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Hello Hoping For Some Help Easter Monday I Woke Up
Question: Hello hoping for some help Easter Monday I woke up with a terrible pain in my neck and shoulder assuming I slept wrong I wthouhht it would go away now 2 weeks later I am more XXXXXXX but still in pain went to my gp and she said muscle and go to mesage therapy nothing serious although the fact that it has lasted this long makes me think I did more than just sleep wrong . Any suggestions
Hello hoping for some help Easter Monday I woke up with a terrible pain in my neck and shoulder assuming I slept wrong I wthouhht it would go away now 2 weeks later I am more XXXXXXX but still in pain went to my gp and she said muscle and go to mesage therapy nothing serious although the fact that it has lasted this long makes me think I did more than just sleep wrong . Any suggestions
Brief Answer:
So long as no WEAKNESS or SENSORY LOSS...most likely muscle strain
Detailed Answer:
Good evening. I'm sorry your neck and shoulder are still bothering you since you were expecting that things were getting better.
I went back to review the suggestions I made in terms of icing the area as well as getting a cervical series of films which ultimately should be an MRI in order to identify spinal nerve roots that may be compressed.
As I had indicated in the other response there may be a nerve root that is being compressed or "pinched" and this will clearly cause symptoms of pain as well as other things such as numbness, tingling, or other funny feelings. Did your primary doctor obtain imaging studies of the neck?
If you are engaged in PHYSICAL THERAPY for the neck (which would be a very good idea...along with AQUATHERAPY) they may be able to also offer you ultrasound and diathermy treatments which not only FEEL GOOD and reduce pain but also are believed to improve circulatory patterns and volume of arterial blood supply which in theory could help heal the area of any compressive or ischemic phenomenon.
There are a limited number of other options that could cause pain in the neck and shoulder since we can assume there's not been any progression in the problem, it just hasn't gotten better, right? Therefore, it is unlikely to be a tumor growth because this would have caused more painful compression and likely other symptoms which you are not referring. Another item we always consider when someone talks about NECK PAIN is called an ARTERIAL DISSECTION which rarely is a carotid artery and more commonly a VERTEBRAL artery. This is when an artery in your neck spontaneously splits its inner lining which can cause a SEVERE AND ACUTE PAIN...which would've likely awoken you in the middle of the night or whenever it actually split. Also, those types of dissections usually cause severe other problems such as strokes, nausea, vomiting, weakness in one side of the body due to the stroke, etc. You don't seem to have these additional and complex symptoms....therefore, I see ARTERIAL DISSECTION as very unlikely.
In conclusion, for the symptoms that you refer of "terrible pain in" the neck and shoulder...so long as there is no accompanying weakness in the shoulder girdle itself or upper extremity and there is no development of sensory aberrations in the arm or forearm I believe it is reasonable to take a "wait and see approach" despite the obvious and understandable concern you have for it being this persistent. However, this can be the case when nerves are being pinched or muscles have been overworked or strained for some reason. As long as there is no weakness and no sensory loss in the shoulder, arm, and neck I am fairly confident that a "wait and see approach" before doing invasive or expensive studies is a reasonable thing to do at this point in time.
As you know quite well, these questions and answers can be rated by yourself and the higher your rating of this answer (i.e. 5 STARS) the LARGER the bag of peanuts I get to much on while answering questions! LOL
So, if I've provided useful or helpful information to your questions could you do me the utmost of favors by CLOSING THE QUERY along with a few positive words of feedback and maybe even a 5-star rating if you feel it is deserving? I am definitely interested in getting updated information on your condition if you'd care to drop me a line at www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi and let me know how things turned out.
You can always reach me at the above address for this and other questions. I wish you the best with everything and hope our discussion has aided in your understanding of a few concepts related to your concerns.
CHEERS YOUNG LADY!
This query required 54 minutes of professional time to research, assimilate, and file a response.
