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What Causes Pain And Stiffness In Neck?
Question: My husband is 79 yrs. old. Last Friday and Saturday the left side of his neck was slightly stiff. Sunday night it got progressively worse and painful. When I got up at 8 am he was in the lounge chair with an ice pack and in severe pain. He said he almost cried. When I touched his neck gently with my fingertips to put on Biofreeze, he said it was so painful it felt like a boil. (9 on pain scale). He took 50 mg of Tramadol and a few hours later 5 mg of Diazepan. I continued to lightly massage and apply Biofreeze, and by 2:00 a.m. Tuesday, he was able to find a comfortable position in bed. We think a lot of this is just from having watched TV with his head turned slightly to the left, and having been in the passenger seat of the car and turning his head to talk to the driver while on two excursions Saturday and Sunday. Today, the pain is down to a 1 or 2 on the pain scale, his temperature is normal. Would appreciate your opinion and advice, and would like to know if we should apply heat or cold. Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Description below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for your query.
These pain and stiffness as you might have figured out are posture related. Though self limiting, it need not be underestimated.
All he need to do is correct his posture habits, like appropriate neck position while working on computer, avoiding pillow while sleeping, or while making sudden movements. I assure you this discomfort will go away unless he do something to aggravate it in his routine.
He may consult physiotherapist for further guidance. He may start TENS, or ultrasound which is helpful in his case.
Rest is the trick here. He may benefit from hot fomentation and frequent stretch breaks at work.
If it still fails to subside have it examined and investigated by your Orthopaedician soon.
I do hope that you have found something helpful and I will be glad to answer any further query.
Take care
Description below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for your query.
These pain and stiffness as you might have figured out are posture related. Though self limiting, it need not be underestimated.
All he need to do is correct his posture habits, like appropriate neck position while working on computer, avoiding pillow while sleeping, or while making sudden movements. I assure you this discomfort will go away unless he do something to aggravate it in his routine.
He may consult physiotherapist for further guidance. He may start TENS, or ultrasound which is helpful in his case.
Rest is the trick here. He may benefit from hot fomentation and frequent stretch breaks at work.
If it still fails to subside have it examined and investigated by your Orthopaedician soon.
I do hope that you have found something helpful and I will be glad to answer any further query.
Take care
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Dr. Saurabh Gupta
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Joint Replacement
Practicing since :2004
Answered : 5930 Questions
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