To ask how the hell I get rid of a crick in my neck?

[cauliflowersfluffyandcabbagesgreen]

I slept funny last week and had a horrible crick in my neck. Over the last week it’s spread and my neck and back are now so horribly tight. I’ve tried hot showers, hot baths, a neck massager, everything I can think of and it won’t budge.

I'd go for a deep tissue massage via a physio

I had terrible shoulder blade pain and got dry needling done by my physio. Not nice but wondrous results

I've no advice
Haven't heard the expression
Crick in my neck for years.
Hope you get sorted.

Can you pinpoint the most painful area and then apply firm and increasing pressure/circular massage?
Or use a tennis ball and manipulate it between the wall/floor and the painful area to release the muscle spasms.
Alternating heat and ice helps too.
I totally commiserate, it’s excruciating and miserable 🤗

Take an anti inflammatory ie ibuprofen at regualr intervals if you haven't already

No massage etc is helping, I can’t really afford a massage 😕

There'll be a very painful point on the back of your shoulder just to the side of your neck - it will hurt to press down on it. Press hard and hold for 2 minutes when the pain from pressing should have lowered a bit.

Hang off a bar. Not kidding either.

Basics for me would be;
Ensuring youre sleeping with a single pillow. No more double pillows

Keep good posture, no head tilting to see the phone, or the tv, for days!!

Look on YouTube or tiktok for stretches, generally its things like looking down to your elbow, looking toward shoulder, looking up to the side, same on other side.

Hot bath, with head and shoulders submerged for approx 20 minutes

Hot water bottle held over the shoulder/back; I have one of those long Hot water bottles from b&m that effectively stretches from top to bottom or right over the shoulder depending where it is.

Good luck

All of the above, often to no avail, and then it will disappear as suddenly as it arrived, all of its own accord 🤔

Yep or pick up something heavy and hold it with one hand.

OP go and get it checked at the GP especially if there is a history of cancer in the family. I learnt this the hard way.

I had this, I was prescribed Naproxen and used lots of pain relief gel.

It took 2 weeks to go away.

Ibuprofen or naproxen
Heat pad or wheatie
Feather pillow
Deep tissue massage from a physio - is there any way you could scrape the money together

My sympathy, a wry neck is miserable.

Hang upside down with head hanging and arms dangling- off table or back of sofa.

Or tens machine.

Or if you have cash acupuncture- will be gone in 10mins with a good physio who does acu.

I had this about a month ago and it lasted two weeks, so you have my sympathy.

What helped was sleeping with one of those sticky heat pads on my shoulder and back, and actually just wearing it all day when it was bad. Ibuprofen every four hours and by the bed at night for when the pain woke me. Paracetamol in between when needed. Not sleeping on my front also helped even though I hated doing it because I'm a natural front sleeper.

I had one for three months this year….Very violent acupressure massage was what finally worked

i got serous burns doing this..don’t sleep in them!

Agree with the above. plus hot shower on the neck and back.
I used to get the old cricked neck..
One thing that really helped was wearing one of those airplane memory phone neck pillows around my neck if I had to sit at my desk. And a fleece top to keep my back muscles warm. I was tensing against chills. The neck pillow helped keep everything, supportive and relaxed.

After that.. but only when its died down, the you tube exercises are a very good idea

Definitely hang upside down. I have an inversion table that I use, but hanging over the edge of the bed or a table will work.

I’m not going to the gp because I’ve slept funny 😂

I’m not sure that the laughing emoji was entirely necessary towards somebody who just told you they or their loved one had cancer. They were trying to be helpful, even if it wasn’t for you.

Why wouldn't you get medical treatment for pain that's spreading to your back?

Even a pharmacy can advise.

I’ve booked myself a hot stone massage instead, the GP won’t see me for a crick in my neck!

I've always found that the origin of the pain in my neck is further down my back than seem logical.

I have a handheld massager and a shiatsu style device, and when I keep working the massager lower, I eventually find the spot and then the relief starts.

Do you have a heated throw? Sit with that on the highest setting wrapped all around the neck/ shoulder -whole area- for as long as you can. Ensure relaxed posture.
(slightly off topic- do we only get "cricks" in the neck ?)