HomeAnswersOtolaryngology (E.N.T)neck spasmDoes my poor posture cause irritation in the neck?

Does poor posture cause irritation in the neck?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At November 6, 2015
Reviewed AtJune 30, 2023

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I am suffering from irritation on the back of my neck. Sometimes, it extends up to the throat. But, I do not have any problem in speaking or swallowing. Please help.

Hi,Welcome to icliniq.comI understand that you have some irritation at the back of your neck that extends to your throat sometimes. However, there is no difficulty in swallowing or speaking. The details provided by you are not sufficient enough to make a decisive diagnosis. Please get me the following details.

What is your age, weight, and height? What is the duration of your symptom? Is there any associated pain? Do you have any aggravating or relieving factor of irritation? Do you have any fever/headache/nose block/running nose/breathing trouble/throat mucus/cough? Is there any swelling or lump swelling or lump that you can see or feel? How is your appetite? Any feeling of something stuck down the throat/foreign body sensation/globus feeling? Any mouth ulcer or burning sensation in the mouth? Currently, are you under any regular medication? Did you experience any change in irritation with the position?

As a first step, I would suggest you take a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory tablets. Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Acid (dosage based on age and weight) and trypsin-chymotrypsin combination can work if it is an infective origin for the irritation. If the same does not resolve, then we have to think of other causes.

Malignancy can be a reason which may often be accompanied by loss of weight and appetite. Pain also will frequently present in such a case. Any problem with the vertebra, like TB, spondylolisthesis, etc., can also present similar symptom with minute variation along with additional symptoms. For diagnosing the same we require to do an MRI scan of the neck.

Kindly give all the details as I have listed. I suggest you go ahead with a course of antibiotics and see if there is a resolution of symptoms.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I am 38 years old. My weight is 165.34 pounds and height is 5.74 feet. The irritation started before two days, and sometimes it extends towards the back of both shoulders and sometime towards the chest. There is no throat mucus found. I do not have headache, nose block, running nose or fever. Occasionally, light pain extends towards the head from the back of the neck. There is no cough or breathing trouble and no swelling. I did not experience any weight loss or appetite. There is no mouth ulcer or burns. I do smoke two or three cigars in a week and drink two or three times in a month, but both are not regular. There is no past medical condition and history to explain. I am not under any regular medication.

When supporting the neck with a pillow or sleeping on a heightened pillow, I feel relaxed. The irritation started because I went for a class of two months after a period of 19 years and the classroom had only benches and desks. By sitting on that from morning to evening without any back or neck support the irritation and pain started. Sometimes I feel like something in my throat from the back of the neck. Some positions with neck support give relaxation. As your advice, I started chymotrypsin and Amoxiclav 625 from noon today. When I had taken that it gave me relaxation for up to three or four hours.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I appreciate the frankness with which you communicate and provide details about your problem. With the details you gave I understand that you developed this neck issue after you attended some class. Also, you did not suffer from any of the associated symptoms that I asked you.

Your problem is because of a wrong or difficult posture which you may have maintained during your class hours. Probably, when you look down into the writing material on the desk while seated on the bench and maintained the same posture for a long time. This could have sprained some muscle that is causing the trouble.

However, the way you describe it does not appear like pain also. You have used the term irritation. It does not appear that you suffer from any ear, nose or throat issue. However, small chances that you may be having the globus feeling. But this will make you feel something stuck in the throat which is constantly creating a feeling of foreign body inside the throat or food passage.

Since you have started on the Amoxiclav course continue the same for five days. Morning one tablet and evening one tablet, spread over 12 hours and take the tablet after food. Chymotrypsin tablet should be taken half an hour before food. Complete five days of antibiotic and three days of chymotrypsin.

Try some hot fomentation of the neck in the affected part. Do not move your neck in any jerky fashion and keep a mild pillow. At the same time, I suggest you take an opinion from an orthopedic surgeon (orthopedician). This will help us rule out any neck sprain, spondylosis, muscle spasm etc.

If there is no ortho issue, then I suggest you to go through a couple of neck related investigations that I am writing below. These investigations will help us understand any pathology in the neck.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Shyam Kalyan. N
Dr. Shyam Kalyan. N

Otolaryngology (E.N.T)

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