about 20 years ago a horse fell on top of me, and i think i'm starting to feel the effects of it now. every now and then i will wake up and i can't move my neck for fear of making it worse. it feels like hot little electrical jolts running from the bottom of my head to the middle of my shoulders. i can't work or drive when i have these episodes. is there anything i can do at home besides ben gay, and heating pads?
2006-10-09 09:42:43 · 6 answers · asked by lidakamo 4 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
You could benefit by cervical traction. Go to a medical supply shop and purchase an over--a --door traction unit. There is a weighted pulley, and a harness that you put your head in while you sit on the floor or small stool. It will gently pull your head up and stretch your neck bones (cervical vertebrae) farther apart to ease pressure.
Sometimes, you can take your head between your own two hands, around and above the ears, and push the head upwards.
Getting on hands and knees, you can allow your head to hang forward, which by the force of gravity is natural traction.
And you can buy a cervical pillow, or roll a towel into a tube, and put it under your neck while you lie on your back.
You really should see a doctor, especially a D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy), who can prescribe muscle relaxers and probably do manipulation to better your spinal alignment. Chiropractors are also good with these kinds of things.
But X-Rays should be taken, in order to rule out some dangerous spinal injury.
Remember that it was a severe neck injury that paralyzed Christopher Reeve.
And use ice in alternation with the rub cream and heating pads.
2006-10-09 10:04:34 · answer #1 · answered by DinDjinn 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just recently had a similar problem. My shoulder was killing me and no matter how much I had a heating pad on it it wouldn't get better. Turns out I had a pinched nerve in my neck. I went to the doctor and he gave me Naproxin and Vicadin. It just took time. Basically you're just waiting for the inflammation to go down(Naproxin). The Vicadin is just to help with the pain.
After this treatment for a week or so if it doesn't get better, you'll have to go back to the doctor and they'll do an MRI to see if they need to operate.
2006-10-09 09:50:54 · answer #2 · answered by ENI 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try a little traction. You can get the kind that fits over a door and put your chin in the strap and you fill the other side with water depending on the amount of traction desited. Start with light traction for about 15 minutes 2 times a day and see how this does. be careful not to apply heavy traction on the neck.
2006-10-09 09:55:58 · answer #3 · answered by swomedicineman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes your describing "nerve pain". Yes its possible the horse caused it. No you could never actually prove this.
You likely have narrowing of the joint space the nerve passes through. This is a natural proccess as we get older made worse by past trauma.
Anti-inflammatories can help the pain; ibuprofen and tylenol.
You should check in with a doc just in case he detects something worse. When it gets real bad they can do epidural steroid injections or send you for surgery.
2006-10-09 09:48:38 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Another possibility is that chiropractic might help. Less invasive. Hope you fell better.
2006-10-09 09:54:18 · answer #5 · answered by LINDA G 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
see a dr.
2006-10-09 09:44:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