Kink in neck, playing in 2 days. Help!

[bones75]

I've been looking forward to playing this Sunday all week.  I woke up w/ a kink in my neck (where I feel a muscle strain when I look to the left).  I've already googled this a fair amount this morning (long hot showers, ice packs, ibuprofen), but wondering if there is a golfer's trick in accelerating the healing of this.

[Gator Hazard]

2 hours ago, bones75 said:

I've been looking forward to playing this Sunday all week.  I woke up w/ a kink in my neck (where I feel a muscle strain when I look to the left).  I've already googled this a fair amount this morning (long hot showers, ice packs, ibuprofen), but wondering if there is a golfer's trick in accelerating the healing of this.

Not sure you can, one of those things that takes time.  If its inflammation related and you had some extra Prednazone (anti inflamatory steroid) l'd say to take two a few hours before you play but that would be bad advice.  Rest and what you are doing are probably the best thing you can do and see how you feel Sunday.  Hoping for the best.

[IrishAndy]

Picked up loads of temporary boo boos since getting back into golf.  Had a kink in the neck a few weeks ago.  For me they last a few days but it tends to be that I wake up one morning and it has gone vs. any miracle cure or particular stretching exercise.  They are incredibly annoying.  Anti inflammatories definitely help.

[billchao]

3 hours ago, bones75 said:

I've been looking forward to playing this Sunday all week.  I woke up w/ a kink in my neck (where I feel a muscle strain when I look to the left).  I've already googled this a fair amount this morning (long hot showers, ice packs, ibuprofen), but wondering if there is a golfer's trick in accelerating the healing of this.

Every once in a while I'll get a minor strain in my neck from practicing. There aren't any tricks to make it heal faster, only things you can do to make it not hurt as much. Even if it isn't causing you pain or discomfort it doesn't mean you aren't hurt. If you play through that you run the risk of further injury. My recommendation is rest until you are 100%.

I pulled something in my lower back yesterday at work. I couldn't even bend down or really sit yesterday without shooting pain down my right side. Today it's a dull ache and I'd say I regained 90% of my range of motion already, albeit with some minor discomfort. I could probably play tomorrow morning if I take an Advil but I already cancelled my tee time. I'm not going to risk aggravating it further.

[Club Rat]

A Massage will help soothe the ache.

And maybe a trip to the Bone Cracker.

[dennyjones]

Do you have access to an inversion table?  

[Mr. Desmond]

I have a shiatsu massager and turned on the power and placed one of the points on my neck, and massaged the kink gently (it had been around for 2 days) - it was gone a few hrs later.

[bones75]

Thanks for sharing.  @Mr. Desmond I my try the shiatsu thing as I really want to play (no access to an inversion table tho @dennyjones. That said, I appreciate the other posters too. I had a bad kind a few years ago that kept me out of the game for almost 2 weeks.

@Club Rat strange thing is after doing some research I think the culprit was a massage I got yesterday. The consensus from medical websites seems that you damage your neck by some stress, but don't feel it until you wake up the next day because it stiffens overnight.  I got a hard massage yesterday, the first time in a long while, and this morning I woke up w/ the kink, so I think that's got to be the source.

[RandallT]

All I'm gonna say is be careful. I've been out all season basically. I thought it was something I could get through, as I have in the past. 

In my case it's arthritis from aging, and I just need more recovery time and physical therapy. Probably something I'll be battling from here on out to some degree. But every time I go out and swing too much, the kink comes back. Doc says to just wait it out, get stronger and more flexible. Been since late April!!

[Mr. Desmond]

12 hours ago, bones75 said:

Thanks for sharing.  @Mr. Desmond I my try the shiatsu thing as I really want to play (no access to an inversion table tho @dennyjones. That said, I appreciate the other posters too. I had a bad kind a few years ago that kept me out of the game for almost 2 weeks.

@Club Rat strange thing is after doing some research I think the culprit was a massage I got yesterday. The consensus from medical websites seems that you damage your neck by some stress, but don't feel it until you wake up the next day because it stiffens overnight.  I got a hard massage yesterday, the first time in a long while, and this morning I woke up w/ the kink, so I think that's got to be the source.

I also have a Teeter, but it's the hand held massager that did the trick. As to massages, I get them about once per month, stress builds up, and you must drink a lot of water after the massage, especially after they've grinded your muscles down. Keep drinking.

Edited September 16, 2017 by Mr. Desmond

[bones75]

@Mr. Desmond good call on drinking water after a massage.  Need to remember that.

So after consulting some more medical/sports therapy websites, here's what worked for me this morning FFR.  I would say i'm 95% fixed!

Took a long hot shower, water hitting the back of my neck.  Flexed stomach and chin tucked in, slowly moved head back and forth right and left.  Kept doing it going as far as I could, but stopping as soon as there was any pain/discomfort.  Slowly the range of motion increased until it basically went away!

The internet.... it can be sooo bad and sooo good sometimes.

[Mr. Desmond]

Just now, bones75 said:

@Mr. Desmond good call on drinking water after a massage.  Need to remember that.

So after consulting some more medical/sports therapy websites, here's what worked for me this morning FFR.  I would say i'm 95% fixed!

Took a long hot shower, water hitting the back of my neck.  Flexed stomach and chin tucked in, slowly moved head back and forth right and left.  Kept doing it going as far as I could, but stopping as soon as there was any pain/discomfort.  Slowly the range of motion increased until it basically went away!

The internet.... it can be sooo bad and sooo good sometimes.

Glad it worked. Did that, too, for 3 days but did not work for my stubborn neck - slept on it wrong.

[Lihu]

23 hours ago, bones75 said:

I've been looking forward to playing this Sunday all week.  I woke up w/ a kink in my neck (where I feel a muscle strain when I look to the left).  I've already googled this a fair amount this morning (long hot showers, ice packs, ibuprofen), but wondering if there is a golfer's trick in accelerating the healing of this.

Icy hot along the length of the neck on the side that hurts, and a little bit on the opposite side as well. Also, in the shoulder blades. Then stretch slowly in all directions.