Burning pain could be from a pinched nerve, or it might be a muscle issue.

How's your posture when you're sitting? Are you well back in your seat, feet flat on the floor, and your chair pulled in close to the work surface so your head isn't thrust forward?

Yes, adjust the height of your monitor. When you’re looking down, even a little, you are pinching nerves. If you use an iPad in your lap, put a pillow under it. Feel better!

My chiropractor said mine hurts from too much looking down from reading, sewing, iPad , phone etc. if you have arthritis in your spine, that might be a reason also . I have some fusions in my upper neck and they hinge on top vertebra and it gets very sore. Cold packs works best for relief.

If you find that you can rule out all the above, is there a chance that it could be stress? When I was a kid, due to very stressful situations in the home, (alcoholism) I started having horrible burning sensations in my neck and shoulders, just as you say you are having. I was tensing up due to the stress. The space between my neck and shoulder would be rock hard from it. So I know that stress is hard to deal with but if it's the reason maybe some massage techniques, yoga, something that helps relieve stress would help. I've suffered a lot of stress and anxiety all my life and I was told about the supplement Holy Basil, wow, what a lifesaver, especially when my son was diagnosed with cancer. No side effects whatsoever. But it helps you adapt to stressors. I hope you find out the cause and can find something to help because I know how bad it can be.

no stress that I know of, it only happens sitting at the computer. It started a few months ago.

How much time do you spend in front of the computer?

As long as you're not having a heart attack, I'd say it's from putting your arms up on the desk. I preach this constantly but rarely get any agreement. This is why I don't use a laptop but rather a desktop, with a sliding keyboard tray that is low enough not to give me the painful reaction in my shoulders, back and head.

I second Phoggie's recommendation to see a chiropractor. You may have straighten the curve out of your spine in your neck, don't wait too long or it takes more work to repair.

If you want a proper medical diagnosis, see a medical doctor (MD). A specialty to start with is a physiatrist - pronounced "fizz eye a trist". This a a specialty that used to be called physical and rehab medicine - they will do a real diagnosis and address posture, movement, PT, and other non-surgical approaches to treatment.

Chiropractors are trained in and practice nonsense.

I get that when I work on my laptop at the dining room table. I have to move to kitchen counter. I think it is the combination of chair height/table height in the dining room. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/office-ergonomics/art-20046169

If you wear bifocals whilst looking at a PC screen, your head will be pulled back to put your view through the reading part of your glasses. Hours of this can give you a pain in the neck. The solution is to get a pair of reading glasses where the entire lens is set for reading distance. If you are lucky enough to have both eyes about the same, and no astigmatism, an inexpensive pair of reading glasses from a drugstore will do fine.

If glasses is not the issue, then examine posture and location of the screen with relation to your eyes. The center of the screen should be a little lower than your eyes.

I have a large TV as my monitor plus using bifocals. My eyes are about in the middle of ths screen.

Well, I went back to my old monitor and hopefully, that will help the problem

I and my family have had a lot of success with chiropractors, but a good one is hard to find...best to get recommendations. Some can be injurious, others useless.

I had a PT recommend that every so often...maybe once an hour or more...get up from the computer and stand with knees slightly bent. Turn your head left and right slowly twice. Then put your arms straight out in front and interlace your fingers. Swing your arms slowly left and right like a baseball bat twice. Then raise and lower each knee like a high march twice. It takes only a few seconds to do it, but it works to alleviate all the muscle stress from the computer posture...neck, shoulders and low back.

Lacey, I can attest to that, I had a friend that went to multiple physicians in one of the world's largest med centers. None of them could figure out what was wrong they just wanted to put her on pain drugs that she wisely refused to take.

Then she went to a chiropractor that found the problem on the first visit and was able to relieve all of her pain in two weeks of adjustments.

All the money and time she spent with the M.D.s was a waste and it's inexcusable that none of them found the problem that was clearly visible on an x-ray. Just shows how western medicine doesn't have all the answers and for many, any of the answers.

