Question 1

can tight scm muscles causes symptoms such as ear fullness? best ways to avoid/treat tight scms?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Your SCM if irritated and tight can be associated with ear fullness. Much of that has to do with the underlying muscle under the SCM being tight too. If recent injury a trial of NSAID and muscle relaxer can help associated with a warm compress.  If persistent physical therapy should benefit.

Question 2

is it possible to have torticollis without a noticeable head tilt? all of the symptoms except for that one match, and my scm looks bigger on one side.

Accepted Answer

TORTICOLLIS: Is the stiffness of the neck due to improper position .There is a head tilt depending on the severity of the muscle stffness and a  muscle bulge of your scm.

Question 3

are sternocleidomastoid muscle syndrome and tmjd related? does one problem cause a flare up of the other? symptoms of both seem similar.

Accepted Answer

Often related: The muscles of the head and neck area are often involved in temporomandibular joint disorder.
Muscle spasm is a common finding and many different sets of muscles can become tender/spasmotic when the condition flares.
Muscle spasm is the body's mechanism to prevent movement of a painful joint.

Question 4

i have tight sternocleidomastoid muscle, plus scalene and painful tmj joint but normal opening. no neurological symptoms.  could all this be muscle?

Accepted Answer

Yes, muscle spasms: It is difficult to make a suggestion without more history but TMJ can cause muscle spasms, but not usually in the SCM and scalenes.  The SCM muscle may be spastic by the way you sleep or use it and also may be caused by a virus. Try ibuprofen and if not relieved in 2-3 days see a doctor as there may be something under the muscle causing it.

Question 5

is there any relation betwen scm and tongue movment?

Accepted Answer

Scm?: Do you mean the sternocleidomastoid muscle? This is commonly abbreviated as the SCM. If so, it is not involved in tongue movement.

Question 6

how much time can you live with a cut in the sternocleidomastoid?

Accepted Answer

As long as only the-: -SCM muscle is cut and no vascular injury is present, you will have a normal life span. The only thing you will have is SCM dysfunction.

Question 7

my   sternocleidomastoid on the right side of my neck is big than the left it pokes out i can see in the mirror and feels large and hard what happenin?

Accepted Answer

There are a ...: Number of structures in the neck deep to the scm that can cause the muscle to displace laterally and look big and feel hard. Large lymph nodes are most common, also tumors and cysts occur here. Torticollis can affect the muscle as can benign and malignant tumors of the muscle, however these are rare. Suggest you see a physician.

Question 8

on benzo for 1 year and tapered 5 months ago. now i have scm swelling right side and difficulty turning head. head is even. withdrawal or permanent?

Accepted Answer

May be unrelated: What you seem to be describing can be torticollis or maybe tardive dyskinesia (but that typically is different) and it is not usually a side effect from benzo or benzo withdrawal but a completely different class of medication.  I would look into some other reversible causes as this is not typical and should not be permanent.

Question 9

what happens if the sternocleidomastoid muscle were visibly showing?

Accepted Answer

SCM muscle: Usually becomes more visible with loss of neck fat. No adverse consequences.

Question 10

can tense/tight  scm cause dull pain in mastoid process?

Accepted Answer

Yes: If your muscles are tight, it can cause pain at the attachment points.

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Doctor answers about:

Scm symptoms

A member asked:

Can tight scm muscles causes symptoms such as ear fullness? best ways to avoid/treat tight scms?

A member asked:

Is it possible to have torticollis without a noticeable head tilt? all of the symptoms except for that one match, and my scm looks bigger on one side.

A member asked:

Are sternocleidomastoid muscle syndrome and tmjd related? does one problem cause a flare up of the other? symptoms of both seem similar.

A member asked:

I have tight sternocleidomastoid muscle, plus scalene and painful tmj joint but normal opening. no neurological symptoms. could all this be muscle?

A member asked:

Is there any relation betwen scm and tongue movment?

A member asked:

How much time can you live with a cut in the sternocleidomastoid?

A member asked:

My sternocleidomastoid on the right side of my neck is big than the left it pokes out i can see in the mirror and feels large and hard what happenin?

A member asked:

On benzo for 1 year and tapered 5 months ago. now i have scm swelling right side and difficulty turning head. head is even. withdrawal or permanent?

A member asked:

What happens if the sternocleidomastoid muscle were visibly showing?

A member asked:

Can tense/tight scm cause dull pain in mastoid process?

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