I was invited to go bowling( I'm not a bowler) yesterday and I picked a lighter weight ball to use. Anyway today I am dying!My upper back is killing me and the muscles in the back of my neck are pulling on the back of my head.It hurts like hell. I've tried heat, and just put ice on it .I also took 2 Advil around 4 pm and then another one around 7.Nothing is working to help the pain.I even tried massaging my own neck with my nuckles. Any ideas for anythin else I can do to take the edge off of the pain? Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated.Thanks!
2006-08-28 13:15:12 · 4 answers · asked by Yahooanswerssux 5 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Pain & Pain Management
Ack! You poor thing. My sister and I occasionally get what the doctors tell us are muscle spasms in our neck. We jokingly call it "The Neck Thing" though, it's not really funny at all!
When I go to the doctor, here's what they tell me to do...I'm just passing it on to you and am NOT a medical professional!
1. Take 800 miligrams of ibuprofin every six hours. This is more than the directions on the bottle allow and if you have a touchy stomach, could upset it.
2. ICE it for the first few days to minimize inflammation. Then use heat.
3. Be still. This is really hard. Once doctor even told me not to READ because holding a book and just the posture you use while reading can be stressful to a stiff neck/muscle spasm. I was told to SIT up straight or lay down flat on my back.
4. Be careful with pillows. The doc (a neurologist, not a chiropractor or other alternative practitioner) told me to sleep with only a small pillow under my neck. In otherwords, maintain very aligned posture even while you sleep. Sometimes, if I go to sleep the way I was told, with my spine straight and a small pillow to support my neck, I wake up feeling better.
5. They sometimes give me muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatories. I know this requires a trip to the doctor, which sucks and is expensive. But the if it's a muscle spasm or other "tight muscle" problem, this actually REALLY helps.
6. My personal advice...get a massage and tell the therapist where it hurts. A massage therapist once saved my weekend at a spa. It was a little uncomfortable to have him work on the sore spot, but he seriously loosened those muscles up. That could be just me...I would never suggest that it would help everyone, but it might be worth a shot if you have the money to blow.
7. Make sure your partner/husband/whoever knows that you need gifts to make your neck feel better.
:)
Hope you feel better soon!
2006-08-28 13:28:15 · answer #1 · answered by CuteWriter 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have a case of muscle fatigue. If there is one other person who can assist, have the muscles in your neck (not the nape) down to those on shoulders and rhomboideus major (those large muscles at your upper back) gently kneaded to stretch them. A hot compress would also help ease the pain and aid in the muscle relaxation. As much as possible, avoid painkillers particularly those with ibuprofen (Advil has ibuprofen) as there are potential side effects. The objective is to relax those cramped muscles. If there is a pool near by, take a dip and perform slow butterfly strokes to help the muscles stretch and relax. The pain is temporary. I just wonder why you are not complaining of muscle pain in the inner sides of the legs as well; maybe you didn't stretch them them enough.
2006-08-28 13:36:30 · answer #2 · answered by Bummerang 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ice for the first day to reduce swelling, then moist heat to help the muscles stretch and heal for the next several days. Take whatever pain reliever helps you the best. No more neavy lifting for at least a week.
2006-08-28 13:22:57 · answer #3 · answered by Jerry L 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ooo sounds like you pulled a muscle. But I would go to the doctor... you might have a hernia
2006-08-28 13:21:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