How do you treat a pulled neck muscle?
While a pulled muscle anywhere in the body is frustrating and painful, the neck may be the worst place to suffer an injury, as we use our necks every minute of every day. While neck strains and pulled muscles should always be treated by a medical professional, these simple tips can help you to treat neck pain at home. Step1-Get plenty of rest for the first few days after injury. Acute injury lasts for the first 2 to 7 days after a muscle injury and is characterized by hot, swollen and tender muscles. During this time, it is important to keep the neck as stationary as possible. Step2-Apply ice to your neck 10 to 25 minutes at a time, four to five times daily to help flush toxins from the muscles, reduce inflammation and soothe pain. When applying ice, make sure that you sit up and keep your head above your heart. Step3-Drink plenty of water as your neck heals. When muscles become injured, they release toxins into the surrounding tissues which can increase pain and stiffness. Drinking water keeps the muscles hydrated and helps the body to remove toxins. Step4-Use heat instead of ice after the acute injury has passed—that is, once swelling and a sensation of heat has reduced. Like ice, apply heat four to five times daily for 10 to 15 minutes to help increase circulation to the area and promote healing. If you notice a flare-up of pain or swelling after applying heat, use ice immediately afterwards. Step5-Perform gentle strengthening and stretching exercises once the acute phase has passed as well, to prevent loss of range of motion and promote healing. Neck injuries are delicate, so always speak to a doctor or physical therapist about what exercises you should do, when and how often. *Here are some stretches that I would recommend.. 1. Flexsion Stretch- Chin to Chest 2. Estension Stretch- Eyes to Sky 3. Rotation- Side to Side 4. Lateral Flexsion- Ear to Shoulder I hope that helped, and good luck I hope your neck gets better soon :)
Pulled my neck muscle..........?
This is common and called "torticollis," which translates to "tortoise collar." It is caused by muscle spasm on one or both sides of the neck (when both sides go into spasm, the neck can pull down between the collarbones, looking somewhat like a tortoise pulling his neck into his shell. When the spasm is only on one side, the head tips to that side and you may have difficulty standing straight or tipping it to the other side. The neck muscles are very strong. When they go into spasm, they contract and shorten, pulling the head to one side. Heat to the right side of your neck may help relax the muscle on that side. A hot shower, heating pad or wheat bag would help, as well as rest. It should go away in a day or two. If it doesn't get better or you have increased symptoms, you may want to see your doctor.
How do i treat a pulled muscle in my neck?
Hi, One of the best things you can do when you first pull or strain a muscle is to apply ice to the painful area. Put some ice in a plastic bag, then put the bag in a damp tea towel. Apply this to the painful area for about 15-20 minutes and repeat this every 2-3 hours for the first 24 hours. If the pain is very severe, taking some pain relief tablets may give extra benefit. Try some over the counter medications such as Panadol or Tylenol. After the first 24 hours from injury, light massage to the injured area can be helpful. You can also start to apply a heat bag to the area to enhance muscle relaxation. Gentle stretching exercises can also be commenced. Avoid painful movements for the first 48 hours, this will make the muscle spasm worse and increase your pain. Over the next week, slowly increase the depth of massage. A guide of how deep you should massage is that the muscle should not be more sore after you have stopped massaging. Your pain should subside within the next week. If not, please see a qualified health professional, such as a physiotherapist. Hope this helps.
Did I pull a muscle in my neck?
So yesterday i was walking and all I did was turn my head to look to the left and there was a big snapping/popping noise that came from the right side of my neck. I immediately felt pain up the backside of my neck and could only turn my head to the left or keep my head straight. Last night I took some pain reliever before i went to bed because the pain was so bad. This morning it feels a little better but i still can't look down, up, or to the right without excruciating pain. Did i pull a muscle or something more serious?
What is the most effective way to treat a pulled neck muscle?
manual cervical traction
How can I treat a pulled muscle in my jaw?
The ‘pulled muscle’ is in fact a muscle that now is in a state of continuous spasm and also has a few torn muscle fibres and a few torn blood vessels too and what it is trying to tell us with its symptoms of pain and tenderness and immobility is that it desperately needs some rest to recuperate from the trauma that it has suffered and that it also needs some pain-killers such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen and a temporary change of diet to a semisolid or liquid dependent on the severity of the symptoms ! Try also to observe a silence by not talking as it might aggravate the pain and impede the healing process ! Try also to get a good sleep at night with a glass of milk and a banana that will provide a slumber of a deep sleep and a complete recovery in 3 - 4 days if not earlier !
What is the most effective way to treat a pulled leg muscle?
Kate Simmons' answer above is excellent and pretty comprehensive.I'd like to make a few brief comments however:There is no 'dosage' mentioned, so the above RICE principles should be followed for the first 72 hours or so (the inflammatory period), before seeking the advice of a physiotherapist or medical professional.Again re dosage for Icing - it's important that you cap each icing session at 20 mins max. This is because you will elicit a 'hunting reaction' if you exceed this, whereby there is an opposite effect of vasodilation of the vessels as they try to limit possible tissue damage. With regards to frequency - in a perfect world it would be every hour or two, as possible.Compression is not used to "shore up" the tissue, rather to again limit the inflammatory processFinally, I do not advise my patients to routinely take anti-inflammatory meds (NSAIDs) as there is research showing that they can lead to delayed recovery times in ligamentous and tendinous structures. And the hamstring muscle group had tendon running all the way through it!An excellent answer though Kate. Thanks!
How long can a pulled neck muscle last?
I think that I might have pulled a muscle in my neck and it hurts. I think that it is the way that I sleep at night. I am not sure. I was beginning to think that something serious is wrong. I went to the DR and had her feel my lymph nodes in my neck because I felt some and I have been tired all the time, she didn't seem to think it was anything. She said she felt a little one but nothing major and my ears were clear. Well I have still been having pain in my neck like in my muscles and pain shooting in my ear and it has been like this for about a week. I think it is the way I sleep, or could it be something else? Would a pulled muscle last longer than a week?
What should I do if I pulled a muscle between my shoulder and neck?
I was given a neck exercise where you would reach over your head with your left hand and gently tug your head to the left hand side hold it there for about 5 to 10 secs and the same with the other side. One warning please don't pull too hard and when you tug make sure that your neck and shoulder either left or right which ever you are working with first is pulled a little taught as well till you feel the muscles reacting then release and repeat for about 10 times it should loosen up the tension and pressure build up in the muscle and joint.all the best