# Ow ow ow ow ow! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396 "2007-11-22T03:20:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/1 "2007-11-22T03:20:38Z")
I am in Cave City, Kentucky, after a hellish drive down through rain and wind and really stupid driving (some of it mine! Eek!) and in all the tension I got a charlie horse in my shoulder and neck. I can’t turn my head! I’m in a hotel. What the heck am I supposed to do about this? Ow! ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/2 "2007-11-22T03:26:22Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] I am in Cave City, Kentucky, after a hellish drive down through rain and wind and really stupid driving (some of it mine! Eek!) and in all the tension I got a charlie horse in my shoulder and neck. I can’t turn my head! I’m in a hotel. What the heck am I supposed to do about this? Ow! [/QUOTE] Pinch your upper lip close to your nose between your thumb and forefinger. Either ir worked, or the cramp just went away. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/3 "2007-11-22T03:46:27Z")
Now my neck and my lip hurt. I don’t think this is an improvement. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/4 "2007-11-22T03:52:17Z")
======\> _Hey! What’s that?!?!_ ======\> [sub]Did that help loosen up your neck?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/5 "2007-11-22T03:54:20Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] Now my neck and my lip hurt. I don’t think this is an improvement. [/QUOTE] 😃 You’re supposed to do it till it really hurts, so you forget about the neck. No, you’re just supposed to squeeze, not hard, for a while. Sorry about the pain. Got any aspirin? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/6 "2007-11-22T03:57:10Z")
[QUOTE=Rysdad] ======\> _Hey! What’s that?!?!_ ======\> [sub]Did that help loosen up your neck?[/sub] [/QUOTE] That’s for hiccups. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/7 "2007-11-22T04:43:52Z")
HOT shower? Is the guy at the front desk cute? He could give you a shoulder massage… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/8 "2007-11-22T04:46:35Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby] HOT shower? [/QUOTE] Just got out of the shower. Now I need to go into General Questions and ask, “Why did the shower curtain attack me when I turned the shower on?” Turning the shower on sucked the curtain into the shower’s spray. The result? An extremely wet floor, a soaked bathmat, and a too-short to help shower. I seethe. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/9 "2007-11-22T04:50:42Z")
Re the shower curtain, Cecil has the answer on that: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_104.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_104.html). You should totally ask that cute guy at the desk for a neck massage.\* - What do I know, I’m just feeling devilish tonight. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/10 "2007-11-22T04:52:07Z")
So, other than the rain and your neck, how **are** things in Cave City this time of year? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/11 "2007-11-22T04:53:08Z")
Liquor and a good night’s sleep. Accupressure. Works for me sometimes. Press your thumb where it hurts, slowly increasing the pressure until it hurts too much, slowly let the pressure off. Maybe it’s one of those “feels so good when I quit” things. Hot towels. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/12 "2007-11-22T04:54:31Z")
> **[Charley horse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_horse)** > > A charley horse is a US term for a painful involuntary cramp in the legs and/or foot, lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a day. The term formerly referred more commonly to bruising of the quadriceps muscle of the anterior or lateral thigh, or contusion of the femur, that commonly results in a haematoma and sometimes several weeks of pain and disability. In this latter sense, such an injury is known as dead leg.\[citation needed\] > Dead legs and charley horses are two different types of injuries... > **[Cramp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cramp)** > > A cramp is a sudden, involuntary, painful skeletal muscle contraction or overshortening associated with electrical activity; while generally temporary and non-damaging, they can cause significant pain and a paralysis-like immobility of the affected muscle. A cramp usually goes away on its own over a period of several seconds or (sometimes) minutes. Cramps are common and tend to occur at rest, usually at night (nocturnal leg cramps). They are also often associated with pregnancy, Cramp definition ... Read down to treatment. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/13 "2007-11-22T05:04:24Z")
I’m feeling the beginnings of an empathic crick. I hate it when that happens. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/14 "2007-11-22T05:09:20Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Liquor and a good night’s sleep. Accupressure. Works for me sometimes. Press your thumb where it hurts, slowly increasing the pressure until it hurts too much, slowly let the pressure off. Maybe it’s one of those “feels so good when I quit” things. Hot towels. [/QUOTE] I second the hot towels, since you seem to have had a “curtain malfunction”. I would also try to do some self massage–of your neck, you naught goddess. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/15 "2007-11-22T05:28:02Z")
Why don’t you try some WD-40? ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/16 "2007-11-22T15:15:46Z")
600 mg of ibuprofen (Advil) for the anti-inflammatory effect. **COLD** packs for the first 24 hours after injury, and then switch to heat. Also, see if you can get some potassium and magnesium into your system, as they can help with muscle cramps. Bananas are really good for that. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/17 "2007-11-22T16:13:22Z")
You just beat me, **phouka**. And with her being in a hotel, ice is easy to come by. Ice it down, don’t give yourself frostbite but let it get really really cold. My usual next step is to find somebody to massage the spasm. Hurts like a mofo if it’s done right, but the combination can reduce a horrible spasm to something quite manageable. If you can reach the spot yourself, you’re in business…otherwise, I dunno. Heat might feel good while it’s there but it’ll just make it worse after. Go for the ice, at first anyway. ETA: I just noticed this was posted last night. But I’ve had some really nasty spasms that have lasted for a few days, so I’m not retracting my advice. Ice, ice, and ice. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/18 "2007-11-22T16:44:23Z")
I second the suggestion of liquor. I had a very stiff neck after sleeping wrong that was not getting better for a couple of days because it hurt so much I was tense and it seemed like every movement was injuring it worse. Neither ice nor heat helped much, and ibuprofen did not seem to help. My husband said it seemed like i needed a muscle relaxant. I remembered _Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy_ and poured myself some rye whiskey, and self medicated a drink every couple of hours, which is a lot of drinking for me, but it really helped. I did not mind the pain as much, and I was able to relax the muscles for the first time in a couple of days. It gave them a chance to start healing. Of course, this only helps if you don’t need to drive anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/19 "2007-11-22T16:55:05Z")
Well, if we’re going to go to “substances”, a nice fat joint works wonders as a muscle relaxant. Really! But alas, that’s illegal. Dang. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2007, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396/20 "2007-11-23T01:34:36Z")
You all will be happy to know that I can turn my head. Thisaway and thataway. My recovery was just in time for us to go to the in-laws, where my husband ate something and promptly got sick. I live under a Thanksgiving Curse. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ow-ow-ow-ow-ow/427396.md?page=2)