Neck pain and tightness

[Jgt39794728]

I have had neck pain for about 2-3 months now. It is worse when lying down and often accompanied with headaches in the back of my head. My neck with often feel tight and then with any movement it will pop. The pop is not painful but it is loud. I have a very stressful job as a nurse. Massages do not help. OTC pain relief meds do not help.

[specialmom]

This was my life for a few years.  I was in a car accident in which my head went over side ways when hit from behind (whip lash, soft tissue injury),  It was terrible.  And I drove a lot for work which aggravated it even more.  I'm NOT a fan of chiropractors myself especially for up high in the neck.  I have been to them but do not like my body manipulated like that.  However, they do other things too.  So, you could *try* it.  They have these electrode tables in which you lay and they put electrodes all over you and send little electrical shocks to the muscles up into your neck.  I am not sure it helped.  LOL but I did it.  And they have a gun thing they can use for manipulation as I am not comfortable when they use their hands.  But . . . what really worked for me and is a full on approach.  First, physical therapy is awesome.  They help with stretching exercises that do help tremendously.  They will ice the area which I did at home often.  I did find massage to be very helpful---  I went for medical massage though and he only worked on my neck.  I learned all about the intricate musculature we have on our neck and head.  A common place for me that gets tight is just behind my ear.  If that is released, it releases everything.  It's all so intertwined that as one area is tight it pulls on others and the pain will increase and move. Ugh.  I refused to ever take pain medication other than over the counter meds---  but the PT wanted me to always take ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation as much as to control pain.  I took a full therapeutic dose (4 tabs). It didn't fix over night but it DID get better.  I also found sleep was essential.  Whenever I was tired or indeed stressed, it was aggravated.  

Have you been evaluated by a doctor?  Can you do physical therapy?