So long as no WEAKNESS or SENSORY LOSS...most likely muscle strain
Detailed Answer:
Good evening. I'm sorry your neck and shoulder are still bothering you since you were expecting that things were getting better.
I went back to review the suggestions I made in terms of icing the area as well as getting a cervical series of films which ultimately should be an MRI in order to identify spinal nerve roots that may be compressed.
As I had indicated in the other response there may be a nerve root that is being compressed or "pinched" and this will clearly cause symptoms of pain as well as other things such as numbness, tingling, or other funny feelings. Did your primary doctor obtain imaging studies of the neck?
If you are engaged in PHYSICAL THERAPY for the neck (which would be a very good idea...along with AQUATHERAPY) they may be able to also offer you ultrasound and diathermy treatments which not only FEEL GOOD and reduce pain but also are believed to improve circulatory patterns and volume of arterial blood supply which in theory could help heal the area of any compressive or ischemic phenomenon.
There are a limited number of other options that could cause pain in the neck and shoulder since we can assume there's not been any progression in the problem, it just hasn't gotten better, right? Therefore, it is unlikely to be a tumor growth because this would have caused more painful compression and likely other symptoms which you are not referring. Another item we always consider when someone talks about NECK PAIN is called an ARTERIAL DISSECTION which rarely is a carotid artery and more commonly a VERTEBRAL artery. This is when an artery in your neck spontaneously splits its inner lining which can cause a SEVERE AND ACUTE PAIN...which would've likely awoken you in the middle of the night or whenever it actually split. Also, those types of dissections usually cause severe other problems such as strokes, nausea, vomiting, weakness in one side of the body due to the stroke, etc. You don't seem to have these additional and complex symptoms....therefore, I see ARTERIAL DISSECTION as very unlikely.
In conclusion, for the symptoms that you refer of "terrible pain in" the neck and shoulder...so long as there is no accompanying weakness in the shoulder girdle itself or upper extremity and there is no development of sensory aberrations in the arm or forearm I believe it is reasonable to take a "wait and see approach" despite the obvious and understandable concern you have for it being this persistent. However, this can be the case when nerves are being pinched or muscles have been overworked or strained for some reason. As long as there is no weakness and no sensory loss in the shoulder, arm, and neck I am fairly confident that a "wait and see approach" before doing invasive or expensive studies is a reasonable thing to do at this point in time.
As you know quite well, these questions and answers can be rated by yourself and the higher your rating of this answer (i.e. 5 STARS) the LARGER the bag of peanuts I get to much on while answering questions! LOL
So, if I've provided useful or helpful information to your questions could you do me the utmost of favors by CLOSING THE QUERY along with a few positive words of feedback and maybe even a 5-star rating if you feel it is deserving? I am definitely interested in getting updated information on your condition if you'd care to drop me a line at www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi and let me know how things turned out.
You can always reach me at the above address for this and other questions. I wish you the best with everything and hope our discussion has aided in your understanding of a few concepts related to your concerns.
CHEERS YOUNG LADY!
This query required 54 minutes of professional time to research, assimilate, and file a response.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Brief Answer:
So long as no WEAKNESS or SENSORY LOSS...most likely muscle strain
Detailed Answer:
Good evening. I'm sorry your neck and shoulder are still bothering you since you were expecting that things were getting better.
I went back to review the suggestions I made in terms of icing the area as well as getting a cervical series of films which ultimately should be an MRI in order to identify spinal nerve roots that may be compressed.
As I had indicated in the other response there may be a nerve root that is being compressed or "pinched" and this will clearly cause symptoms of pain as well as other things such as numbness, tingling, or other funny feelings. Did your primary doctor obtain imaging studies of the neck?
If you are engaged in PHYSICAL THERAPY for the neck (which would be a very good idea...along with AQUATHERAPY) they may be able to also offer you ultrasound and diathermy treatments which not only FEEL GOOD and reduce pain but also are believed to improve circulatory patterns and volume of arterial blood supply which in theory could help heal the area of any compressive or ischemic phenomenon.
