1) Exhausted me to the core
2) Made me a professional procrastinator (hence this post)
3) Caused neck spasms!!!
The third point is why I'm writing today. Three weeks ago my neck cramped up so badly that I had to lift my head off the bed with my hand. After a lot of at home massaging I decided to get a professional massage to try to loosen up all my muscles. The fifty minute massage was well worth the money because I was feeling 80% the next day. Being an active (overly spastic) person I pushed my luck the next day by playing racquetball against myself. After three swings, yes only three, my neck cramped back up and I could barely turn my head. I slept in a bed by myself that night to try to minimize the number of obstacles I have to curl around in the bed (two dogs and a big immovable boyfriend), but I woke up the next morning unable to lift my head with my neck once again.
I went to school for our lab meeting and was convinced by my advisor (it's nice to have an advisor that cares) to go to the doctor ASAP to get some relief. Seven minutes later health services took me in. The doctor poked around for a little while and then stuck her finger in the small muscle nodes right at the base of my skull. These muscles, little did I know, are what enable you to tilt your head front to back and side to side. As soon as she touched the muscles my eyes teared up. I had no idea I had reflexes like that!
She prescribed me some muscle relaxants to alleviate some of the pain, but also suggested going to physical therapy for weekly massages and electrical stimulation (both of which have helped tremendously). She also taught me a great trick for all you long straight necked people out there...sleep without a pillow. Growing up I remember chucking the pillow mid-way through the night, but I always thought that was just one of the weird-o things I did not really a useful one. Low and behold sleeping flat has alleviated more pain than anything else. I'm a no-pillow convert!
Honestly, it was a bit hard to get comfortable the first night because I'm typically a side sleeper, but once I settled onto my back I was off in dreamland with a perfectly aligned, low stress sleeping position. Of course I still have to navigate around the two dogs and immovable boyfriend to get comfortable, but I guess I choose to have so many bed obstacles :)
Now when I wake up I feel rested and with a more flexible neck! Just like in the old days (see below).
