The pain started nealy two weeks ago and I can't actually pinpoint how I did it. I understand with sprains the symptoms can present themselves from a few hours to a couple of days after injury.
After 3 or 4 days, I went to the GP who prescribed me 7 days worth of diazepam to be taken twice a day. I found that they helped for a couple of hours after taking each dose, but also made me drowsy and slur my speech. I finished those tablets 4 days ago.
It seemed to be getting better after a week, but today I'm in absolute agony with it. Can't turn my head and standing up and sitting down is also very painful. The pain goes right up the back of my skull, to my temple and even my neck glands have been feeling very tender. I've taken paracetamol and ibuprofen and that hasn't even helped a jot and I've also tried heat and ice. Been trying different variations wit pillows. I have a neck pillow which I use everynight, but TBH it's always been crap. Tried rolling a towel and putting it under my neck for support.
I'm tempted to go out and buy a new pillow but don't want to waste my money if it won't work/make things worse.
I'm so tired, irritable and frustrated. And it's so hard because I've got my little (nearly) 10 month old to look after and when his dad leaves for work - he's a chef - I'm on my own with no friends and family nearby to help me. I don't feel able to drive at the moment either - I can't turn my head.
Just don't know what to do.
Sorry to hear of your situation ...
A reflexology client phoned me between treatments with a similar desperate plea. I suggested the following self-treatment.
Take a foot in one hand and with the other hand twiddle each toe in turn. I don't mean twist, I mean hold the toe and move the end of the toe in a circle (a vertical circle, assuming the foot is horizontal) .... as if your toe was a joy-stick. Gently pull the toe to straighten it as you do the circles. Does that make sense?! Do several circles one way and several circles in the other direction then move on to the next toe. Do all ten toes.
When I asked him if it had helped he said he'd done one foot then got distracted. An hour or so later he noticed that one side of his neck had improved significantly - the same side as the foot he'd worked on.
All the best!
Neck Pain
A physiotherapist should be able to help with this. You probably need to do some neck exercises to release the muscles. If you have been keeping your head in the same position for too long , for example on the computer, this could cause neck pain and headaches.
I suffer with this myself and limit my time on the computer to 30 or 40 minutes. A heated neck pad is also helpful. I have one filled with wheat which you heat in the microwave.
Cervical Flexors
A lot of neck pain has to do with not inhibition of the deep cervical flexors and overactivation of the superficial neck flexors sucha s the scalenes/SCM.
tuck you chin toward your neck without changing the level of your eyes. This can improve your entre of gravity and also train those deep cervical neck flexors to properly stabilise your neck.
Tigerlily, sorry to hear you're in so much pain
The pain goes right up the back of my skull, to my temple and even my neck glands have been feeling very tender
These symptoms fit the classic pattern for trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle, either on top of the shoulder and/or deep at the depression behing the mastoid process on the back of the head.
Trigger points feel excruciating on pressure, and refer pain away from the site of palpation. You could try acupressure, but you do need to keep very firm pressure that hurts about 8/10 for 3-4 minutes, then release and gradually do it again but this time go upto about 4/10. Acupuncture is very helpful for releasing trigger points. Avoid phyiotherapists for acupuncture, as the only usually have 4 days training- instead look at the register on the British Acupuncture Council website, or Google for a local practitioner; check their length of training, and avoid being drawn into long courses with little result.
Best wishes
David
An alternative to deep painful pressure may be to try to get to see an Emmett practitioner in your area. We use light pressure to release the appropriate muscles, easing pain and restoring comfortable movement. Let me know if you need any further help in finding someone - how is it now?
I noticed Tigerlily posted in June and got some hopefully helpful replies, I was going to add to these but notice she has not been back to say how she is, are you out there Tigerlily?
Hello all, thank you so much for your replies. I'm a lot better, thanks for asking!
I've just been too busy and tired to come on here for ages, so I'm seeing these replies for the first time today.
In the end I just had to ride through the pain. I also bought a new pillow which had been recommended on another thread of this forum, which has been amazing as every morning I wake up with a pain-free neck now. Google '66Fit cervical pillow', if you're interested.
I still need treatment of some sort, though, as my neck is looking out of alignment and gives off a high-pitched sounding crack 2 or 3 times a day when I move it. No pain though.
I think I injured myself getting my little, but hefty, boy in or out of my three door car. You have to be a contortionist to do it. It was definitely an injury rather than everyday wear and tear/strain.
Thanks again!