Question
Hello,

Occasionally I get a strained neck muscle while sleeping. Pain on flexing of the deep muscle that holds my head up, and there is no tingling or shooting pain or anything like that. Usually, I wrap a towel around my neck and sleep on my back with no pillow, and it clears up in 3 or 4 days.

However, this time it seems to be getting reinjured every single night while I sleep. During the day when I stand up at my job it gets better and by evening it is almost unnoticeable. But after I go to bed I will awaken sometime during the night with it hurting again.

I've tried every combination of sleeping: with and without a cervical collar, with and without a thin, thick, very thick pillow, on my side and back, even sitting up in a la-z-boy. It doesn't seem to matter. It's been going on now for almost three weeks.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Answer
Martin,

It's important to distinguish between an injury and a spasm.  Injuries require time to heal -- but they heal; spasms may go on indefinitely because there is no damage - it's a control problem.  Contracted muscles get fatigued and sore, as well as restrict movement.

You've already discovered that "outside" measures (such as a collar) don't help.  You've got to improve your control of the involved muscle(s) to the degree of being able to relax them.  Then, the pain will disappear.

Please see the articles on pain and on whiplash injuries (somatics.com/page4.htm) for more detail and measures you can take.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold