 [ Symptoms ] what can i do about swelling in my back and the back of my neck during a fibromyalgia flare [ Disease ] swelling in the back of the neck and back in fibro especially during a flare up is usually due to painful muscle spasms and bulging muscles that go into spasms will shorten in length meaning they become thicker or bulge up this appears as a swollen area to observe and one can feel the lump or muscle swelling as well it is not a true edema or fluid type swelling heat or ice can help painful swellingknotsnodulesspasms in the muscles i prefer heat but some like cold better massage stretching and rubbing in a muscle cream are other types of self directed treatments that may help and can be done by anyone anywhere [a] doctor may consider prescribed treatments if the self program does not settle down the pain  i have tried heat and medications for the fibro flare ups but i do not know what else to do this has been going on for 3 straight weeks and going to work on a computer makes it worse