Neck Sprain
A neck sprain is one of the most common forms of sprains experienced by virtually anyone at one time or another. Such a neck sprain may occur when exiting a car and turning the next and body in a movement incongruent with the alignment of the ligaments. In some cases it is the combination of muscle strain and temperature that causes a ligament to experience an injury in keeping with a neck sprain. These are the most insidious forms of neck sprain in that they are generally not foreseeable. To a lesser extent, the same could be said for the kind of neck sprain that occurs during sleep.
How often have you heard of someone suggesting that they simply “slept wrong” when they wake up and have a hard time moving their neck in a certain direction? At times this may also be accompanied by a combination of back and neck sprain pain that makes the entire body painful to move. Avoiding this kind of sprain is hard to do, and at times the best defense is to simply know how to deal with a neck sprain when it does occur. In the first instance, the use of a proper mattress and pillow can greatly decrease the likelihood of suffering this kind of neck sprain during the night.
Next, when setting up the steering wheel of the car and also the car seat itself, it is a good idea to ensure that easy access and easy exit are granted. This eliminates the need for twists and turns, usually the result of an improperly setup car seat. When sightseeing, it is also a good idea to be mindful that sudden head movements can indeed cause injury to the neck ligaments, and turning the body halfway so that the neck does not have to be craned is almost always a good way of avoiding the injuries to the neck. The same holds true when looking up or down. Extreme movements invite the neck sprain, but avoiding these kinds of movement holds promise of a safe neck.
Last but not least, when going out in the cold, always bring a scarf of something that will help to keep the musculature and ligaments of the neck warm. Warm muscles are a lot more forgiving then cold ones and the same holds true for warm ligaments. Those not wanting to listen to this warning are at heightened risk of experiencing neck sprain after neck sprain, especially in the fall and also winter seasons.