Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 10/15/2007

Question
I HAVE ALWAYS SUFFERED FROM TENSION HEADACHES BUT THEY JUST LASTED 1 DAY ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO I WAS FOR MANY HRS COMPUTER & I GOT THIS BIG HEADACHE BUT ITS KEPT ON WITH MANY DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS. THE MAIN PAIN IS IN THE BACK OF MY NECK WHERE THE SKULL MEETS THE NECK MY SHOULDERS HURT & IT EXTENDS TO MY FOREHEAD EYES & EARS & JAWS SOMETIMES I GET THIS PRESSURE ON BK OF HEAD I FEEL THE NEED TO KEEP ON CRACKING AND MASSAGING NECK. AT NIGHT AND IN THE MORNING ITS BETTER BUT IT BUILDS UP DURING DAY MY CHIROPRACTOR SAYS I HAVE LOST THE CURVE IN MY NECK AND I AM ALSO SEEING AN OSTEOPATH THEY SAY I HAVE NECK MUSCLE SPASM AND INFLAMMATION BUT CAN THIS LAST FOR A MONTH OR MORE OR COULD ALL THIS BE BECAUSE OF A BRAIN TUMOR ALSO I HAVE HAD MY EYES CHECKED AND THERE IS NO PRESSURE. I AM REALLY WORRIED AND I AM MAKING THESE HEADACHES WORSE BY WORRYING SO MUCH PLEASE HELP

Answer
Your symptoms can indeed be caused by problems in your neck-shoulder region and from your description it seems probable that they are. Such problems may well last for much more than a month. If you are really worried about a brain tumor, which does not seem very probable, you should let a neurologist check you. An MRI scan of your brain can swiftly confirm or exclude any suspicion of any brain tumor. Good luck!