I have had a stiff neck for a week now. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to get rid of it? I don't have any other symptoms; vomiting, headache, fever, etc. just the stiff neck. I have tried heating pad, heat wraps, ice packs, hot showers and nothing is working:( I tried to get into the doctor but they can't get me in until next week, should I be concerned and go to statcare? Any advice would be appreciated!
Go to the EGOSCUE website and pull off a couple of e-cises for neck pain. You've got some obvious muscle imbalances
Do you need a new pillow?
Have you tried seeing a chiropractor?
Sorry, A.... I have an unbelievably stiff, crackly, grinding, tense neck! I still don't quite know what to do about it. I have been dealing with it for several years now. I have tried heat and ice. They are only temporary relief. Muscle relaxers and nerve meds. help take off some of the tension, but not much pain. If this is unusual for you, then I would say to go to a chiropractor.. they can almost always fit you in ASAP. If you are having any other symptoms (flu like symptoms) - that may be related to meningitis. I just read that about being sick and with a stiff neck.
Hope that helps! And if there are any great suggestions out there, throw some my way, please!
~Shelly
Try sleeping without a pillow. It may take a couple of nights but that always works for me.
Hope it works for you.
C.
Usually, when I have a stiff neck, it's because of a bad muscle pull in my shoulders. My husband is great about finding the spot and really working it out.
If you're concerned it's a serious medical issue, I'd recommend going to an urgent care place. At the very least, they can recommend something like Skelaxin or Flexerill (muscle relaxers) if that is the cause.
I've never done chiropractic, but I have heard mixed results about it. My reason for not doing it are two fold:
1. Finding a good chiropractor who I trust explicitly
2. The fixes are often not permanent and require continuous follow-up to prevent it from recurring.
Good luck. I know it stinks, and I hope you are able to get it back to normal soon.
Stretching exercises for the neck. NEVER twist you neck. Let your head fall forward;hold it for 8 sec. Let head lean to left side;hold 8 seconds. Let head lean to right side;hold for 8 secs. Do this 5 times. Then do it again but put a little resistance from your hand on your head each side and for 8 secs each. Do also stretches for shoulders and upperback.DO this daily and should start to loosen up. Take some ibuprofin. Heating pad. That's what I do. SInce doing these stretches I rarely get stiff necks anymore. Also do u need a new pillow?
A.,
I would find a good chiropractor. If you are told you need to come in multiple times per week, I would find someone else. One visit should do the trick. As someone else mentioned, you may need to replace your pillow to keep it from happening again. The salesman at our local Sleep Experts was very helpful in getting me the right pillow.
Victoria
Go to a massage therapist first then if things don't improve go to a chiropractor. They work wonders. Make sure they are licensed!!!
If you think it is muscular, try massage therapy - I am a licensed massage therapist, but I am also the recipient of massage therapy. Ask around your area for a recommendation. If you think you have a vertebrae or other structural issue, you might try a chiropractor.
As for ice and heat - if it's muscular, you probably have some inflammation which is causing the stiffness, so try ice 3 times a day for a day or two, no heat. Do NOT leave the ice on for more than 20 minutes each time.
If you are able to take medicines, you can also take ibuprofen - just follow the directions on the bottle for dosage.
As always, it never hurts to follow up with a doctor if the issue is not getting better, but the will probably just give you pain meds and/or muscle relaxers unless they have reason to think it's more serious.
You should think about seeing a Chiropractor. They work wonders. You should think about taking some Ibuprofin too. Good luck
