Here’s what I’ve noticed. If I wake up in the morning with a stiff back, maybe having slept in a less than relaxed position, a bit of movement, a hot shower, and sometimes some ibuprofen goes a long way. I feel a lot better quickly.
But, if it’s my neck that’s stiff, nothing works. I blast it with heat. I stretch it every which way. I massage it. I pop some ibuprofen. It never seems to get better at the same rate as my back does. Often it takes a full day to begin to improve. Sometimes I can still feel a bit of stiffness into the second day.
What gives? What makes the neck muscles different from the back muscles in this regard? Is it just me? What say you, hive mind?
(No, I’m not talking about meningitis or a herniated disk here. I’m just talking run of the mill awkward sleeping. I should also emphasize, since I started standing at my computer at work, I rarely experience muscle tension of any kind.)
