Treating a crick in your neck on a performance day

[Angela Biggs]

I woke up this morning with a relatively mild crick in my neck, low enough so that it’s almost in the shoulder. I usually treat with heat, but I’m performing today and that doesn’t work very well, so right now I’m trying a cold pack. Today’s performance is a volunteer gig for my local arts center; if I’m not 100%, my career won’t end, so I’m not flipping out about this. However, tomorrow I have a paid gig, and it got me wondering — is there a reliable method to get rid of a crick in your neck?

I’ll occasionally use valerian (herbal muscle relaxant), but it really knocks me out, so I can’t use it before a job. I have to take it at 7pm, plan to go to bed at 8, and make sure my schedule is free until noon the next day. 🙂 Ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) is also out for me, because of the risk of vocal hemorrhage.

Usually this kind of thing goes away overnight, so I’m sure I’ll be fine for tomorrow. But what do you do when this happens on a day you need to be in top form?

Thank you!
Angela

[Tacye]

I find rub in ibuprofen seems to help slightly, and my stomach feels safer than taking it orally.

[Angela Biggs]

Thanks, Tacye! I had never heard of that, so I went and looked it up last night… and it turns out my shoulder did not reset itself overnight, so hubby is at the drug store now. 🙂 IcyHot, Tylenol, and an ice pack aren’t even touching the pain anymore; I couldn’t find a rub-in version of acetaminophen online, so I’m just going to have to take the risk with the IB!

[Author]

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