Have I broken my neck?

I was doing behind the neck presses in the gym. And I had changed the order of my workout so certain body parts get more priority. So my shoulders were already tired. I was really straining in the reps and I had to force a rep up using a cheating movement.

I felt something click in my lower neck and shoulder girdle area and it hurt like hell. I carried on my workout though as stopping is for girls. But now whenever I try and lower my head to the right I get a sharp pain from my neck into the trapezius muscles and shoulder girdle.

Is it possible to break your neck but not be in severe pain? as I read some story of a chap who went to hospital and the doctor didn't notice it and he went for two weeks with a broken neck or something.

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Reply 1

acid8000

Broken neck?

TELL TSR! :biggrin:

Reply 2

jammythedodger

"stopping is for girls" - lol!

Erm, I'm pretty sure if you break your neck you actually would be paralyzed from the the neck down (not sure if that depends on other stuff, but I'm pretty sure that happens of you properly break your neck!)

But still, get it checked, don't ask us.

Reply 3

InvoluntarySlacker

When you twist your neck, does it click?

You should go to the doctors and get it checked out.

Or stay on TSR because students do know alot of stuff.

Reply 4

Student2806

If you had broken your neck and continued to work out you'd probably have severed your spine and died.

Reply 5

Turdburger

If your lower limbs are currently paralyzed, then possibly. Maybe even probably!

Reply 6

Explorer Dora

Does it hurt if you press on the bone? What you need to do, if you really think you might have broken something, is get someone to just press gently on your spine. If it hurts like hell, then you need to be immobilised.

If you don't have central pain, it's probably not broken. So I doubt that's what you've done. And tbh, if you're broken C3, C4 or C5, you'd be dead by now anyway. So I would guess you're fine.

Reply 7

supersteiger

Aww, I kinda hoped you'd be Neckclicker Guy...

Reply 8

crazyhelicopter

Did you do anything that could have lead to you breaking your neck or did you just get pain while doing weights?

Reply 9

Fleece

Eh my Dad broke his neck and the doctor didn't figure that out for a while and he can still walk. Best answer - if it's still hurting, go to the doctor.

Reply 10

Dirks

You could easily have broken your neck and still be walking around.

I broke mine last year, after stumbling whilst doing squats. My head bent forward and the bar rested for a second on the bony protrusion at the base of the neck. There was an accompanying click and I felt a tad wobbly. Could still walk fine. My symptoms were exactly as yours: pain while turning, discomfort across the top of the shoulder. From the sounds of things my pain was milder than you#re reporting.

Turns out I had broken part of the spinal process (C7 I believe the piece was called). Was enough for the doctors to want me totally immobilised for a entire day (I have funny photos) until they had decided it was stable, make me wear a neckbrace, and have some physiotherapy.

Reply 11

Hula129

no... you'd be paralized if you had.
you may have affected one of the plates though. instead of asking students, go get it checked out.
o .... and stop trying to over-do it at the gym :wink:

Reply 12

Missmeem

supersteiger

Aww, I kinda hoped you'd be Neckclicker Guy...

This, I'm disappointed :frown:

Reply 13

hslt

Student2806

If you had broken your neck and continued to work out you'd probably have severed your spine and died.

Not necassarily true by any means.

If you'r worried go to A&E.

Reply 14

Fleece

Hula129

no... you'd be paralized if you had.
you may have affected one of the plates though. instead of asking students, go get it checked out.
o .... and stop trying to over-do it at the gym :wink:

Not true.

Reply 15

Dorito

If you didn't get punched in the neck, then you'll be fine. :awesome:

Reply 16

Malsy

lol you'd seriously know if you'd broken your neck like

Reply 17

InArduisFouette

as for those saying the OP would be paralysed if he had , not neccearily, a stable # for a bone in the neck is often treated with an aspen collar and 'light duties' for a month or 3

an unstable fracture of a bone in the neck will be treated with bedrest +/ - traction initally and subsequently either fixed with 'medical meccano' or with a halo brace and jacket

Spinal cord injury or peripheral nerve damage is possibly without a bony injury and bony injuries are possible without a cord injury or with only transient cord injury symptoms ...

to OP - if you are concerned it needs a face to face assessment in an Emergency Department - as it appears to be stable it is your own choice how you attend...

and if anyone wants to argue the toss bring it on...

i'm fairly sure that as a Registered Nurse with experience in Emergency Care and on a Regional Spinal Injuries unit , i might just have a little bit of a clue ...

Reply 18

cptfriendzone

okay 95% of these replies are moronic. I broke my neck and didn't notice, thought I'd just bruised it, or was suffering from whiplash (was a motorbike accident). So I got a friend to drive my an hour to the closest hospital and, no I'm not paralysed, or dead. The worry with braking your neck is that loose bone fragmentation will separate an cut your spinal cord, leading to paralysis. If you think you've broken your neck: don't try and crack it (if you think this is a good idea, natural selection will take care of you eventually), don't start prodding around (you're just going to injure yourself), just go to hospital or your doctor, preferably by ambulance.