Common Questions About Arthritis

Is Head and Shoulder Pain Normal for Arthritis?

Question: The pain in my head and shoulder feels as if my glands and neck muscles in my head are strained. Is this normal for arthritis? I never put extra strain on my shoulder or sleep on it, and yet it is always sore.

Answer: Many times patients with arthritis in the neck develop spasms in their neck muscles, which feel like glandular pain. The same thing with your sore shoulder.

I would suggest that you receive some type of bodywork by an excellent and gentle therapist. A good place to start would be with someone who does shiatsu or acupressure massage. Acupuncture would also be very effective. The mind-body exercises in my book, The Pain Cure (Warner Books, 1999), starting with the very first one, would be very useful to reduce the spasms that apparently you are having. Finally, there is one nutrient that might be effective--you need to make sure you have adequate levels of calcium and you may want to take a chelated calcium-magnesium tablet.

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