At the base of my neck I have a large knot that is very painful?

The cause of your symptoms could be many and therefore it needs to be determined. Follow-up with your physician who may order some x-rays. I would then suggest asking for a referral to a physical therapist (PT) who specializes in orthopedics and/or the spine (used the Find a PT feature on the APTA website listed below to find one in your area). Numbness and tingling are often signs of compression of a nerve and therefore that compression would need to be relieved which can be done successfully through physical therapy.

I usually advocate massage but when that doen't work, it usually indicates a problem with the fascial system- that is the connective tissue in the body. That's when you really need myofascial release- aka MFR. Connective tissue wraps around everything in the body incuding nerves, blood vessels and bones. So if the connective tissue gets tight, it can pull all of the above out of place and diminish their function. Trigger point work and chiropractic work are great modalities when used in conjunction with MFR. For more information on MFR visit www.myofascialrelease.com Best of luck to you!

I forgot the proper term for this but most time it's a clogged gland. You can release the pressure by applying a hot wash cloth. If that's doesn't work you should go to a Dr. and have it checked out.

You may be having what they call TOS, thoracic outlet syndrome.

Follow this web link:

http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/thoracic_outlet/index....

Seek your doctor's advice.

Try doing the stretches at the end of the article. Find a massage therapist who is familar with TOS.

Watch your posture, your stress, and do those stretches.

Good luck!

John

If your arm is tingling and going numb it is probably pinching a nerve. If massage hasn't helped I would try seeing a chiropractor along with continued massage. The chiropractor can give you advice about self treatment also such as whether to ice it or apply heat etc.