I have hurt my neck and now it seems to tilt to the right...

[NotInTheMood]

I went to a concert on Friday night and wore an over shoulder bag on my right shoulder. I woke up Saturday with a crook in my neck... Now I can't turn completely to my left. Its just a constant pain. I've been taking paracetamol since Sunday just so I can sleep and make it through the day.

Now my head is tilted slightly to the right, I can't straighten out my neck because if i do, it hurts.

I've had a stiff neck before but this feels a lot worse what should I do??

See an osteopath.

My DH is a physio, you have slept badly on a tired shoulder/neck and now have muscle spasm. Tis very common.

This can take several days to calm down.
Keep it rested, move it very gently in all directions only to the point before it hurts, not to the point it hurts.

If you are allowed (not asthmatic etc) take nurofen as it is anti imflammatory. If not, continue with paracetemal regularly.

If not right after 4 days, see a physio!

A physio won't do anything until the spasms stop - which is the four day element!

An osteo shouldn't either, btw....

Ok thank you the pain is just wearing me down will keep taking pain relief

so he came in from work, and I questioned him...
Its called a wry neck!

Add heat for the discomfort - hot water bottle for example. Yes to gentle movements.

I was wrong on the four day .... it's 2 days!

Go see a physio after 2 days (DH is SE London if that helps!)
Worst case (unlikely) could be caused by slip disk (which is why you don't treat the spasm) so take care!

Thank you so much Shattereddreams its been agony the last few days but seems okish today so possible on the mend. I've been having to take pain killers every 4 hours the last few days to take the edge off but it doesn't feel so stiff today. It hurts when I mainly turn it to the left now. I am miles away form London but thank you for your advice

I have mild scoliosis and get this in my neck a lot. (about 4 times a year). I see an Osteopath who does deep tissue massage in the area which eases the muscle out of the spasm quite a lot. I come out of there with a fully mobile neck again, although it still hurts a lot.

One thing I was told though, is a muscle that is in spasm is inflamed. If you add heat to an inflamed muscle, it carries on being inflamed. If you add cold to the area instead, (frozen peas in a tea-towel) the coldness contracts the inflamation down again and it heals much much quicker.

So no hot baths or water bottles - Ibuprofen and ice are the way forward and an osteopath if it is really really bad.