Look, man. You’ve been given more than one solid piece of advice here. If you want to take it, great; if not, that’s on you. I’ve been dealing with back issues for over eight years now, so I know the drill. That’s why I shared that with you. You aren't going to fix a spinal injury with one quick trip to the doctor or some miracle cure. Those don't exist. You just learn to live with it. You can only make life a little easier by using the methods we talked about. It's up to you whether you do.
First off, you really need to sort out that nurse. You aren't the first person I've met who had her nitpicking over every little thing—they had some serious issues with her too. Once you get her handled, you'll be halfway there. They actually ran those same tests on me when my neck started acting up. Honestly, looking at your posts, you seem pretty anxious. I think I've already given you all the advice I have. Post is for nimblemoose2
What I’m trying to get at is that stress just makes that neck injury feel so much worse. It causes all those muscles to tighten up, which just cranks the pain up a notch. If you could find a way to relax, you'd definitely feel some relief. You probably won't ever totally get rid of it, but if you can dial it down, it'll be way easier to get through your day. Just stick to whatever exercises actually make you feel better. Don't go overboard all at once—just do a little bit every day. That was my experience; decompression really did the trick for me. Honestly, since you had those impacts, you should probably get some scans done to make sure things aren't messed up. Either way, finding a way to unwind, whether it's through exercise or something else, will help your neck function more normally.
Everyone handles life's curveballs differently. I lost my mom really early on, and it was just me, my sister, and my old man—who, before she passed, drank everything away until we were left with nothing. I won't even get into the details of how hard that was. I've lived through the highs and the absolute lows, so I totally get where you're coming from. Everyone here is telling you to just relax because there are plenty of things you just can't control. You'll only make things worse by fighting them. You have to accept that some things are out of your hands and life just keeps moving whether you're ready or not. Also, you mentioned those thyroid issues—that can definitely spike your anxiety levels. It causes your neck muscles to tighten up, which puts pressure on your veins. Then, when you finally sit down to rest, all those muscles and vessels in your neck just start twitching. My family always asks me why I'm doing that, but I'm not! It just twitches on its own. If you ever took a hard hit to the head, that could have made your neck problems even worse too. As for splitting wood, you're 100% wrong there. I don't know why, but nothing works better for the neck. At least for me, and I've got three messed up discs and damaged nerve roots.
Petra explained it perfectly. You’ve got to set some realistic priorities in life and actually stick to them, otherwise, the stress from chasing impossible goals will absolutely wreck your health. That neck issue you're having is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what stress can do to your body—everything from blood sugar spikes to heart and vascular problems. Ps. Honestly, chopping wood works wonders for neck pain. It beats any gym workout or physical therapy session I've ever tried.
Like I mentioned before, it’s not your nerves tightening up—it's actually your muscles and tendons. Stress just makes those neck muscles knot up even tighter. Honestly, sitting around all day is probably the absolute worst thing you can do for your neck. And look, you aren't the only one dealing with a stressful life; plenty of people are feeling the grind, myself included. But that isn't an excuse to not take a little breather every now and then. You've got to just tune out the world for maybe half an hour. For me, just going for a 5-3.7 miles minute walk every day worked wonders for my neck. I'd suggest seeing a physical therapist or a neurologist to get some tests done so you know exactly what's going on, then you can start some specific exercises. I was in such bad shape once that I could barely use either of my hands because of my cervical spine. Decompression really helped me get back on track. You definitely haven't hit the level of pain I was dealing with, at least not yet. You just need to move more. Just be careful, though, because hitting the gym with bad form can actually make things way worse. This won't be a quick fix, either. It's going to take some time.
That sounds like your neck issues acting up again. I’ve been dealing with similar symptoms for quite a while now. That twitching feeling in your neck? It's just muscle tension. If you keep pushing yourself too hard, it’s only going to get worse—stress tends to make those neck muscles tighten up even more. You should look into some therapy, see a neurologist, or find a physical therapist. Honestly, try to shake off the stress, get moving more, and avoid sitting or standing for too long.