Pain. It comes in many forms. Physical, mental, and emotional. When it comes to physical pain, I feel I have had the least experience with it. I have never broken a bone or sprained a muscle, despite being very active throughout my childhood.
In the past couple months, however, I pulled my neck. It is very likely that this occurred while I was asleep. That morning, my pillows were piled on the floor, and my neck was stiff. I must have knocked them off while unconscious and then positioned my neck badly.
It was quite an experience, opening my eyes to how much we use our necks from day to day. I could barely move it; it was nearly impossible to sit up, walk, drive, eat, or even just relax comfortably. It was not improving at all even as days passed, and the pain was so strong I would go lightheaded and nearly pass out just trying to wash my hair and brush my teeth.
The next step was to get a medical provider involved. Nothing was broken, but despite being invisible, my pain was very real. I was prescribed steroids for six days as well as a cream to apply.
Steroids were another challenge; I had to take them with my meals at the same time each day. This was difficult for me, as I usually have a crazy schedule each day and eat at different times. Along with this, steroids do affect mood, so I was very irritable constantly. Small things would anger me to an extreme degree. But it did get better—my whole mood did—when I finally started to see results.
It took about two weeks to heal and be able to move my neck in any way. The pain was one-sided and definitely disrupted my balance internally as well as externally. The blood was rushing to the left, and my life was slightly irregular for a period of time, even having to take a break from working.
Pain is connected in many ways, and my physical pain did bring down my mood significantly. I felt helpless, unable to do anything but lay in bed. I felt unmotivated, upset, and, of course, likely angry at the situation due to the steroids.
Now, I am more hyper-aware of my body and pain. Especially since this did not happen too long ago. I remember the happiness I felt when I finally woke up one morning and could do a full neck roll. I was beyond grateful.
I did get a special pillow specifically made to cradle the head properly when sleeping, and I always keep extra pillows in case one falls off. Since then, it hasn’t been an issue.