Both sides of neck swelling above collarbone

I am a PT who works in a chronic pain clinic and I have seen many cases like the ones listed above. Once you have been cleared by your physician (not cancer etc) please look into manual therapy for visceral manipulation. It is gentle work and will address restrictions in your body (like from prior surgeiries/ motor vehicle accidents and organ dysfunction from scar tissue or low motility. I wish all of you the best in finding your way into healing. Feel free to contact me if you have more questions . 

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I support your advice; manual therapy is the way to go to control this nuisance. I believe, if it was life-threatening, we would not have survived this long with this condition. Stress aggravates my condition because I hunch (up and forward) my shoulders.

Wry neck after a injury cortocollis also I to have this issue an have injured my neck also a professional driver this is what I've concluded

Some thoughts for everyone with this annoying -- but *very clearly benign* problem. First and most importantly: stop googling symptoms because you will incorrectly convince yourself that you have cancer showing up in your supraclavicular region. But you don't.

Here's why: when metastatic cancer shows up in that region it presents as a **stony-hard** mass -- the furthest thing imaginable from the fat pads and gel packs that we are all dealing with. So, unless your neck mass is rock-hard -- forget cancer. That is not what's going on, period.

So what is going on? Many of the problems we have are a direct result of our work and lifestyles: constant sitting at a computer, which causes overuse of many small muscles in the neck, arm, shoulder, etc. This produces inflammation in all of these areas. Stress -- and many people posting here have obvious health-anxiety -- causes one to clench and grind teeth during the night. This exacerbates the condition.

So many of us have had repeated -- and expensive! -- testing -- and yet very few want to consider that the cause of these "pads" may be very obvious: it is simply overuse of certain muscles, tendons, postures and the resultant stress at night. This will cause TMJ (bet many of you have had that); bruxism; clenching; apnea; you name it. The solution is to accept that these pads are an annoying but benign result of our increasingly sedentary lifestyles and work habits.

The solution -- alas, easier said than done -- is to relax. And such relaxation may well "melt" these "fat pads" to nothing.

My experience. 50 year old male, non-drinker, weightlifter, in "perfect heath," wake up one day with these painless, mushy swellings in the clavicle area. Proceed to google and find out that I am going to die. Proceed to doctors who search for *stony-hard* supraclavicular lymph nodes, but find nothing. Some are perplexed; some are dismissive; all order many many tests. All tests are invariably negative, showing nothing. One day, after 2 long years of endless stress and fruitless searching for "answers," I decide that I've been perhaps a bit of a fool, and I simply drop my search. My "fat pads" and "gel packs?" Gone. It's been 6 months. Relax; stay active; get off the computer and the phone; and try to live this sweet life for as long as you’re given. That's my best advice. Good luck to all!

Tell you what - when yours have been around 18 years and cause pain, come back and talk to me. That is only your experience of them..not everyone else's.Don't be so dismissive of other people's problems and accept that they may have completely different things going on than you do. And for the record, I haven't sat in front of a computer for nearly twenty years and don't live a 'stress lifestyle' - but these painful lumps have certainly given me some stress. People on here have genuine concerns and don't need to be told to relax and it will all disappear.

I am very sorry you thought I was dismissing your pain! That's the last thing my comment was intended to do. My main point, for what it is worth, is that this phenomenon -- very luckily -- doesn't seem to represent cancer. Often the anxiety about such a cause can provoke a great deal of suffering, and I wanted people to be reassured that, although annoying and even painful, these supraclavicular growths are clinically benign. Indeed, you've had them for 18 years!

Again, my apologies for seeming to dismiss this -- I certainly realize that everyone's experience is different.

I have large swelling on both sides above collarbone.  I have noticed this before and my sister has pointed it out to me.  This time it is really puffy.  I can't actually feel lumps, just swelling, like it is filled with air.  It doesn't hurt but concerns me and scares me.  Have been trying to find out if anything other than lymph nodes, metastasis, (really bad stuff) can cause this.  I have gained a little weight and was wondering if that could cause it.

Your post actually made me feel better. They are not hard lumps - soft and very puffy. I will have it checked but in the meantime you have made me feel better about it - and, you are right - I should stop looking stuff up and getting myself up-set (my husbands words). Thanks

I have swelling on both sides of my neck above collarbone. They don't hurt but I do feel short of breath. Had a CT scan done yesterday and am praying that it isn't anything serious. Don't really feel glands, just swelling.

i have had the same, but little bigger on my left side, and its not a ball or nothing like a lymph node, its just like a swollen thing, there no pain, no nothing, i sometimes think its bigger and sometimes looks smaller, dont know what think what this could be, and i dont have any other symptoms

What did u do? How long had u had the swelling? I am worried my could be a blood clot in the jugular but have no insurance and very worry. This swelling and feeling has never shown up before:(

I had An epidural the night before my promo many clavicle swelling began. That was 4.5 years ago and the swelling flare ups continue.

I too have swelling on the sides of my neck...moreso on my right side. I'm 19 years old, no symptoms, no pain. But the swelling is huge and is scaring me. Has anyone gotten any diagnosis, or relief? Thank

I am a middle aged woman and about 20 lbs overweight. I was alarmed when I noticed the swelling above my collarbones two weeks ago. What I know is that they're supposed to be depressed not elevated nor plump. I tried to press and pinch each but can't find anything lumpy. They're not painful either. I then secretly observed overweight women but wasn't able to find one with the same condition. Two days ago on my scheduled visit to my TCM doctor, I asked him about the swelling and he told me they're lung related.

I have noticed that I have swelling on both sides of my neck that is right about the clavicle bone. It feels like a gel pack under the skin. I also have tightness in the back of my neck and a continuous headache. I do have Hashomoto's Thyroiditis and I do take Amour Thyroid, but at this time do not have any nodules. The swelling tends to get worse at different times. I am trying to see when and what causes this. It does seem worse since I have dyed my hair. Wasn't sure how many of you dye your hair and if this could be one of the triggers that causes it to get worse.