Any advice to rehabilitate a locked/stiff neck
quad damage
Hi,
Any advice to rehabilitate a locked/stiff neck.
Since Christmas I have been working late on a laptop at various locations, I set up two large duel screens for a few nights and thats when I totally locked up my neck. I should add my house has also been cold/drafty during some DIY alterations. Anyway Doctors signed me off for a few days and gave me lots of drugs. I have hit 40 and it feels like old age has just sucker punched me.
My neck is slowly getting better but once I'm back to normal I am seriously going to put some effort into getting fit as I don't ever want this to happen again.
Has this ever happened to you, neck or back problems and what did you do adjust in your life.
Any advice to rehabilitate a locked/stiff neck.
Since Christmas I have been working late on a laptop at various locations, I set up two large duel screens for a few nights and thats when I totally locked up my neck. I should add my house has also been cold/drafty during some DIY alterations. Anyway Doctors signed me off for a few days and gave me lots of drugs. I have hit 40 and it feels like old age has just sucker punched me.
My neck is slowly getting better but once I'm back to normal I am seriously going to put some effort into getting fit as I don't ever want this to happen again.
Has this ever happened to you, neck or back problems and what did you do adjust in your life.
Replies
Second, stay hydrated, and stretch.
Third, if you don't want to emulsify your spine, work at a desk where you can have good posture. Even when moving around from place to place, a kitchen table is better than cross-legged on the couch or a sitting in a bed for working.
I had a real ugly problem with a couple vertebrates pinching a nerve that put my hands in painful spasm. My doctor said it was carpal tunnel, and I needed surgery. My chiropractor found the problem and got me fixed up fine.
I've heard people having the issue with dual monitors and looking right (or left) instead of straight on.
Personally, I rank a massage therapist higher than a chiropractor, most back problems are muscle problems.
I mean the guy who founded it went to prison for practicing medicine without a license.
I would find a real doctor.
It's not scary/hardcore/quackery, it's a standardised practice in the NHS for chronic pain sufferer's. I was lucky to get a spot on a pain management program for my condition.
Here's some exercises that should help, after 3 weeks on this program people were walking when they started in wheelchairs. They were more aware of the body's needs, i can now do 4 days 9-5 a week, while prior i struggled 14 hours work a week. I've also stopped the majority of painkillers that i've been on for half my life so that's a bonus.
http://imgur.com/a/CxB3m
5 second stretches are a daily routine for me and it helps work out a lot of the stiffness.
This is not a cure all quackery. It helps manage a condition and improve, not cure.
It might sound obvious, but there seems to be an awful lot of bad habits amongst the digital arts community. People sitting at an angle at their desks, some using an iron claw fist when holding their stylus, some sitting in the softest chair possible which in turn completely locks the body in place ... the list goes on.
On top of following the recommendation of health professionals, my advice would be for you to have a honest look at your workstation and put the time and effort to get rid of each and every little inconvenience. This might require you to build a new desk from scratch, to buy new hardware, and so on. All this comes with a cost, but health is too important to ignore !
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[FONT="]I had a look around a gym so going to get back in shape as I believe that’s the route of the cause, then work more efficiently, eat healthy and the new mission starts this week
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I get a monthly massage to loosen things up and it's helped tremendously. I thought I was going to be done with computers at one point but it saved me.
For daily neck muscle happiness, I HIGHLY recommend getting one of these weird lookin' things - [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Body-Back-Buddy-Self-Massage-Tool/dp/B0006VJ6TO"]Amazon.com: Body Back Buddy Self-Massage Tool: Health & Personal Care[/ame]
You can use them to work on almost any knotted up muscle on your body, but I've mostly used mine for my upper back and it's made a WORLD of difference. They're easy to use while you sit at your desk. Get into the habit of stretching, work on your posture, and snag one of these guys... it won't solve world hunger, but it's helped me a ton.
Edit: As a side note: be your own advocate in stuff like this. Be vocal and continue to push for a diagnosis and treatment. So many doctors, especially GP's, just want to write an Rx and be done with it. If your insurance allows it, find a specialist and seek out help.
If your at a desk work station, ALWAYS have your monitors set to eye level. You should never be looking down or up, and also craning your neck sideways because you've got a second monitor setup too far away from your neutral position is not going to do yourself any favours heh.
And generally try not to lean forwards all the time, that will wear anyone down pretty quickly.
I've been through it all myself and Chiropractors are definitely worth it :thumbup:
It's gonna be a work station posture problem, drugs only treat symptoms not the cause. Good luck with it man
Went to the gym twice a week, which cleared up my carpal tunnel issues (With a lot more stretching).
If I ever sat down again, I'd recommend a Herman Miller chair.
I also no longer use my laptop given the awkward positioning it requires of me to have to effectively use it.
Another thing I had to do was become more active. I realized I spent almost my whole waking day sitting down, so I try to move around whenever I get the chance. Working out, and allowing blood to properly flow through the body is pretty huge with dealing with discomfort.
I don't think any of these will 100% solve all discomfort while working since some of it might be a matter of mileage (getting older and or past injuries). Regardless, it will definitely help.
I read a cool article on lifehack:
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/01/17/wwii-workout-week-posture-training/
slouching doesn't necessarily have to be bad. It can be a good thing for people with lumbar pain. Sitting "straight" puts all the weight of the rest of your body on the lumbar vertebrae. (I got this from an orthopedic surgeon).
What's bad though is if you remain in the same position for too long, because a single part of your spine has to carry your weight all the time. If anything, make sure you change posture frequently. get up. slouch, sit straight. just don't sit still. That's the reason those huge plastic balls work for some people - you can't really sit still on them for too long.