There are a limited number of other options that could cause pain in the neck and shoulder since we can assume there's not been any progression in the problem, it just hasn't gotten better, right? Therefore, it is unlikely to be a tumor growth because this would have caused more painful compression and likely other symptoms which you are not referring. Another item we always consider when someone talks about NECK PAIN is called an ARTERIAL DISSECTION which rarely is a carotid artery and more commonly a VERTEBRAL artery. This is when an artery in your neck spontaneously splits its inner lining which can cause a SEVERE AND ACUTE PAIN...which would've likely awoken you in the middle of the night or whenever it actually split. Also, those types of dissections usually cause severe other problems such as strokes, nausea, vomiting, weakness in one side of the body due to the stroke, etc. You don't seem to have these additional and complex symptoms....therefore, I see ARTERIAL DISSECTION as very unlikely.
In conclusion, for the symptoms that you refer of "terrible pain in" the neck and shoulder...so long as there is no accompanying weakness in the shoulder girdle itself or upper extremity and there is no development of sensory aberrations in the arm or forearm I believe it is reasonable to take a "wait and see approach" despite the obvious and understandable concern you have for it being this persistent. However, this can be the case when nerves are being pinched or muscles have been overworked or strained for some reason. As long as there is no weakness and no sensory loss in the shoulder, arm, and neck I am fairly confident that a "wait and see approach" before doing invasive or expensive studies is a reasonable thing to do at this point in time.
As you know quite well, these questions and answers can be rated by yourself and the higher your rating of this answer (i.e. 5 STARS) the LARGER the bag of peanuts I get to much on while answering questions! LOL
So, if I've provided useful or helpful information to your questions could you do me the utmost of favors by CLOSING THE QUERY along with a few positive words of feedback and maybe even a 5-star rating if you feel it is deserving? I am definitely interested in getting updated information on your condition if you'd care to drop me a line at www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi and let me know how things turned out.
You can always reach me at the above address for this and other questions. I wish you the best with everything and hope our discussion has aided in your understanding of a few concepts related to your concerns.
CHEERS YOUNG LADY!
This query required 54 minutes of professional time to research, assimilate, and file a response.
So long as no WEAKNESS or SENSORY LOSS...most likely muscle strain
Detailed Answer:
Good evening. I'm sorry your neck and shoulder are still bothering you since you were expecting that things were getting better.
I went back to review the suggestions I made in terms of icing the area as well as getting a cervical series of films which ultimately should be an MRI in order to identify spinal nerve roots that may be compressed.
As I had indicated in the other response there may be a nerve root that is being compressed or "pinched" and this will clearly cause symptoms of pain as well as other things such as numbness, tingling, or other funny feelings. Did your primary doctor obtain imaging studies of the neck?
If you are engaged in PHYSICAL THERAPY for the neck (which would be a very good idea...along with AQUATHERAPY) they may be able to also offer you ultrasound and diathermy treatments which not only FEEL GOOD and reduce pain but also are believed to improve circulatory patterns and volume of arterial blood supply which in theory could help heal the area of any compressive or ischemic phenomenon.
There are a limited number of other options that could cause pain in the neck and shoulder since we can assume there's not been any progression in the problem, it just hasn't gotten better, right? Therefore, it is unlikely to be a tumor growth because this would have caused more painful compression and likely other symptoms which you are not referring. Another item we always consider when someone talks about NECK PAIN is called an ARTERIAL DISSECTION which rarely is a carotid artery and more commonly a VERTEBRAL artery. This is when an artery in your neck spontaneously splits its inner lining which can cause a SEVERE AND ACUTE PAIN...which would've likely awoken you in the middle of the night or whenever it actually split. Also, those types of dissections usually cause severe other problems such as strokes, nausea, vomiting, weakness in one side of the body due to the stroke, etc. You don't seem to have these additional and complex symptoms....therefore, I see ARTERIAL DISSECTION as very unlikely.
