Last month I fell off my bicycle and hit my head on the ground. It felt like I was body slammed. I didn't consider that I had a concussion or whiplash so I didn't go to the Dr or do any concussion protocol care. BIG MISTAKE! The week after my fall I continued to work, workout, bike ride, hike. By the end of the week I felt awful. I had a fever, stomach pain. My head hurt and my neck and shoulders were locked up. I couldn't turn my head. I had no range of motion and just wanted to sleep. I did have a covid test to rule out that possibility. Thankfully, it was negative. The muscles in my neck and upper shoulders were extremely tight. I realized this was a result of whiplash. Who would've thought falling off of a bicycle could result in such pain? Maybe if I had taken care of myself after the fall, I wouldn't have felt so bad.
FYI: If you ever hit your head, go to the Dr., limit physical activity, avoid TV and reading and rest A LOT! I went to the chiropractor. I rubbed all kinds of relief creams on my neck each night. I borrowed a friend's neck hammock and massage gun. I even got a massage a couple of times. The therapist commented that the tissue damage was more than I had realized. Perhaps I did more damage by not taking it easy after the fall. All these methods helped, but what made a big difference was the mobility exercises my friend and trainer from Core Movement showed me. I did these simple exercises as often as I could. Over time my range of motion improved and I could turn my head without pain. It's amazing how the body will do whatever it can to protect itself and heal itself given the tools. These are the exercises I was given: |
