# Chronic muscle tension



## stillhaventfound (Jan 19, 2012)

I wasn't sure what forum to put this question in, or if I should even ask here at all since my DP/DR has gotten much better...but I wondered if anyone else has had experience with chronic muscle tension. My whole head (especially the back), neck, and shoulders are extremely tense all the time. I've been on maximum strength muscle relaxants, which did nothing, and saw a massage therapist, who told me she suspected an underlying health issue and to see my doctor again. My doctor thinks it's most likely stress--but I don't know, I'm not very anxious or worried so this isn't making much sense to me. I got my MRI and EEG results back today and they were normal...still awaiting bloodwork results. I'm not sure how accurate they'll be, since I wasn't supposed to eat anything past midnight, but forgot and ate something at 1?

Anyway I've tried everything else: yoga, stretching, deep breathing, exercise, changing my posture, getting better sleep, etc. Nothing really changes. This has been going on for seven months straight, every second. Never had a problem with muscle tension before, and I've had much worse stress. Like, I'm not dissociated from my emotions at all, but I'm just not that depressed or anxious anymore. I still have issues I need to sort out, but the worst has passed and I'm okay.

so...should I stick with my doctor's opinion that this is just a sign of emotional issues, and if they were resolved this would go away? I've been having visual disturbances too (spots/flashes/swells of colored light, usually when I'm tired) and I've had Raynaud's for a few years. Neither of these things bother me but I'm wondering if they could be connected to this. I have horrible head pressure but I'm guessing that's just from the tension.

and do you think seeing a chiropractor or physical therapist would help?

thanks.


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## saken (Nov 2, 2011)

stillhaventfound said:


> I wasn't sure what forum to put this question in, or if I should even ask here at all since my DP/DR has gotten much better...but I wondered if anyone else has had experience with chronic muscle tension. My whole head (especially the back), neck, and shoulders are extremely tense all the time. I've been on maximum strength muscle relaxants, which did nothing, and saw a massage therapist, who told me she suspected an underlying health issue and to see my doctor again. My doctor thinks it's most likely stress--but I don't know, I'm not very anxious or worried so this isn't making much sense to me. I got my MRI and EEG results back today and they were normal...still awaiting bloodwork results. I'm not sure how accurate they'll be, since I wasn't supposed to eat anything past midnight, but forgot and ate something at 1?
> 
> Anyway I've tried everything else: yoga, stretching, deep breathing, exercise, changing my posture, getting better sleep, etc. Nothing really changes. This has been going on for seven months straight, every second. Never had a problem with muscle tension before, and I've had much worse stress. Like, I'm not dissociated from my emotions at all, but I'm just not that depressed or anxious anymore. I still have issues I need to sort out, but the worst has passed and I'm okay.
> 
> ...


Feel the exact same thing. Escpecially in shoulders and neck area.. Dunno tried everything wont go away 100%. Can feel my jaws and face being tense too. Maybe i bite when i sleep and its causing this i dont know.


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

I too have spasm/tightness in neck and upper back. Also in calves.

These and many visual symptoms have improved greatly with dopamine increasing meds ... Sinemet being the best.

There is research about Raynaud's and low dopamine. For example: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3425974

You could ask your doctors to try an anticholinergic or a low dose trial of Sinemet. Both of these relieve muscle. And you should know quickly if these work - hours or a few days. Sometimes doctors will use response to meds as a diagnostic tool. And both of these are mild in comparison to many prescription medicines. If they are reluctant, ask for just 7 days worth.

Please describe your current DP/DR symptoms ... particularly visual ones. Otherwise, hope you find solutions...


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## saken (Nov 2, 2011)

Visual said:


> I too have spasm/tightness in neck and upper back. Also in calves.
> 
> These and many visual symptoms have improved greatly with dopamine increasing meds ... Sinemet being the best.
> 
> ...


Right now I have something like depression, floaters and bright spots when looking on white surface but thats normal ive found out.

I only feel DR during the day, and i have alot of OCD thoughts. Like the sky is a painting and i have problem understanding that there is a universe, the thought makes me feel scared and panicy. It actually feels like my awareness stretches 10 meters around me and everything behind that is black or it doesnt exist. Its weird.

Sometimes i have muscle spasm in my face and eyes, and my heels hurt as hell while im sleeping.

Waiting for doctor but they are making an eval if im an alcoholic or not.

Im way better than 4 months ago but still "cured".

I got this from panic attack on weed btw. There you have it


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## lil P nut (May 7, 2011)

I think this is probably what alot of dp is caused by. I think because we are resisting something mentally, something in our neck/jaw clenches up unconciously alot of the time causing us to be tensed up. I chew gum alot and it relives it somewhat .


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## stillhaventfound (Jan 19, 2012)

Visual said:


> I too have spasm/tightness in neck and upper back. Also in calves.
> 
> These and many visual symptoms have improved greatly with dopamine increasing meds ... Sinemet being the best.
> 
> ...


Right now my actual feelings of dp/dr aren't bad. It's much better than it was a couple months ago--one day I just snapped out of it. Like, everything--the lack of energy, brain fog, dp/dr, extreme stress. There were still vague, lingering feelings of depression and social anxiety in the back of my mind but overall I felt ridiculously happy and calm. It was really weird because it had been a completely awful day and there was no reason why I should suddenly feel so great. Everything came flooding back the next day, but again, infinitely more bearable than it had been. I still feel uneasy about myself at times, like my selfhood has been messed up somehow...but I feel like that would go away easily if I just had enough energy to make changes in my life. Right not I'm not really experiencing any derealization at all.
as for visual symptoms, the two gifs on this website are exactly what I've been seeing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucinogen_persisting_perception_disorder
and then if I'm really tired I start seeing this swelling green light...it's like a ton of neon green glitter falling from the top of my vision to the bottom, and then it dissolves and starts over again. this started happening during my EEG but apparently there were no abnormal brain waves. I've seen blue and yellow spots maybe a dozen times but it hasn't happened in at least a month.
When I got a massage the person asked me if I'd been having any vision problems, because apparently this is common if the back of your scalp is tense? I didn't explain to her what my problems were exactly but it seems weird that muscle tension would cause these.

thanks for the advice.


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