In conclusion, for the symptoms that you refer of "terrible pain in" the neck and shoulder...so long as there is no accompanying weakness in the shoulder girdle itself or upper extremity and there is no development of sensory aberrations in the arm or forearm I believe it is reasonable to take a "wait and see approach" despite the obvious and understandable concern you have for it being this persistent. However, this can be the case when nerves are being pinched or muscles have been overworked or strained for some reason. As long as there is no weakness and no sensory loss in the shoulder, arm, and neck I am fairly confident that a "wait and see approach" before doing invasive or expensive studies is a reasonable thing to do at this point in time.
As you know quite well, these questions and answers can be rated by yourself and the higher your rating of this answer (i.e. 5 STARS) the LARGER the bag of peanuts I get to much on while answering questions! LOL
So, if I've provided useful or helpful information to your questions could you do me the utmost of favors by CLOSING THE QUERY along with a few positive words of feedback and maybe even a 5-star rating if you feel it is deserving? I am definitely interested in getting updated information on your condition if you'd care to drop me a line at www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi and let me know how things turned out.
You can always reach me at the above address for this and other questions. I wish you the best with everything and hope our discussion has aided in your understanding of a few concepts related to your concerns.
CHEERS YOUNG LADY!
This query required 54 minutes of professional time to research, assimilate, and file a response.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello no the pain is better from when it started but still painful ans I find when I am lying down it hurts on that side to lift the pain is neck and shoulder but I do have mobility I think I will return to my dr and ask did ultrasound to ensure there is no serious issue as you have indicated like stroke anything of that kind as indicated if I turn my neck it hurts if I lift to the sky it hurts and bend forward it hurts but am molbile i do have headache but I do suffer from migraines I will continue to try the heat and ice physio and message will ultrasound show anything
Hello no the pain is better from when it started but still painful ans I find when I am lying down it hurts on that side to lift the pain is neck and shoulder but I do have mobility I think I will return to my dr and ask did ultrasound to ensure there is no serious issue as you have indicated like stroke anything of that kind as indicated if I turn my neck it hurts if I lift to the sky it hurts and bend forward it hurts but am molbile i do have headache but I do suffer from migraines I will continue to try the heat and ice physio and message will ultrasound show anything
Brief Answer:
Improving pain status- Very Good Sign- No further Diagnostics Necessary
Detailed Answer:
Neck muscle STRAIN or compression of a peripheral nerve WITHIN a muscle itself which sometimes happens when branches or twigs of nerves get "stuck" in places where bony prominences lie in the trajectory of the nerve's course can take a very long time to finally resolve and that would even be after frequent and aggressive therapies such as ice and hot packs, massage, stretching exercises, Ultrasound/diathermy treatments, etc. I know because it's happened to me where one morning after a "funky" night of sleep I will awaken to a neck that just does not want to move.
So long as there is improvement in the pain and discomfort and there are no further or evolving symptoms that could signal worsening compression (as could happen in a compartment syndrome or mass lesion, etc) then, it's just a matter of time before the pain goes away. Stroke is not something that you should worry yourself about since pain is not the presenting symptom of stroke, rather sudden and inexplicable LOSS OF NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION (often times motor) is the red flag we look to identify. There really are not stroke syndromes we know of with the primary symptom of PAIN affecting the neck and shoulder in a characteristic MUSCULOSKELETAL sort of way.
I believe, however, that in the grand scheme of things my dear your IMPROVING pain status in the neck and shoulder is a very positive and good sign and that if you simply continued applying conservative treatments (I haven't heard that your GP ordered any THERAPY for you)....BTW, I'm not referring to chiropractic manipulation either....I'm talking about very gentle and controlled RANGING of the neck and shoulder muscles on the affected side. Yoga would be an exercise good for this particular situation if you're into that sort of activity. And then, you would want to be applying warm compresses to the neck and shoulder by way of warmed towels or heating pads....or Ultrasound/diathermy treatments THAT THE THERAPIST can apply.
