Hi guys,
For the past several years, I've been dealing with neck pain almost daily. It's not enough to stop me from enjoying my day or keep me from doing certain things, but it's definitely annoying.
I THINK it started sometime after a car accident ~4-5 years ago (a car rear-ended the truck I was a passenger in; we were stopped, they were probably doing 30-40). I had whiplash, but they took x-rays and said I didn't have any serious injuries. My neck does pop and crack on a regular basis (like many people with their knuckles or lower spine), and I sometimes lose the full range of motion until it pops several times.
Usually if I massage the muscles they'll eventually loosen up, but they may tighten up and cause pain within several hours. Sometimes I get nasty headaches from my neck muscles being so tight, and other times I may go several days without any pain at all. My job involves sitting at a computer, but even when I don't spend any time at a computer for several days I still have the pain. I usually sleep on a water bed, but even when I sleep on a regular mattress for a few days in a row I still wake with a sore neck.
I've talked to a few doctors about it, and none felt it was serious enough to get tests done (I haven't really pushed the issue much, though). One suggested that I spend 5-10 minutes laying with my head upside-down every day to uncompress the vertebrae; I tried it for a week, and it didn't make a difference. When it gets really bad (probably 1-2 times a week) I take ibuprofen, which usually does the trick within half an hour.
Any ideas? I don't think it's any too serious, but I sure would love to find a way to make it stop happening. I'm 23, 5'9, and ~160-165 lbs if that makes any difference. I do mild weight training as time permits, but no contact sports, racing, etc.
Thanks.
For the past several years, I've been dealing with neck pain almost daily. It's not enough to stop me from enjoying my day or keep me from doing certain things, but it's definitely annoying.
I THINK it started sometime after a car accident ~4-5 years ago (a car rear-ended the truck I was a passenger in; we were stopped, they were probably doing 30-40). I had whiplash, but they took x-rays and said I didn't have any serious injuries. My neck does pop and crack on a regular basis (like many people with their knuckles or lower spine), and I sometimes lose the full range of motion until it pops several times.
Usually if I massage the muscles they'll eventually loosen up, but they may tighten up and cause pain within several hours. Sometimes I get nasty headaches from my neck muscles being so tight, and other times I may go several days without any pain at all. My job involves sitting at a computer, but even when I don't spend any time at a computer for several days I still have the pain. I usually sleep on a water bed, but even when I sleep on a regular mattress for a few days in a row I still wake with a sore neck.
I've talked to a few doctors about it, and none felt it was serious enough to get tests done (I haven't really pushed the issue much, though). One suggested that I spend 5-10 minutes laying with my head upside-down every day to uncompress the vertebrae; I tried it for a week, and it didn't make a difference. When it gets really bad (probably 1-2 times a week) I take ibuprofen, which usually does the trick within half an hour.
Any ideas? I don't think it's any too serious, but I sure would love to find a way to make it stop happening. I'm 23, 5'9, and ~160-165 lbs if that makes any difference. I do mild weight training as time permits, but no contact sports, racing, etc.
Thanks.