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Pulled muscle in my neck...

dandaninc
dandaninc Posts: 392
in Fitness and Exercise
I was doing shoulders today and pulled a muscle in my neck. It hurts to tilt my head back and the pain is comming from the back of my neck on the left side of my body. (don't look at the my extra chin It's shrinking daily) hahahaha

7728353316_c146920caf.jpg
neckpain by dandaninc, on Flickr

My questions are...

What do you do to relieve your muscles if you pull them working out?

Is it better to use ice, hot pack, massage, or just to let it be and wait for the pain to subside?

Are there any good ointments or gels that I should purchase for future pulls and strains I might receive from thinking I'm stronger than I am or from accidentally doing an exercise wrong?

Thank you up front for your advice.

Replies

  • nickhuffman74
    nickhuffman74 Posts: 198 Member
    I love this stuff.

    http://www.biofreeze.com/
  • rmkramer003
    rmkramer003 Posts: 115 Member
    Well, I just pulled a muscle in my shoulder doing push-ups last week, so I kinda know how you feel. Usually I try to stretch the neck muscles as much as they'll let me. I take Advil for the pain and alternate hot and cold. And I avoid doing what it was that pulled it until it gets better. I'm not big on medication, so I don't know of any that would help. Hope you feel better soon.
  • lissyloo1988
    lissyloo1988 Posts: 37 Member
    bump, as I keep getting pain in the exact same spot!
  • dandaninc
    dandaninc Posts: 392
    Thank you! I plan to let it heal and let the swelling go down before I touch that exercise again.

    I'm also wondering what muscle it might be that i did hurt.

    Let's see if I casn find a good picture of shoulder muscles online.
  • xarge
    xarge Posts: 484 Member
    I don't know how you got it but keep hot/cold and rest it. Though I don't really like cold compress on back/shoulders or neck.

    If you have numbness, tingling, headaches or dizziness, you should be seeing a doctor because it means your strained more than just muscle and may have some nerve damage.

    Don't take any NSAIDs especially if you're stubborn to keep working out as without feeling the pain you may overstress the same ligaments again causing further damage. Use topical anti inflammatory drugs like voltaren gel if the pain is too much, again, not before workout.
  • dandaninc
    dandaninc Posts: 392
    I don't know how you got it but keep hot/cold and rest it. Though I don't really like cold compress on back/shoulders or neck.

    If you have numbness, tingling, headaches or dizziness, you should be seeing a doctor because it means your strained more than just muscle and may have some nerve damage.

    Don't take any NSAIDs especially if you're stubborn to keep working out as without feeling the pain you may overstress the same ligaments again causing further damage. Use topical anti inflammatory drugs like voltaren gel if the pain is too much, again, not before workout.

    No numbness, tingling, headaches or dizziness. Just pain.

    I would never take a pain medication before I work out so as to numb any pain but I do plan on taking a couple Advil tonight when I get home from work and can relax.

    Thank you for your advice.
  • dandaninc
    dandaninc Posts: 392
    Voltaren Gel has not been studied for use on the spine, hip, or shoulder. Talk to your doctor to see if a prescription for Voltaren Gel is right for you.

    Not sure if I should be tossing that stuff on my neck.
  • xarge
    xarge Posts: 484 Member
    Voltaren Gel has not been studied for use on the spine, hip, or shoulder. Talk to your doctor to see if a prescription for Voltaren Gel is right for you.

    Not sure if I should be tossing that stuff on my neck.

    It's because it wasn't aimed at sport injuries but osteoarthritis. It's a waste of money to make a study on other types of pain, especially short ones as it's a long term pain reliever. It's a typical topical NSAID on short term use but it's up to you whether to ask a doctor or not.
  • dandaninc
    dandaninc Posts: 392
    Ok thank you. I was just concerned.
  • xarge
    xarge Posts: 484 Member
    No worries, I still advice against any painkillers (not for this case only but in general) especially if you're trying to gain some muscle mass as NSAIDs are observed to inhibit muscle growth.

    And advil (ibunofren) is as evil as voltaren (diclofenac) in terms of side effects. It's best to know if you have a sensitivity or allergy against any kind before taking any anti inflammatory drugs in any case. I don't understand the whole mentality behind making anti inflammatory drugs OTC but that's a whole different story.

    Get well soon :flowerforyou:

    Oh and stretching for 10 minutes before workout if you're not doing it already!
  • dandaninc
    dandaninc Posts: 392
    I definitely need a better stretching regiment.

    I'm going to do some research online and see if I can put something together.

    :drinker:

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