There could also be some utility in the short term taking of an over the counter analgesic such as TYLENOL or IBUPROFEN although as you probably know taking the ibuprofen or drugs similar to it can lead to GI complications so their usage may be limited by other physical ailments you may have or side effects that you'll notice upon taklng them.
THEN, and this is important going forward, once your neck is FULLY HEALED which could still be a number of weeks into the future in order to prevent this type of problem in the future I would recommend a couple of preventative measures be considered.
1. Look at the boxspring and mattress and even pillow situation that you have. Has it been more than 10 years that you've changed your mattress? Do you actually FLIP your mattresses? If you have a box spring with your mattress is it possibly worn out in any part of it so that it has lost its support function for your ENTIRE body...not just the head. Obviously if other parts of your body are "sagging" at nighttime because the box spring is not sufficiently firm or stable then, YOUR NECK will ultimately be stressed and strained in the process.
2. What type of pillow are you using? Should you be considering the use of a CERVICAL ROLL at least on an occasional basis which whill help place your neck into a hypertended position once in awhile which can actually stimulate these groups of muscles that are probably UNDERWORKED or UNDERACTIVATED compared the flexor muscle group since human beings tend to look DOWN more while walking than looking UP. This means that in certain PASSIVE situations (such as while asleep) flexor activation may be more likely to occur than extension (unless you sleep on your back with your head close to the head of the bed which means it could potentially hang off in the morning.....I doubt that describes you from what you're writing about things). Anyways, talk to a therapist about the potential benefit of using a cervical roll. The most common one that is manufactured is called a XXXXXXX roll, however, you could make one yourself by taking some towels, rolling them up and taping across their length. You don't want to make the roll TOO THICK since that will cause either too much extension or if on your side too much lateral flexion. You can then, place the ROLL inside the part of your pillow that ends up being CLOSEST to your neck so that when you lie on your pillow the roll can help align the head and spine and possibly avoid problems again in the future if your issue was due to bad sleeping posture.
Here's a YOUTUBE video clip that explains and shows what I'm talking about very well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uyht690KZQ
And once again my dear Toronto young lady....if I've helped answer your questions would you do me the awesome favor of entering a 5-STAR rating on this run if you feel it was deserving of the Grand Prize? HAHA! And then, please let me know how things are going by dropping me a line at www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi and letting me know how things turn out?
You can always reach me DIRECTLY at the above address for this and other questions. I wish you the best with everything and hope our discussion has aided in your understanding of a few concepts related to your concerns.
CHEERS YOUNG TORONTO LADY!
This query required 130 minutes of professional time to research, assimilate, and file a response.
Improving pain status- Very Good Sign- No further Diagnostics Necessary
Detailed Answer:
Neck muscle STRAIN or compression of a peripheral nerve WITHIN a muscle itself which sometimes happens when branches or twigs of nerves get "stuck" in places where bony prominences lie in the trajectory of the nerve's course can take a very long time to finally resolve and that would even be after frequent and aggressive therapies such as ice and hot packs, massage, stretching exercises, Ultrasound/diathermy treatments, etc. I know because it's happened to me where one morning after a "funky" night of sleep I will awaken to a neck that just does not want to move.
So long as there is improvement in the pain and discomfort and there are no further or evolving symptoms that could signal worsening compression (as could happen in a compartment syndrome or mass lesion, etc) then, it's just a matter of time before the pain goes away. Stroke is not something that you should worry yourself about since pain is not the presenting symptom of stroke, rather sudden and inexplicable LOSS OF NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION (often times motor) is the red flag we look to identify. There really are not stroke syndromes we know of with the primary symptom of PAIN affecting the neck and shoulder in a characteristic MUSCULOSKELETAL sort of way.