Some back problems can be difficult to diagnose. That aside, chiropractors are trained in mumbo jumbo and hocus pocus, not real science-based medicine, and are prohibited BY LAW from performing many steps that are common for health care providers to use. Ever wonder about all the things they "don't believe in"? It's all the things they're not allowed to do.

I'm glad your friend is feeling better all the same.

What world famous medical center did she go to where an x-ray was misread? Imagine how much more training an MD radiologist has than a chiropractor. That a chiropractor said he found something that was missed is possible but not very likely.

As usual Elmer, you're wrong and expose that you have no concept of what goes on in the medical world. Please do refrain from making even more of a fool of yourself in commenting about stuff that is far beyond your capabilities.

There's a rule in hot topics that Emily repeats often: to address the topic and the post, not the poster. It keeps things a lot more respectful and comfortable for all involved.

That's a good rule but one this person fails to follow when facing someone who disagrees with her. When the words of another person challenge what she said or expose misinformation or a misunderstanding on her part, she resorts to insults.

Medical stuff is serious and it's important to do your own research and be aware whether the person that your getting information from has real experience (I was in the medical profession for over a decade) or from someone that has nothing useful to contribute. MDs have failed at proper diagnosis and treatment for me and friends so I
know how important it is to research and advocate for your health.

Every post that has mentioned the usefulness of chiropractic or holistic medicine or the importance educating yourself has in recently times has been flamed by Elmer. His claims are that only MD's should treat patients because they have all the answers, that all others forms of medicine are dangerous nonsense and that patients should not educate themselves but blindly follow the MDs orders. Terrible advice, please don't follow that backwards point of view.

You're good at making unsubstantiated comments and generic information and then ignoring questions to be more specific. Let's get caught up.

-You were "in the medical profession for over a decade". Doing what? And with what education/training?

- Your friend was seen at "one of the world's largest med centers". Which one? What problem sent her there?

What I base my opinions on? Close friends and family members who are doctors. Friends who are chiropractors (with whom I've spoken at length about how and what they do). Those who don't know you well tend to not want to talk about it, the disputes between the medical profession and chiropractors cooled down some years ago. Today, it's somewhat of a peaceful coexistence so long as chiropractors do no harm, which is often not the case.

Let's start there. I'm not uninformed, you may be.

Chiropractic is bogus and has no basis in science. From the mouths of two chiropractors. Speak to your sources and explain a bit more. Or drop it.

I'm doing PT now for the very same problem and it's getting better - mine is not just from sitting at the computer but am very tight. Need to afford a massage every week or two but don't see that happening.

An occupational therapist may be helpful. At our hospital we can get a consult from one with a doctorate degree who will visit your office and make recommendations regarding desk, monitor, chair, armrest, foot positioning.

If considering a chiropractor, please use caution. Recently treated patient with stroke due to veterbral artery dissection post spinal manipulation by chiropractor.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6016850/

I have never had a burning pain, but as a large part of my job duties are done on a computer, I did USED to have aching, tired shoulders after my 12 hour shifts. I found that lowering my chair and raising my computer monitors virtually eliminated that. My favorite remedy was and is a back/shoulder massage from SO. But you can't have him, or even borrow him. ;op.

As for chiropractors, i have no experience as a patient. However, I attended a health fair recently where there were 4 different chiropractic practices represented. The interactions with them left me....dubious, to say it nicely. I had absolutely no opinion on the topic beforehand, as i do not suffer with any sort of chronic pain in which the services of such would be recommended.

The first one offered a free "scan" of my neck and spine. Sure, I'll play. When the scan popped up on the screen, both ladies looked concerned (fake). The girl who did the scan pointed to some red lines next to my neck on the screen. She proceeded to tell me that the nerves in this region control things like migraines, depression and anxiety. "Does that sound familiar?" She asked with a smug, sympathetic smile. I answered "no...." That response was met with a look from both women as though i had just claimed to be the Queen of Mars. This sparked annoyance in me, as I do feel that depression and anxiety are more prevalent than ever, and that they were trying to exploit that. I mean, the look on their face when i told them that no, I do not have migraines, depression or anxiety was pure shock. She then said, "Huh, well, it IS a thermal scan, so if your just hot, then it will show up as inflammation on the scan." Then they offered me a card and new patient forms. I took them to be polite, as i did with all the vendors.

