Seeing as the earliest available doc’s appointment appears to be Friday, and I’m not sure I constitute an emergency case, I thought I’d put the question to the floor, since common wisdom states that it’s always a good idea to pose health-related questions to strangers on the internet.

I had a slightly unfortunate incident yesterday in the process of rearranging some furniture, whereby the top of my head became the temporary resting place for most of the weight of a very heavy solid wood wardrobe.

That was actually the best outcome available at the time. The other options were to fall down the stairs being chased by the wardrobe, or to put my hands where there was the likelihood of there being broken glass (the mirror in the wardrobe door had just smashed against the end of the bannister). In the latter scenario I’d have still had to take the weight of the wardrobe anyway, just with lacerated hands.

The outcome of the incident is that I have a very sore neck and limited movement of my head. I didn’t take an impact to the head, so I’m not worried about having damaged my skull. It feels more like I’ve compressed the vertebrae in my neck.

It hurt like hell at the time, then got a bit better, then worse to the point of limited sleep last night. I’ve had ice on it and have been trying to keep things mobile by looking side to side, downwards and upwards. I can manage about 45 degrees side to side, can nearly get my chin on my chest, but trying to look up is producing occasional crunchy noises and the kind of pain that shouts STOP DOING THAT. Ibuprofen isn’t really touching the sides.

So, is it likely to get better on its own or would medical intervention be worthwhile at this stage?

Don’t piss about with neck injuries. Get it checked out.

medical intervention

that one

lots of life critical (if you like moving) nerve things going on in your spine, especially the neck area

Yep, take yourself to the hospital before you possibly do any further damage.

Have you got an NHS walk in centre nearby? I did my shoulder in in November. I called in the walk-in centre down the road, and I’d seen a physio within 20 minutes. She diagnosed a torn shoulder muscle, and gave me some kick-your-head-in painkillers and anti-inflamitaries

Now be off with you, you daft bugger 😉

I wouldn’t be messing about with neck injuries. Straight down to A&E, tell them about crunchy neck noises, get a scan done ASAP!

Thanks all.

No walk-in centre nearby unfortunately, looks like I’d better head to A&E.

No long-term damage it would seem, just muscles gone into spasm and to be treated with lots of lovely codeine. I think I’ll take the lower dose next time it’s due, as after the higher dose everything’s gone a bit ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space.

It did require five hours in A&E today to reach this verdict, however I got to share the waiting room with this chap:

Absolutely out of it

I’ve enjoyed my fair share of various narcotics in the past, and have witnessed people in some dreadful states in clubs, but I have never seen someone as off their mash as this young chap.

Michael Buble? – oh that’s the banner ad.

Tell her the next time she wants furniture moving to do it her self, the lazy get.

Ha! To be fair, whilst I was being showered with broken mirror and resting the wardrobe on my head, she did start advancing up the stairs to try and help until I politely suggested she retreat.

Actually, I assumed at the time that’s what she was trying to do, but on reflection, she was probably going to punch me in the kidneys to ensure I dropped it and really hurt myself.