I believe, however, that in the grand scheme of things my dear your IMPROVING pain status in the neck and shoulder is a very positive and good sign and that if you simply continued applying conservative treatments (I haven't heard that your GP ordered any THERAPY for you)....BTW, I'm not referring to chiropractic manipulation either....I'm talking about very gentle and controlled RANGING of the neck and shoulder muscles on the affected side. Yoga would be an exercise good for this particular situation if you're into that sort of activity. And then, you would want to be applying warm compresses to the neck and shoulder by way of warmed towels or heating pads....or Ultrasound/diathermy treatments THAT THE THERAPIST can apply.
There could also be some utility in the short term taking of an over the counter analgesic such as TYLENOL or IBUPROFEN although as you probably know taking the ibuprofen or drugs similar to it can lead to GI complications so their usage may be limited by other physical ailments you may have or side effects that you'll notice upon taklng them.
THEN, and this is important going forward, once your neck is FULLY HEALED which could still be a number of weeks into the future in order to prevent this type of problem in the future I would recommend a couple of preventative measures be considered.
1. Look at the boxspring and mattress and even pillow situation that you have. Has it been more than 10 years that you've changed your mattress? Do you actually FLIP your mattresses? If you have a box spring with your mattress is it possibly worn out in any part of it so that it has lost its support function for your ENTIRE body...not just the head. Obviously if other parts of your body are "sagging" at nighttime because the box spring is not sufficiently firm or stable then, YOUR NECK will ultimately be stressed and strained in the process.
2. What type of pillow are you using? Should you be considering the use of a CERVICAL ROLL at least on an occasional basis which whill help place your neck into a hypertended position once in awhile which can actually stimulate these groups of muscles that are probably UNDERWORKED or UNDERACTIVATED compared the flexor muscle group since human beings tend to look DOWN more while walking than looking UP. This means that in certain PASSIVE situations (such as while asleep) flexor activation may be more likely to occur than extension (unless you sleep on your back with your head close to the head of the bed which means it could potentially hang off in the morning.....I doubt that describes you from what you're writing about things). Anyways, talk to a therapist about the potential benefit of using a cervical roll. The most common one that is manufactured is called a XXXXXXX roll, however, you could make one yourself by taking some towels, rolling them up and taping across their length. You don't want to make the roll TOO THICK since that will cause either too much extension or if on your side too much lateral flexion. You can then, place the ROLL inside the part of your pillow that ends up being CLOSEST to your neck so that when you lie on your pillow the roll can help align the head and spine and possibly avoid problems again in the future if your issue was due to bad sleeping posture.
Here's a YOUTUBE video clip that explains and shows what I'm talking about very well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uyht690KZQ
And once again my dear Toronto young lady....if I've helped answer your questions would you do me the awesome favor of entering a 5-STAR rating on this run if you feel it was deserving of the Grand Prize? HAHA! And then, please let me know how things are going by dropping me a line at www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi and letting me know how things turn out?
You can always reach me DIRECTLY at the above address for this and other questions. I wish you the best with everything and hope our discussion has aided in your understanding of a few concepts related to your concerns.
CHEERS YOUNG TORONTO LADY!
This query required 130 minutes of professional time to research, assimilate, and file a response.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Brief Answer:
Improving pain status- Very Good Sign- No further Diagnostics Necessary
Detailed Answer:
Neck muscle STRAIN or compression of a peripheral nerve WITHIN a muscle itself which sometimes happens when branches or twigs of nerves get "stuck" in places where bony prominences lie in the trajectory of the nerve's course can take a very long time to finally resolve and that would even be after frequent and aggressive therapies such as ice and hot packs, massage, stretching exercises, Ultrasound/diathermy treatments, etc. I know because it's happened to me where one morning after a "funky" night of sleep I will awaken to a neck that just does not want to move.
