Question
Hi, I have an issue I was hoping I could get some thoughts and maybe advice on.
For the past several months(roughly 7)I have been experiencing minor to severe pain in my neck. How bad it is varies from day to day and it seems to be worse during warm streaks than during the cold, but it never goes away completely. Ice hardly helps at all and I'm not a medication kind of person. Also, with the exception of the absolute worst days, it does not hurt if I keep still - once I start bending my head back the pain gets increasingly severe until it's unbearable, and if I bend my neck far forward it hurts as well. I cannot look up anymore without leaning awkwardly to avoid the pain. Sometimes there is an unsettling crunching noise to go along with the pain.
A part of the spine feels odd to the touch to me, but it very well could have felt that way before and its just been so long that I've forgotten that was normal.

The story behind it:
I was with a younger friend who insisted I tried skateboarding and after a few days I was doing pretty well and (over)confidence was high. While speeding down an old street the skateboard's wheels caught in a crack and threw me off. I fell in the direction I was traveling but on my back with arms behind me. My head never hit the ground but I instantly rolled to my feet and grabbed the sides my head without thinking, I could not hear my friends shouting only an intense grinding noise which seemed to be coming from within my head/neck. Only once it had stopped did I notice other injuries and as a result shrugged that weirdness off. I had sprained both wrists and had many scrapes, but it's like that never happened, only the neck pain persists.
When I saw a doctor for my wrists I never brought up the neck problem, I assumed it was nothing, and have since kept it a secret to avoid hassle, though some people know how much it bothers me. At this point I doubt it's serious since it's gone on so long and seeing a doctor at this time is simply not feasible.

Sorry for the very long message, I just thought it'd be better to give too much information than to give too little.
If you have any slight clue of what could have gone wrong or ways to help improve the pain/mobility I'd love to hear it.
Thank you.

Answer
Dear Cheyenne,

I am not sure what you mean about seeing a doctor as not being feasible.  You need to have the neck examined, and you need x-rays of the neck as well.  I don't care what else is a concern here...get to the doctor!!  I would recommend a chiropractic physician because we are the experts when it comes to musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction.  However, do not see a chiropractor that does not have x-ray capability on site...do not get you neck adjusted without an x-ray here.

Listen you had forceful trauma to the neck with ongoing pain since.  This is not a minor concern. The neck is a very complicated anatomical structure and it is very susceptible to injury due to the great range of motion in that region.  You could have fractured the neck vertebra, you could have disc bulging, ligamentous tearing on the spine with instability, or worse.  This needs to be explored to rule out serous concerns first, and then you can focus on getting rid of the pain and regaining function.

Choose a chiropractor with additional training in sports injuries, orthopedics or trauma if you can find one.  Ask about their credentials and the coursework they have taken.  They should examine the head, neck, and upper back regions together for function.  This should include active ranges of motion, resisted ranges of motion, orthopedic tests, neurological tests, deep tendon reflexes, as well as muscle strength testing.  And yes...X-rays need to be taken, the exam will determine which views to take (minimum of a three view series), and if orthopedic testing warrants, you may need an MRI.

Bottom line Cheyenne, find a good doctor, get the examination, and address this problem. The longer you wait to address this issue, the worse the ability to get you back to normal.  You have to live the rest of your life with that neck...take care of it now before this becomes a larger problem.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoastehalthcare.net