Neck/throat...

I had a little adventure on the mountain bike Sunday, went down hard and fast - a bit of whiplash and wrenched my lower back. The oddest thing...and I am unsure what to think.

Sunday, yesterday, and most of today the back of my neck was stiff and sore...only to be expected, but yesterday was a little better and today even better. Tonight, however, the FRONT of my throat above my collar bone is sore to the touch, and I am especially aware of it when lying flat and rising. I assume this is from the "snapping" action when I fell, this would probably be the part that stretched the most and is likely swollen.

I've been taking ibuprofen and napraxon sodium (not at the same time), and ice the first day or so. Would heat be a good thing at this time for my throat? Thankfully my back has been better each day and I canceled my strength training session tonight just to be safe.

There isn't any numbness or shooting pain, not in neck or back...I just wasn't sure if heat would help my throat/neck on the third day or if ice is called for. That has always confused me... Thankfully it was a fun ride and the weather was great...I probably will stick to the road until I am sure that both neck and back are fine. Each day things are much better than the day before so I don't think there is any damage, just some bruising from the wrenching of both back and neck.

Don't have advice but hope you feel better.

Shannon

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I had a little adventure on the mountain bike Sunday, went down hard and fast - a bit of whiplash and wrenched my lower back. The oddest thing...and I am unsure what to think.

Sunday, yesterday, and most of today the back of my neck was stiff and sore...only to be expected, but yesterday was a little better and today even better. Tonight, however, the FRONT of my throat above my collar bone is sore to the touch, and I am especially aware of it when lying flat and rising. I assume this is from the "snapping" action when I fell, this would probably be the part that stretched the most and is likely swollen.

I've been taking ibuprofen and napraxon sodium (not at the same time), and ice the first day or so. Would heat be a good thing at this time for my throat? Thankfully my back has been better each day and I canceled my strength training session tonight just to be safe.

There isn't any numbness or shooting pain, not in neck or back...I just wasn't sure if heat would help my throat/neck on the third day or if ice is called for. That has always confused me... Thankfully it was a fun ride and the weather was great...I probably will stick to the road until I am sure that both neck and back are fine. Each day things are much better than the day before so I don't think there is any damage, just some bruising from the wrenching of both back and neck.

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My rule of thumb (hasn't caused me any lasting damage thus far! ;)) is for ice if it's hurts/is visibly swollen, and heat if it's a muscle-ache kind of pain.

Feel better!

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Originally Posted by Owlie

My rule of thumb (hasn't caused me any lasting damage thus far! ;)) is for ice if it's hurts/is visibly swollen, and heat if it's a muscle-ache kind of pain.

Feel better!

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Sounds like a good rule of thumb, thanks! This comes from being so sedentary for most of my life, so I need to learn those things now :) There is so much conflicting information on the internet...

Most of the swelling is gone, things have settled down to one of my stabilizer muscles at the front of my throat/neck, and on the back of my neck. I think I really strained those muscles. It almost feels like my collar bone...but I can feel the sore muscle with my fingers. I must have REALLY stretched those when I hyperextended my neck.

Was on the trainer today for about 10 minutes (testing one at the LBS) and my neck wasn't happy with me...so back to ibuprophen and being good, I really WANT to ride my bike tomorrow (my birthday)! It is going to be sunny and warm!

Have you tried a massage? Years ago, I fell hard off the bike and strained my neck (nice hit on the head, broke the helmet) in such a way I could not lift my head when I was laying down... to get up, I had to roll on my side. Two 30-min massage sessions did wonders.

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Originally Posted by Catrin

Most of the swelling is gone, things have settled down to one of my stabilizer muscles at the front of my throat/neck, and on the back of my neck. I think I really strained those muscles. It almost feels like my collar bone...but I can feel the sore muscle with my fingers. I must have REALLY stretched those when I hyperextended my neck.

Was on the trainer today for about 10 minutes (testing one at the LBS) and my neck wasn't happy with me...so back to ibuprophen and being good, I really WANT to ride my bike tomorrow (my birthday)! It is going to be sunny and warm!

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Happy early birthday! This is the third year in a row that I haven't been able to get out on my birthday since I had the bike. I owe myself a 24-mile ride one of these days...or maybe a 48-miler? ;)

I DID go for an easy, gentle 10 mile ride today but put off my official birthday ride for a week or two.

Good your taking it easy.. Perhaps we can come back over for your belated birthday ride. Let's see what the next few weeks hold. :)

Happy birthday, Catrin!

Might a chiropractor help? I really jammed my neck when I did my faceplant in December ... it was several weeks before I got a line on a good chiropractor, because I didn't want to just go to anyone, but when I did, I literally left her office feeling a foot taller after the first adjustment.

I am giving it another week before I will see someone. It really is better each day, and I've been told by others who have had similar things happen that it does seem to take about 2 weeks for all the inflammation to go away. My insurance doesn't cover a chiropractor anyway. My PCP is an osteopath, I suspect there is something he can do, though my insurance doesn't cover OMT either...

Things felt pretty good after my little ride today...I think that I will can start pushing a bit after another day or so. I meet with my trainer Tuesday evening and that will be the test. I only met with him once last week rather than twice, and we didn't do much with the upper body, or things that really involved the neck. We will see what things feel like Tuesday...

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Originally Posted by Catrin

I DID go for an easy, gentle 10 mile ride today but put off my official birthday ride for a week or two.

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Happy Birthday, Catrin. I'm glad you at least got out for an easy ride today.

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Originally Posted by Roadtrip

Good your taking it easy.. Perhaps we can come back over for your belated birthday ride. Let's see what the next few weeks hold. :)

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I will be mountain biking as often as the weather allows...but I would like the chance to do my birthday ride which is to "ride my age"...52 miles :) Doesn't have to be at one time, but it must be on the same day.

The neck seems to be improving as the inflammation decreases - I will take it :D

I second massage. We had a car wreck in March that left my husband with whiplash. He is leery of chiropractors and didn't want to visit one, plus his insurance wasn't going to cover it. My cousin is a massage therapist and worked with him to alleviate the pain/stiffness.

My Mammaw also saw great success after having a lengthy bout of asphyxiation pneumonia. She was bed ridden so long and had trouble maintaining nutrients she had to go through physical therapy because her muscles were so weak and stiff. She felt like her niece (my cousin) was able to get a lot of that stiffness worked out where she could get home quicker. She said she has "healing hands".

I am beginning to wonder if I DID hurt myself, though I may simply need a stronger anti-inflammatory... The muscular soreness is departing but there is a place in my neck-bone that is just staying tight and while my right arm generally does get all numb and tingly when I walk with it hanging down, it is worse than normal. Of course, that doesn't mean all of the inflammation is gone now that it is harder to find places sore to the touch... I will give it a few more days.

Did you get an X-ray? I'm wondering if it could be a broke collar bone, since it's a really common cycling injury.

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Originally Posted by redrhodie

Did you get an X-ray? I'm wondering if it could be a broke collar bone, since it's a really common cycling injury.

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No, but I can't see how it can be that as my neck/throat never actually hit anything...and it is the opposite side of my body that hit the ground and as the muscle soreness leaves so does the discomfort at the front of my throat, it seems apparent that it was from whiplash rather than a bone related injury. When I fall I always keep hold of my bars and allow the side of my body to take the fall, not my hand/arm.

Things went much better in spinning class last night and the only real discomfort left is in the back of my neck a couple of inches below the base of my skull, on the right side of my neck. I wouldn't call it painful, just tight and uncomfortable. Rubbing it doesn't help...if it doesn't ease soon I will see my dr who is an osteopath...