So long as there is improvement in the pain and discomfort and there are no further or evolving symptoms that could signal worsening compression (as could happen in a compartment syndrome or mass lesion, etc) then, it's just a matter of time before the pain goes away. Stroke is not something that you should worry yourself about since pain is not the presenting symptom of stroke, rather sudden and inexplicable LOSS OF NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION (often times motor) is the red flag we look to identify. There really are not stroke syndromes we know of with the primary symptom of PAIN affecting the neck and shoulder in a characteristic MUSCULOSKELETAL sort of way.
I believe, however, that in the grand scheme of things my dear your IMPROVING pain status in the neck and shoulder is a very positive and good sign and that if you simply continued applying conservative treatments (I haven't heard that your GP ordered any THERAPY for you)....BTW, I'm not referring to chiropractic manipulation either....I'm talking about very gentle and controlled RANGING of the neck and shoulder muscles on the affected side. Yoga would be an exercise good for this particular situation if you're into that sort of activity. And then, you would want to be applying warm compresses to the neck and shoulder by way of warmed towels or heating pads....or Ultrasound/diathermy treatments THAT THE THERAPIST can apply.
There could also be some utility in the short term taking of an over the counter analgesic such as TYLENOL or IBUPROFEN although as you probably know taking the ibuprofen or drugs similar to it can lead to GI complications so their usage may be limited by other physical ailments you may have or side effects that you'll notice upon taklng them.
THEN, and this is important going forward, once your neck is FULLY HEALED which could still be a number of weeks into the future in order to prevent this type of problem in the future I would recommend a couple of preventative measures be considered.
1. Look at the boxspring and mattress and even pillow situation that you have. Has it been more than 10 years that you've changed your mattress? Do you actually FLIP your mattresses? If you have a box spring with your mattress is it possibly worn out in any part of it so that it has lost its support function for your ENTIRE body...not just the head. Obviously if other parts of your body are "sagging" at nighttime because the box spring is not sufficiently firm or stable then, YOUR NECK will ultimately be stressed and strained in the process.
2. What type of pillow are you using? Should you be considering the use of a CERVICAL ROLL at least on an occasional basis which whill help place your neck into a hypertended position once in awhile which can actually stimulate these groups of muscles that are probably UNDERWORKED or UNDERACTIVATED compared the flexor muscle group since human beings tend to look DOWN more while walking than looking UP. This means that in certain PASSIVE situations (such as while asleep) flexor activation may be more likely to occur than extension (unless you sleep on your back with your head close to the head of the bed which means it could potentially hang off in the morning.....I doubt that describes you from what you're writing about things). Anyways, talk to a therapist about the potential benefit of using a cervical roll. The most common one that is manufactured is called a XXXXXXX roll, however, you could make one yourself by taking some towels, rolling them up and taping across their length. You don't want to make the roll TOO THICK since that will cause either too much extension or if on your side too much lateral flexion. You can then, place the ROLL inside the part of your pillow that ends up being CLOSEST to your neck so that when you lie on your pillow the roll can help align the head and spine and possibly avoid problems again in the future if your issue was due to bad sleeping posture.
Here's a YOUTUBE video clip that explains and shows what I'm talking about very well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uyht690KZQ
And once again my dear Toronto young lady....if I've helped answer your questions would you do me the awesome favor of entering a 5-STAR rating on this run if you feel it was deserving of the Grand Prize? HAHA! And then, please let me know how things are going by dropping me a line at www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi and letting me know how things turn out?
You can always reach me DIRECTLY at the above address for this and other questions. I wish you the best with everything and hope our discussion has aided in your understanding of a few concepts related to your concerns.
CHEERS YOUNG TORONTO LADY!
This query required 130 minutes of professional time to research, assimilate, and file a response.
Improving pain status- Very Good Sign- No further Diagnostics Necessary
Detailed Answer:
Neck muscle STRAIN or compression of a peripheral nerve WITHIN a muscle itself which sometimes happens when branches or twigs of nerves get "stuck" in places where bony prominences lie in the trajectory of the nerve's course can take a very long time to finally resolve and that would even be after frequent and aggressive therapies such as ice and hot packs, massage, stretching exercises, Ultrasound/diathermy treatments, etc. I know because it's happened to me where one morning after a "funky" night of sleep I will awaken to a neck that just does not want to move.
