Yet Another Cycling Forum

General Category => The Knowledge => Health & Fitness => Topic started by: andrewc on 25 August, 2009, 11:39:46 pm

Title: Pain in the neck..
Post by: andrewc on 25 August, 2009, 11:39:46 pm
I'm a keyboard basher by trade and probably don't have the worlds best posture but I've never had neck / back trouble before that wasn't caused by violent martial arts techniques, until now..

Just over 2 weeks ago I woke up with a sore neck on the right hand side. I went to work and it wasn't too bad, though sudden movements were painful.  Later that day I sneezed,  instant agony. By mid afternoon my neck & shoulder area was in spasm, any movement caused excruciating pain and my shoulder was hunched up by my ear.  I got a taxi home and the driver asked me if I wanted to go to A&E...

Painkillers and heat made it feel slightly better, the next day it still hurt to turn my head and riding was out.  I had a massage session and asked him to concentrate on the neck back & shoulders. That left me all relaxed and sleepy with a lot of the tightness gone.

Since then I've been swimming a few times to try & loosen the area up but it's still not right.  Sitting here now my neck still feels tense and I can hear/feel a crunching noise as I swivel it.  Area between the shoulder blades feels tight as well.

Time for the Doctors and ask for a physio referral ? 
Title: Re: Pain in the neck..
Post by: Sergeant Pluck on 26 August, 2009, 11:26:47 am
I'd say it might be worth a visit, although it sounds as if the natural recovery process in under way.
Title: Re: Pain in the neck..
Post by: LEE on 26 August, 2009, 04:18:13 pm
I required Osteo treatment a few years ago, for a really painful neck problem.

Osteopath asked:

1) Do you use a Laptop a lot?  (Answer - Yes)
2) Do you ever use the phone held between ear and shoulder?  (Answer - Yes)

He then told me that IT workers who did this paid for his house and holidays.

I got a separate, eye-level, monitor and a headset for my phone.

Problem solved.

Title: Re: Pain in the neck..
Post by: Jaded on 26 August, 2009, 05:16:18 pm
Do you cross your legs a lot? When I got bad neck/back pains it was one thing I was told to stop doing and it (or something else!) has stopped the pains.
Title: Re: Pain in the neck..
Post by: andrewc on 26 August, 2009, 09:00:45 pm
I required Osteo treatment a few years ago, for a really painful neck problem.

Osteopath asked:

1) Do you use a Laptop a lot?  (Answer - Yes)
2) Do you ever use the phone held between ear and shoulder?  (Answer - Yes)

He then told me that IT workers who did this paid for his house and holidays.

I got a separate, eye-level, monitor and a headset for my phone.

Problem solved.



Screens a decent height, but my headset is broken and I hate using it anyway.   I've a feeling a night spent reading & guzzling Merlot whilst sprawled in a U shape across the arms of an armchair may have been the initial cause.

Had a 30 minute massage earlier, which seems to have loosened my back up. I'm still getting a bit of crepitus when I move my head though.
Title: Re: Pain in the neck..
Post by: andrewc on 02 September, 2009, 06:14:55 pm
Just been to a physio and had my spine and neck* manipulated,  lots of clicks and crunches. Hopefully that will have sorted me out.

* Worryingly like the kill techniques I was taught in ju-jitsu!