The second one had a fun trivia game, in which you answered questions to win entries into a drawing for a gift basket of some sort. I won 3 entries. YAY! (I didn't win,BOOOOO!) Well, then we get down to business. The chiropractor asked me to step on two scales, one foot on each scale, so that she could see if i was "off balance." Sure, sis, whatever. I complied, why not? When i did so, i got a look of shock, accompanied by a "wow, you are REALLY favoring your left side." I looked down, there was a one pound difference between the left scale and the right scale. She asked me if i have pain in one hip or the other. I replied no. Then she proceeds to warn me that even if I am not feeling pain now, these things build up over time and will hit me all at once if i don't address them now. With her help, of course. Now, I have not been to medical school, but I am not sure WHY or HOW to treat pain....BEFORE it hurts. I should go watch some episodes of "House." Anyway, again I took the forms and the card.....The whole time I am thinking that the freebies at this fair SUCK!!!! I mean, can i get a magnet? A pen? Something? NO? ok movin on.....

The third might have been the worst. The "doc" was there, with a massage table and one of those massage things that look like a power sander. Would I like a massage? He asks..... I suppress the urge to break out the karate moves i taught myself the last time i walked into a spiders web, and politely decline, citing a ticklish nature. However, that was not the worst part. This was not only a chiropractic office. This was a "wellness" center. Ugh. I was pitched some sort of vitamins that apparently cure everything that ails you, make you drop dead gorgeous and tell you the winning powerball numbers. All i have to do is fill out this form that lists any undesirable symptoms that i have, and they will recommend a vitamin program that will help. I really wish i had saved that form so i could post a picture of it. It would have been laughable if it wasn't so reckless. Everything from insomnia to digestive issues to HEART DISEASE was listed as a choice of "symptom" that these vitamins would help address. All i got from that table was the form and a bad taste in my mouth.

I liked the 4th one the best. The girl manning the table was playing on her phone. She looked up and smiled at me, declared that she knew i was tired of hearing about chiropractors, as there were 4 there, and told me to pick a cup to take home. To my delight, she had PINK ONES. I took it and i use it to scoop bird seed out of the giant buckets of it i buy into the feeders. That was the only one that wasn't a waste of time. At least i got a cup out of it.

So, if i were to believe their "expertise",based on their highly scientific testing methods, I have hip pain, depression, anxiety and migraines. and worse to come if i don't address it NOW! And I didn't even KNOW! But no worries, the magic vitamins would cure all that, as long as i took them in conjunction with some "adjustments" made by the chiropractors.

Anyway, I digress. If the pain is only occurring during your computer time, an adjustment to the monitor,your posture or the chair might be the easiest and best solution.

Kaboom. I was hoping that mdln would weigh in with her expert and well informed view and so she did succinctly and with impact.

In the meantime, faced with a true expert's advice and not wanting to answer my questions to give some substance (and reality) to her specious comments, another participant has gone away.

Amylou, an entertaining tale of your encounter with some of these quacks. Obviously there are some who fall for their nonsense but nonsense it is all the same.

Elmer - it is a waste of time to answer any of your questions because you don't understand that there are others out there that know far more than you do. In your world you see yourself as the having supreme knowledge of everything and the knowledge of all others is inferior and therefore irrelevant.

Of course. The thing is, my information and opinions are informed by experts and I explained who and what. I don't make up "information". You seem to.

Your thoughts come from where?

Elmer, Also note that mdln DID NOT agree with your assessment that all chiropractors are "trained in nonsense", to quote above "please us caution" that is great advice anyone for seeking care from any medical professional including MD's.

The most common cause of shoulder pain and neck pain is an injury to the soft tissues, including the muscles, tendons, and ligaments within these structures. ... Degenerative arthritis of the spine in the neck (cervical spine) can pinch nerves that can cause both neck pain and shoulder pain