So long as there is improvement in the pain and discomfort and there are no further or evolving symptoms that could signal worsening compression (as could happen in a compartment syndrome or mass lesion, etc) then, it's just a matter of time before the pain goes away. Stroke is not something that you should worry yourself about since pain is not the presenting symptom of stroke, rather sudden and inexplicable LOSS OF NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION (often times motor) is the red flag we look to identify. There really are not stroke syndromes we know of with the primary symptom of PAIN affecting the neck and shoulder in a characteristic MUSCULOSKELETAL sort of way.
I believe, however, that in the grand scheme of things my dear your IMPROVING pain status in the neck and shoulder is a very positive and good sign and that if you simply continued applying conservative treatments (I haven't heard that your GP ordered any THERAPY for you)....BTW, I'm not referring to chiropractic manipulation either....I'm talking about very gentle and controlled RANGING of the neck and shoulder muscles on the affected side. Yoga would be an exercise good for this particular situation if you're into that sort of activity. And then, you would want to be applying warm compresses to the neck and shoulder by way of warmed towels or heating pads....or Ultrasound/diathermy treatments THAT THE THERAPIST can apply.
There could also be some utility in the short term taking of an over the counter analgesic such as TYLENOL or IBUPROFEN although as you probably know taking the ibuprofen or drugs similar to it can lead to GI complications so their usage may be limited by other physical ailments you may have or side effects that you'll notice upon taklng them.
THEN, and this is important going forward, once your neck is FULLY HEALED which could still be a number of weeks into the future in order to prevent this type of problem in the future I would recommend a couple of preventative measures be considered.
1. Look at the boxspring and mattress and even pillow situation that you have. Has it been more than 10 years that you've changed your mattress? Do you actually FLIP your mattresses? If you have a box spring with your mattress is it possibly worn out in any part of it so that it has lost its support function for your ENTIRE body...not just the head. Obviously if other parts of your body are "sagging" at nighttime because the box spring is not sufficiently firm or stable then, YOUR NECK will ultimately be stressed and strained in the process.
2. What type of pillow are you using? Should you be considering the use of a CERVICAL ROLL at least on an occasional basis which whill help place your neck into a hypertended position once in awhile which can actually stimulate these groups of muscles that are probably UNDERWORKED or UNDERACTIVATED compared the flexor muscle group since human beings tend to look DOWN more while walking than looking UP. This means that in certain PASSIVE situations (such as while asleep) flexor activation may be more likely to occur than extension (unless you sleep on your back with your head close to the head of the bed which means it could potentially hang off in the morning.....I doubt that describes you from what you're writing about things). Anyways, talk to a therapist about the potential benefit of using a cervical roll. The most common one that is manufactured is called a XXXXXXX roll, however, you could make one yourself by taking some towels, rolling them up and taping across their length. You don't want to make the roll TOO THICK since that will cause either too much extension or if on your side too much lateral flexion. You can then, place the ROLL inside the part of your pillow that ends up being CLOSEST to your neck so that when you lie on your pillow the roll can help align the head and spine and possibly avoid problems again in the future if your issue was due to bad sleeping posture.
Here's a YOUTUBE video clip that explains and shows what I'm talking about very well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uyht690KZQ
And once again my dear Toronto young lady....if I've helped answer your questions would you do me the awesome favor of entering a 5-STAR rating on this run if you feel it was deserving of the Grand Prize? HAHA! And then, please let me know how things are going by dropping me a line at www.bit.ly/drdariushsaghafi and letting me know how things turn out?
You can always reach me DIRECTLY at the above address for this and other questions. I wish you the best with everything and hope our discussion has aided in your understanding of a few concepts related to your concerns.
CHEERS YOUNG TORONTO LADY!
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Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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