can you suggest any relief from severe pain in the neck and shoulders.. I suffer from arthritus in my joints but the pain on my neck and head is extreme and i feel so tired with it..

Dr. Joshua’s Answer:

Have you been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or degenerative arthritis? I would guess the latter, but there is not much information for me here. Are you on any pain medication currently for the arthritis? The treatment for? degenerative arthritis (as well as for? rheumatoid arthritis) is usually started with an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen. e.g. 400-800 mg three times daily. Care must be taken to protect the stomach if on prolonged treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs. Corticosteroids and chemotherapy (metotrexate) and other specialized rheumatoid arthritis treatments require evaluation by a specialist doctor.?

Pain in the neck and shoulders should be diagnosed before commencing treatment. One possibility, if you are over 50, is polymyalgia rheumatica, which is dramatically relieved by corticosteroid treatment. Talk to your doctor, have ESR measured. Clinical examination is needed. If polymyalgia rheumatica is diagnosed, corticosteroid treatment is very effective.

Talk to your physician. I cannot make any specific recommendations as I do not have enough information about you.