Many people struggle with neck pain and neck issues following their brain surgery. Important muscles can be cut in surgery, and your body is held in a strange position for an extended time while you are undergoing the procedure. Sometimes, it is just a brief struggle immediately following surgery. Other times, it can be an ongoing battle lasting months or even years. The type of pain and issues can vary based on your surgical approach.

For folks who have a Middle Fossa approach for their AN removal surgery, it is typical to have jaw pain following the procedure. Oftentimes, chewing and opening your jaw can be painful in the time immediately following surgery as well as a few weeks after. The surgical incision impacts that jaw muscle. Be prepared for smaller and easier to chew foods right after surgery.

If you have the translabyrinthine approach for your surgery, the incision impacts the muscle on the side of the neck more than the jaw. You can experience pain and tightness on the surgical side for quite some time. Your range of motion for turning your neck may be impacted, especially in the short term.

People who choose the retrosigmoid approach have an incision more to the back of the head. This can cause neck pain and headache pain that radiates from the back of the head. I have also often heard that the position for that surgery leaves a lot of folks in pretty severe neck pain immediately following the surgery.

While all these pain situations don’t sound the most fun, there are many things you can do to alleviate the pain. When I got home from surgery, I appreciated a warm rice sock or heating pad down by my shoulder. Once my incisions were well healed, I personally found massage and chiropractors extremely helpful for dealing with my neck pain after my translab surgery. A good pillow can make a huge difference also. I found I really had to experiment to find one that helped me – the best options I have found are the shredded memory foam style or tempur pedic brand. Stretches like yoga and aids like yoga balls to assist with lengthening the muscle were also very beneficial. Other folks have shared stories of accupressure and accupuncture helping them. There are also a variety of medication options, depending on the location and cause of the pain.

If you are preparing for an upcoming surgery, I would plan on some neck pain for the short term immediately following surgery. Some folks will have a more ongoing pain problem, but not all. With luck, if you have a more lasting neck pain issue, you are able to experiment and find tools to help make yourself comfortable. I eventually solved my neck pain and tightness by becoming pregnant twentyish months after surgery. I found the hormones to relax the joints helped my neck muscles relax and lengthen, and the problem never returned. Hopefully, you can similarly leave neck pain in your past.