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Hit My Head While Swimming And Neck Is Hurting. What Is The Next Step?

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Posted on Mon, 2 Dec 2013
Question: I'm 42, a good swimmer. Except for yesterday. I was swimming on my back, didn't gauge the distance correctly and hit my head on the side of the pool. My head hurt at the time but today my head still hurts and I can't turn my head to the right, my neck hurts too. Seems like it hurts more with every passing hour
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Answered by Dr. Michelle Gibson James (1 hour later)
Brief Answer: a headache requires a CT Detailed Answer: Hi, thanks for using healthcare magic Minor head injuries are common. Though there are usually no complications, there are criteria called the New Orleans Criteria, that are used to determine if a CT scan is necessary after a minor head injury. In that criteria a CT is suggested if the person has one or more of any of the following: (1)headache (2)vomiting (3)older than 60 (4)drug or alcohol intoxication at the time of the injury (5)memory deficits (6)seizure (7)visible injury above the clavicle Because you are currently experiencing a headache, your doctor will likely suggest an imaging investigation based on the above criteria. This is especially so since you say that the pain is increasing in the intensity. It is likely that the pain that you are experiencing is only soft tissue damage to the muscles in the neck (combined with spasm of the neck muscles that can occur with trauma) and bruising of the scalp but because of the criteria, imaging is necessary. You can consider using paracetamol to see if it eases the pain. You would want to avoid any pain medications such as ibuprofen/aspirin/cataflam because they are associated with an increased risk of bleeding and a bleed must first be ruled out by scanning. A muscle relaxant would also help to relieve the discomfort in the neck but this would require a prescription. Examples of muscle relaxants are soma flexeril, valium, robaxin. You should either a visit to your doctor as soon as you can for assessment. At this visit an assessment of your neurological status would be done. I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Michelle Gibson James

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 16808 Questions

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Hit My Head While Swimming And Neck Is Hurting. What Is The Next Step?

Brief Answer: a headache requires a CT Detailed Answer: Hi, thanks for using healthcare magic Minor head injuries are common. Though there are usually no complications, there are criteria called the New Orleans Criteria, that are used to determine if a CT scan is necessary after a minor head injury. In that criteria a CT is suggested if the person has one or more of any of the following: (1)headache (2)vomiting (3)older than 60 (4)drug or alcohol intoxication at the time of the injury (5)memory deficits (6)seizure (7)visible injury above the clavicle Because you are currently experiencing a headache, your doctor will likely suggest an imaging investigation based on the above criteria. This is especially so since you say that the pain is increasing in the intensity. It is likely that the pain that you are experiencing is only soft tissue damage to the muscles in the neck (combined with spasm of the neck muscles that can occur with trauma) and bruising of the scalp but because of the criteria, imaging is necessary. You can consider using paracetamol to see if it eases the pain. You would want to avoid any pain medications such as ibuprofen/aspirin/cataflam because they are associated with an increased risk of bleeding and a bleed must first be ruled out by scanning. A muscle relaxant would also help to relieve the discomfort in the neck but this would require a prescription. Examples of muscle relaxants are soma flexeril, valium, robaxin. You should either a visit to your doctor as soon as you can for assessment. At this visit an assessment of your neurological status would be done. I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions