pulled a muscle?

I have absolutely no idea what I have done to my neck, unless it is a pulled/strained muscle. I was cleaning my mother in laws dump (what she calls a yard sale trailer ) and I bent over to pick up a computer monitor, one of the really old fashioned 90's model, and I felt a horrible shooting pain from the back of my neck down to my shoulder. That was about 3 hours ago and my neck is throbbing, I can move it easily, but it is stressing me out cause it is one of those thumping kind of pains... I tell you it hurt so bad, it actually shot down my back to my sciatic nerve, then straight down into my leg. It just about knocked me off my feet. Now, I'm so aggravated and annoyed because it's thumping...I'm wondering if I pulled a muscle? Has anoyone else strained or pulled a muscle in their neck? Does it last a few hours or do I need to go seek help (not professional, I know I need that) if it doesn't stop in a few more hours or a day?

I don't know what you did, but alternate ice and heat every ten minutes and see if that helps. If it's a muscle, it should loosen it for you. And Aleve works great for a pulled muscle, too.

Man that's gotta hurt.
I will be looking for the stiff neck smiley tomorrow

Okay, where's our other RN when we need her (Rhona), lol. Good advice Kathleen except just use ice intermittently for first 48 hours to decrease swelling from inflammation and to decrease pain. Then switch to heat for muscle relaxation and pain. Aleve is an excellent idea as it is an anti-inflammatory. Tylenol will not work because it has no anti-inflammatory properties. It sounds pretty bad Jenn if it hurt all the way down your leg. If it gets worse, you should get it looked at. Have you lost any feeling, or had any numbness/tingling in your fingers? What portion of the neck is it, upper, lower at shoulder, etc.?

Hope it heals rapidly. We need you to keep typing to find those smilies

Deb