Jetsetter79
New Member
I was commuting about 2 weeks ago. During descent right around the 10,000' ding, I felt pain so bad in the back of my neck and back of my head that I could not move my head and it was painful just to keep my head up. I thought I was having a muscle spasm and it felt like the muscles were contracting. It also felt like I was pulling 7+ G's and I couldn't move my neck, but unlike pulling G's, this was associated with sharp pain. It went away just before landing.
After a 2 week vacation, I commuted to work. On the descent, just before the 10,000' ding, the pain hit out of nowhere. It lasted for a couple minutes. Again, I felt like the aircraft was pulling positive G's. I immediately tried massaging my neck and doing whatever I could to avoid screaming/crying while sitting there in my uniform. It was truly one of the most painful things I have ever encountered. Again, it felt like some kind of muscle spasm, but it traveled up the back of my neck to the back of my head and i felt tightness in my throat. Instantly I felt a headache. But my forehead felt fine. 5 minutes later, it went away instantly. So I thought, okay, must be stress or something. I did some searching and I thought it was related to my tight collar constricting the carotid artery. I don't know if this is accurate, just one theory I have.
So I went to work and made the following observations:
Leg 1: Cruised at 32,000 feet. During descent around 14,000 feet and a cabin altitude of 1,300 feet, it hit me instantly. The cabin rate was 300 fpm. Aircraft was doing about -1200 fpm. I went straight to massaging my neck hoping that would help. My neck instantly tightened up. It went away going through 6,000 feet and a cabin altitude of 1,000 feet.
Leg 2: Cruised at 31,000 feet. During descent at 13,000 feet, I felt it again. Same thing, it felt like I was in a centrifuge pulling a bunch of positive G's because my neck was so heavy and stiff it was nearly impossible to turn my head. I just pushed through it knowing it'll be better soon. It got better around 6,000 feet.
Leg 3: Cruised at only 19,000 feet but the cabin altitude never exceeded 1,000 feet. No pain on descent.
I decided to call out sick until I figure out what to do next.
What I know:
- Its not aircraft specific. It's happened on multiple aircraft types
- It happens on descent only when the aircraft goes to the upper flight levels.
- I am relatively healthy, in my upper 20's, and not sick with any cold or anything like that
- No pain in the climb.
I've done online research but I cannot seem to figure this out. I'm not even sure what kind of doctor to see. Thanks
After a 2 week vacation, I commuted to work. On the descent, just before the 10,000' ding, the pain hit out of nowhere. It lasted for a couple minutes. Again, I felt like the aircraft was pulling positive G's. I immediately tried massaging my neck and doing whatever I could to avoid screaming/crying while sitting there in my uniform. It was truly one of the most painful things I have ever encountered. Again, it felt like some kind of muscle spasm, but it traveled up the back of my neck to the back of my head and i felt tightness in my throat. Instantly I felt a headache. But my forehead felt fine. 5 minutes later, it went away instantly. So I thought, okay, must be stress or something. I did some searching and I thought it was related to my tight collar constricting the carotid artery. I don't know if this is accurate, just one theory I have.
So I went to work and made the following observations:
Leg 1: Cruised at 32,000 feet. During descent around 14,000 feet and a cabin altitude of 1,300 feet, it hit me instantly. The cabin rate was 300 fpm. Aircraft was doing about -1200 fpm. I went straight to massaging my neck hoping that would help. My neck instantly tightened up. It went away going through 6,000 feet and a cabin altitude of 1,000 feet.
Leg 2: Cruised at 31,000 feet. During descent at 13,000 feet, I felt it again. Same thing, it felt like I was in a centrifuge pulling a bunch of positive G's because my neck was so heavy and stiff it was nearly impossible to turn my head. I just pushed through it knowing it'll be better soon. It got better around 6,000 feet.
Leg 3: Cruised at only 19,000 feet but the cabin altitude never exceeded 1,000 feet. No pain on descent.
I decided to call out sick until I figure out what to do next.
What I know:
- Its not aircraft specific. It's happened on multiple aircraft types
- It happens on descent only when the aircraft goes to the upper flight levels.
- I am relatively healthy, in my upper 20's, and not sick with any cold or anything like that
- No pain in the climb.
I've done online research but I cannot seem to figure this out. I'm not even sure what kind of doctor to see. Thanks
