute has excellent resources on pain and what to do about it. Books are available and are on-line exercises to help with that crazy thing called central sensitization (pain that makes no sense, does not go away, and does not respond to drugs)
Neck and shoulder has a whole or just parts may not be moving properly, out of sequence, not enough, too much, tight muscles, lax muscles... Our bodies move differently when in pain which can then become habit.
Motor control exercises and targeted strength, stretch, trigger release - rotator cuff muscles are often problematic
Deconditioning - do more (easier said than done with CHiari but a walking programme can be beneficial)
Posture - strength, stretch and relearn to move
As you can see, solutions require effort to achieve success. Guidance from a physical therapist vital to be on the right track or lots of reading and synthesizing on the Chiarians part.
Unfortunately, I have yet to hear of someone who has successfully dealt with chronic neck and shoulder pain using pain medication. Sometimes it seems that medication is all that is offered by the medical professions. When it does not work we tend to get painted with the mental health brush. It is important to know that there are alternatives. It is just hard to find people who are knowledgeable enough to help and who are not just out to take our money and to waste our time.
Good luck in finding resources and people to help fix your individual concerns
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Lidocane patches for your neck help ease some of the pain might help with your meds
Thank you for the suggestion! 
Yes!! I have horrible neck and shoulder pain, thats how thia whole journey started 
heat, ice, muscle relaxant, tens unit help some
Yes! I had major shoulder and neck pain before my surgery. My doctor assumed it was a torn rotater cuff pinched nerve or something that wasn’t contributed to Chiari. I took shots and everything nothing helped until I had my decompression. Now I am pain free.
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I had terrible neck and shoulder pain pre-op and even just seven weeks after surgery, I’d say it’s 95% relieved. Pre-surgery, I did myofascial release therapy every 2 weeks, used a home tens, and did PT to keep the symptoms at bay. No medication ever really helped, even the stronger muscle relaxers. For me, the pain through my upper back was nearly as powerful as the headache pain, as far as Chiari symptoms went.
I am having the shoulder pain n I found a spot where the pain is worse n I push on that spot n do deep massage. It does lessen the pain sometimes. I make sure I keep using my shoulder n arm. The pain is now going into the wrist and hand area. Come on surgery date.
The tens unit did seem to help me some but getting Medicaid to cover it was a loosing battle! Luckly my mom had one!