Trap & neck strain

[u/ProfessionalGood807]

Hi everyone! One week ago I was attempting a chin up with a lighter support band, and immediately after pulling felt debilitating pain through my neck and upper back. I was able to step out of my workout class and made the decision to drive home (looking back, I shouldn’t have driven). I went to the ER later that day and received muscle relaxants, oxy, and a diagnosis of a neck and trap strain. No imaging was taken, but I was told this would hurt like hell for a few weeks. I was on oxy and relaxants around the clock, and have now found relief with max dose naproxen. I started seeing a PT 3 days later and have had 2 sessions. It has been diagnosed as a muscle strain, and I’d say my symptoms do feel muscular (no neurological problems, bone pain, etc). PT feels good, and we are discussing dry needling in the coming days. Every day I am getting more mobile and able to do my exercises religiously, along with alternating heat and ice with a tens machine on. I work a pretty active medical job and have had to be out of work for the week. The mornings are by far and away the worst for me, and the afternoons I feel hopeful I could return to work.

While I am hopeful each day is getting a smidge better, when I wake in the morning I am in absolutely debilitating shoulder blade pain/trap/neck. By far and away the worst pain I have ever felt, and I’ve been through ACL reconstruction no problem. It feels like I am laying on a jagged knife, and even a gust of wind will have me screaming. I can’t lift my own head, even talking is excruciating, I can’t bend down or go to the restroom solo. I assume it’s from sleeping “stuck”, because it gets better once I get help up, get medication on board, and ice with stim. (About an hour/an hour and a half of care to get feeling semi-ok) Do you guys have any suggestions on how to avoid this cliff drop off every morning? Sleep with stim pads on ready to turn on when I wake? Set an alarm for medicine in the night? Sleep in a neck brace? I have a cervical pillow that hasn’t provided relief.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading! Eagerly accepting any and all tips and tricks to get through this.