How urgent do you think this is?

[RoxMonster]

I want to preface this with saying that I haaaate going to the doctor and only do it when I absolutely have to. So it's saying a lot for me that I plan on going.

Starting yesterday, seemingly out of the blue, at the end of the school day, my neck was extremely stiff and painful. I could move my head up and down but turning it or tilting it to either side was possible but incredibly painful. The pain radiated up through the back and sides of my head as well. I always carry stress and tension in my neck/shoulders and have had a stiff or slightly sore neck before it times of stress but nothing like this. No trauma or anything weird happened to my neck that I am aware of.

I get home and throughout the course of the evening and a hot shower, it feels fine. Wake up today, feels fine. Go all day feeling fine (I was busy and running around like a mad person all day) and when I finally sit down for a spell during 7th hour, the same pain and stiffness returned and is still here somewhat but is lessening. When it's at its worst, it's a feeling of pressure/throbbing on the back/sides of my head and tension in my neck when at neutral. The horrible pain comes when moving my neck side-to-side.

I hate my doctor (yes I need to find a new one) but like the nurse practitioner alright. However, I missed one day of work already this week and am attending a conference in a few weeks so I hate missing again, and my doc only has appts. during the work day (8-4). There is no walk-in clinic here that my insurance covers, so I'd have to go to the ER.

Is this worthy of an ER visit? Tonight? Tomorrow night if it happens again tomorrow afternoon? Wait til this weekend? What would you do in my shoes?

[MWOS]

I only go to the ER if I am actively dying

[kme]

Lay down on a bed and bend your knees up towards your chest. Write back if the pain increases or not. K?

[RoxMonster]

Nov 6, 2013 20:08:44 GMT -5 kme said:

Lay down on a bed and bend your knees up towards your chest. Write back if the pain increases or not. K?

It does not.

[onomatopoeia]

Replying real quick during my class break...my Lyme disease started exactly like this. Even if you think you've never had a tick bite its worth a check. Or maybe a pinched nerve?

[RoxMonster]

Yeah I probably should get it checked out. Do you think it'd be OK to wait until tomorrow night? H works late tonight and the ER is in a bad part of town (there was a nurse assaulted outside of this hospital just a couple weeks ago), so I really want him to accompany me.

[onomatopoeia]

Nov 6, 2013 20:19:35 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

Yeah I probably should get it checked out. Do you think it'd be OK to wait until tomorrow night? H works late tonight and the ER is in a bad part of town (there was a nurse assaulted outside of this hospital just a couple weeks ago), so I really want him to accompany me.

I think you can wait, unless it gets worse or you get a splitting headache. Do you have a hot pad, or any muscle relaxer?

[midnightmare81]

Do you have a co-pay or a co-insurance responsibility? If so, it might still be more cost effective to go to urgent care as a cash patient/use your ins OON then the ER. If I remember correctly, it was only $100 for my urgent care visit (on a weekend when they charge more) vs my co-pay of $250 for the ER.

Honestly, I wouldn't run to the ER if it comes and goes. I get that sometimes, usually due to either stress or my body trying to fight something off (such as a cold/UR infection). That said, you know your body better then we do.

[RoxMonster]

I do have a hot pad. The pain is lessening on its own as well.

[firedancer49]

Sounds like a pulled muscle or more like a nasty knot. I get knots like that all the time and stretching and heat help it. Or dh will take his elbow or hand and work it out. If you're alone get in a hot shower with the stream hitting where it hurts and let it sit for a bit then move to another spot. Take some ibuprofen. Once I get them really bad it sometimes can take a week or so to get rid of.