neck and shoulder pain

Can you take Aleve?

I might suggest Robax, it's what I take when I have back spasms. I wonder if it would help your neck & shoulder... But check if it contains any NSAID, I am not sure about that.

As for stretches, some very gentle ones that I often do when I have stiffness or pain:

Wrap your arms around yourself (give your self a hug) and gently lower your chin to your chest. If it doesn't hurt, gently roll your head from side to side.

Sit in a chair with your knees about shoulder width apart. Gently bend over and place your hands or at least finger tips on the floor on either side of one foot. Hold for a bit. Then place your hands between your feet, hold. Then on either side of the other foot. (This actually helps stretch the back more, but may help with shoulder/neck too).

My favourite shoulder stretch uses a resistance band - do you have one? It's hard to describe so I was trying to find a youtube video of it and of course I can't find one. If you have a resistance band I will try to describe it to you.

Thanks for the suggestions. I am trying those stretches Serenity. Everything hurts on the left side.

It happens to me every few months and it's the worst. I can't turn my head left.

SO is away, so no rub, but it never really helps anyway, only for a moment. I am allergic to codeine. May try some tylenol but it never helps much. I know an advil/aleve would probably knock it out. I have robaxin but it doesn't help much. I am going to raid the cabinet. The icy-hot didn't do one iota.

This happens to me every few months too when I sleep in a funny position. It usually helps quite a bit to use a "magic bag" or rice bag that is heated up in the microwave. Just make sure it's not too hot and not directly on your skin. Use a sweater or a towel to act as a barrier.

Once it's been on your neck and shoulders for half an hour or an hour or so, I usually stretch by gently motioning my chin to my collar bone, switching from side to side.

There have been a few times I just haven't been able to get back to normal over a few days and have had to go see a massage therapist.

Hope you feel better!

Ice is better than heat. My husband is a massage therapist, and heat can actually make you hurt more because it pulls more blood to the area. Hope you get some relief!

I took the robaxin and some tylenol and it seemed to help, but last night was tough, just couldn't get comfortable. Now I am stiff as ever, probably in the worst of it. I will have to take some more of the relaxers and hopefully the worst passes quickly. Usually it's 3-4 days for the stiffness to go away. I need a new mattress & a massage therapist or chiropractor.

hah. If there was an article of how not to sit at a computer, there would be a picture of me.

I sit on the couch a lot... I am sure it's not helping my situation.

I am a little better now, but I was really stiff this morning. I probably have another 1-2 days of this.

A little better. It's a slow progress. Today is day 3. I think tomorrow it should be almost 100%. Thanks for asking. This happens every few months and nothing seems to help besides time, but the stretches definitely felt good.

Okay. Glad to hear it's getting a bit better. If you do come across any stretches or anything else in future that helps, please share with us. It seems many of us experience the same issue from time to time.

NSSG,

It’s a large up front cost but I don’t consider them expensive since you use it for ~8 hours a day and you will keep it for 5-10+ years and will effect your quality of life. What’s the cost of a bad/cheap mattress? Body pain, poor sleep, moodiness, poor job performance, other health issues?

Some of these places offer financing.

I am a horrible sleeper so I value a good mattress.

I still have a little stiffness today. Annoying. I am sure tomorrow I will be better. it's not terrible anymore, just a bit of lingering stiffness. I actually have a really firm mattress. It was cheap and it's foam. One of the newer types they sell on amazon. It's not very good, so i think a replacement is a good idea. Keith is right, it's your back & your body, sleep is so important to your overall health, and you do use it a lot. I should invest in something decent.

The pillow situation is another one entirely. I had a lot of different ones. Even ones specifically for cervical neck pain. I've had foam, a variety of them too. I recently got a smushy one and I prefer it. I sleep on my sides mostly. I don't know what I will do, but I wouldn't be surprised if a mattress is a worthwhile option to try. I've actually had these stiff necks with every mattress i've had though, over years and years. They just pop up one morning and you can't turn one direction without a lot of pain.

When this happens to me, if it's not incredibly painful, the best help is a massage and gentle stretching. I don't get shoulder pain per se, it's mostly neck, but a good massage therapist can push me a bit past the pain and get things loosened up a bit. Then I can work on it a little more by, over the next few days, using my hand to push my head left/right or up/down, to the point of discomfort and a wee bit past, turn my head left/right, up/down to the point of discomfort and a wee bit past, and each day I have extended the movement, and over about four or five days, it will get better.

I have a lot of trouble sleeping on anything but a very, very flat pillow. Anything else and I absolutely wake up with a stiff neck. I know someone said no heat, but that seems to help me gain movement better than ice.

Hope you're feeling better by now!