Localized sweating and vasoconstriction can be a problem, as well as pain in the skull cap area of the head. What SCM TrPs don t often cause is a pain in the neck, although they figuratively become one due to their wide-ranging symptoms. They may cause neck soreness. The feeling of continued movement in a car after you ve stopped, and the feeling of tilted banking as your car turns corners are also caused by SCM TrPs. This is a nighttime sinus stuffiness on one side of the head that moves to whichever side of the head is lower.
Gravity drains the congestion to the lower side.
This moving violation goes along with postnasal drip and a constantly runny nose, and can disrupt already scarce sleep. Because of muscle tightening, normal fluid passages become constricted and fluid backs up in the sinuses. This causes constant postnasal drip all night, although the membranes of the nose may feel very dry and even bleed. This often happens in an area right behind the jaw, under the ear. I can often tell what side patients sleep on most, because that s usually the side with the worst head and neck rigidity.