Owww! What HAVE I done to my neck?

[Sparkler]

Picked up DD2 (6) the other day and tried to put her onto my shoulders. She was too heavy and I only got as far as sitting her on the top of my head. Put her straight back down again but ever since I have had a really stiff, painful neck. The pain is going down my neck, across my shoulders and up into the back of my head. The last two mornings when I've woken up it's been agony.
Just dosed myself up with paracetamol and ibuprofen this morning but am worried cos we fly off on holiday in a week and a half. Don't want to have problems while we are away.
Going to make a docs appointment in the morning just to be sure.

sounds like you have puuled something!

my sympathies.......neck pain is hell. do you have any ibrufen or anything??

Could be anything from bruising to one of the joints to muscle spasm. Booking a GP appointment a good idea to get it checked over.

Until then use painkillers, ice/heat packs whichever you find most relieving (normally ice for inflammation and heat for spasm) and try to keep your neck moving 5 reps of looking down, looking up, tipping to the side L and R and then looking to the side L and R. If you cant managed this lay down with a firm pillow under head and just do rotations. The other thing you can try is a movement called retraction - as it sounds where you try and retract head backwards - straight back dont tip it up or down, to the point of pain, hold couple of secs and release, repeat as many times as need to for pain relief. Move at least 2 hourly.

Try changing pillows as well, ideally spine should be straight.

Generally 'sore' necks clear fairly quickly hope yours clears in time for hols.