Hurt My Neck.help

[ONE HOT MAMA]

Hey all.I am not sure what I did, but two days ago, I was in bed, I turned over and somehow pulled a muscle in my neck. It was very painful.It isn't QUITE as bad as it was, but still stiff.I am still having a hard time turning my head to one side. So how can you alleviate this? Any suggestions??? It's annoying and I can't even work out right now.Thx.

[lizer]

sounds like wry neck. (you can look it up)

its temporary.. the extreme tightness should alleviate in 24 hours but it will still feel sore and sensitive for up to another 2-3 days.

keep movement in it if you can..as little as you can.

when it happened to me i couldnt move my head to one side AT ALL and it was so painful that i cried forever.

im trying to remember what i did..i may have alternated ice and heat...

but maybe just heat. heat will definitely assist you right now. just get in a comfortable(as you can) position and put a heat pad on it and just relax.

you also may consider taking a tylenol or advil or some other muscle relaxing sort of thing. and wait it out! so sorry!

[musicguy]

massage your neck for awhile

[karvala]

This is a regular problem for me, and as a result I've investigated it, and in particular forms of treatment, at great length over the years, and the answer is clear: time. Sorry, but other things such as physiotherapy, massage, muscle-relaxant medication, painkillers, heat-treatment, icepacks, ultrasound, acupuncture(!) etc. etc., all of which I've tried extensively, make absolutely no difference, except heat that helps to alleviate the symptoms slightly (so it's worth getting a heatpad for that purpose). It really is just a case of waiting it out; it will start to improve within a week and should be much improved after a couple of weeks, though it can take up to a month in bad cases.

 

I do sympathise, it's very debilitating (much more than people around you will probably realise), but it will get better.

[ONE HOT MAMA]

Well thanks everyone.I am using a heating pad now. So hopefully that wil help.

It started feeling better yesterday until I slept last night, now it feels aggravated again.I will see how it goes in the next couple of days.I just hope it's not chronic.

[Cimmie]

Asking your doctor for anti-inflammatory medication - there's a good one called difene - might be useful if it doesn't go in a day or two.

[Dako]

I have neck pain quite often, and find sleeping without a pillow works wonders. It makes sense to scrutinize how you spend those sleep hours, as well as your daytime posture. Many people walk hunched up when they hurt, and this can add tension to sore muscles.

 

Time heals most things.

[shes2smart]

What you want is moist heat...not just heat. This is most easily done by standing in the shower and letting hot-as-you-can-comfortably-stand water stream onto the stiff part of your neck. You can also wet a hand towel with hot water, wring it out, fold it flat, pop it into a ziploc bag and put it under your heating pad.

 

Self massage also helps...if there's someone else around (spouse, SO, etc) getting them to massage your neck can help. Using a combination of massage and some stuff like Icy Hot can also help loosen things up.

 

Once you're past the initial pain, stretching can help, too. Keep stretching on a regular basis....even after it's not hurting anymore....to help keep those muscles flexible and relaxed.

 

If you have a chiropractor, now would be a good time to pay a visit. You'll still be sore for a few days as the muscles heal, but if there is an underlying structural issue, they can correct that.

[Scout]

What you want is moist heat...not just heat. This is most easily done by standing in the shower and letting hot-as-you-can-comfortably-stand water stream onto the stiff part of your neck. You can also wet a hand towel with hot water, wring it out, fold it flat, pop it into a ziploc bag and put it under your heating pad.

 

 

Would a good long soak in a jacuzzi help, too? That's what I was thinking when I read her post.

[shes2smart]

Would a good long soak in a jacuzzi help, too? That's what I was thinking when I read her post.

 

If she's got access to one, I'm jealous.

 

But yes, that would be ideal. If you position yourself right you could get the moist heat plus some massaging action. My chiropractor told me a long time ago that moist heat is more effective than just a heating pad for loosening up cramped/tight muscles.