I’ve been worried sick about myself and my lack of joint movement for the past four days.
Have you ever jammed a finger on the basketball court? Your finger swells up like four times it’s normal size, maybe bruise up and down the length of it, and you can’t bend it for weeks?
That’s how ALL my joints felt…and I have a lot of joints so it really wasn’t a happy place to be. Every time I moved I was all “Ohhhh sweet Jesus….” Up and down from the couch, reaching for water, walking to the kitchen for donuts and coffee, “Ohhhhh sweet Jesus…”
The frustrating part about it was not KNOWING what was wrong…and then I remembered!! Just like that, my brain was all DUH! you DID do something to hurt yourself!!
On Friday morning I was brushing my hair and I flipped it to one side to adequately brush and my neck snapped. I guess I’m kind of a violent hair whipper, because I totally heard it snap and I had to carefully moved my head back into place to kind of…realign it, and I actually thought to myself, “Hmmm…I wonder if that will hurt later…”
But the rest of the day was fine. So fine, in fact, that I completely FORGOT about my hair whipping incident when later that night before my flight home, my neck began cramping up.
I texted my husband from the airport, “The day went well, but my neck is killing me. Not sure what I did to it, but…ow”.
I then followed up an hour later with, “I seriously feel like I’ve got whiplash.”
That’s because I DID have whiplash!
I’m convinced that because I whipped my hair back and forth so violently when I brushed it, that not only did it hurt my neck, but it hurt the nerves in my spine that carry my head and attach all my joints together. Surely such a joint nerve exists in your neck, no?
Since the violent hair whippage hurt my joint nerves I proceeded to hobble around like a 90 year old woman with joint pain for three (going on four) full days!
I write this only to be a lesson to all of you.
Be careful with your hair whipping.
It’s not safe.
Janice says
Thank you for taking the time to dish out this sagely advice. Since I’m too busy to even get in the bathroom to brush my hair, I might not have to worry about this one though. I usually just use my fingers – when they’re not picking up after my kids.
That aside, I hope you feel better soon. Maybe you ought to get it looked at by the doctor? I mean, 4 days is quite a long time to feel that way, no?
Grace Pamer says
Ah I hate that neck Crick Kat, horrible pain. I get it about once every couple of months from a bad sleeping position. That whole not being able to turn your head without letting out a small yelp and gritting your teeth is horrible. I feel your pain.
Have an empathy beer on me.
Grace
gin says
MK, have you gone to the doctor? It’s not normal for you to be in so much pain! When I was in college, I flipped my head over when I was drying my hair and the same thing happened to me, but it was only my neck and shoulders that were affected. I saw the doctor and he said it was a pinched nerve from the hair drying incident (we didn’t say hair whipping because that song wasn’t out yet).
Mama Kat says
I’m feeling a ton better now! My friend told me there’s also such thing as a virus attacking your joints so maybe that’s what it was! Whatever it was, it was not fun and I’ve definitely never experienced anything like it before…but I’m glad to see a light at the end of the tunnel!
Kimberly says
I remember when that song came out…and the DJ’s on the radio were talking about how a doctor’s group (maybe American Association of Pediatricians or someone) had issued a WARNING about the video…danger, danger! I laughed at the time, but apparently, I shouldn’t have?
Mama Kat says
People just can’t be whipping their heads all over the place like 9 year olds anymore! I can’t believe a warning had to actually be issued for that.
Faith says
I am so sorry about your pain Mama. There is an article where a doctor is warning about the dangers of hair whipping…. http://blunted.tumblr.com/post/1362058536/medical-research-shows-that-willow-smiths-whip … It only makes me feel worse that I got a slight chuckle from your article.
Mama Kat says
Oh my gosh it really IS a real thing! I’ve seen Willow’s video and I’m sorry, I canNOT hang with that kind of head whipping. I’m bad enough just BRUSHING my hair!! Seriously accident prone over here.
Trish says
Take it easy, girl! Are you feeling any better?
Mama Kat says
Much much better today! My wrists and fingers are not 100% so I need *a little* help when it comes to opening tight jars or that kind of thing, but I’m otherwise in very good shape now! Phew!
Susi says
You are right it’s not safe… a friend of mine had a hair whipping moments and got a serious case of vertigo from it. It took days for her to feel better. Hope you are back to 100% nagging power!!! :)
Mama Kat says
Ahhh vertigo! That’s it, I’m never flipping my hair again. I’ve experienced moments of vertigo that was very fleeting and would HATE to live with that!
I’m at 90% nagging power today! Wahoo!
Jen says
Thank you for this warning. I will keep my hair flipping to a minimum… promise.
Mama Kat says
This means a lot to me Jen. I know how you like to flip your hair.
AnnMarie says
I’m glad you figured out what it was and that it wasn’t something more serious but OUCH! Hope you are on the mend soon!
Arieloser says
I had that same thing happen to me when I headbanged with my daughter to ‘System of A Down’ one day. The next day my neck was swollen and I couldn’t move it AT ALL. My husband gave me no sympathy…
Mama Kat says
Haha! Funny how little sympathy we get when they KNOW our own foolishness caused the problem!
Deb says
Today, my husband was just written out of work for 2 days for something very similar. He is on Vicoden and muscle relaxers. Go to the doctor and get some. At least you can enjoy it in a loopy state of bliss while healing.
Hope you feel better soon.
Mama Kat says
I think I’m too late for muscle relaxers. I DID try to get in to the doctor on Sunday, but wouldn’t you know they were closed? Everyday I’ve been getting less and less sore, so I really think I missed my window for pain killers.
Was you husband whipping his hair back and forth?
Deb says
hahahaa – no. But how funny that would be to see him trying with his buzz-cut.
BalancingMama (Julie) says
Very important safety tip. You may have saved a life.
Mama Kat says
Then my work here is done.
Dionne says
I will be more careful when I whip my hair…now…If I could JUST figure out how to keep from hurting myself in my sleep! How does one do this? Sleep seems benign enough don’t you think?
Jennifer says
I’m pretty sure this wasn’t from hair whipping. You might be at the need to make a doctor appointment stage.
Mama Kat says
No, it’s getting much better! The only thing left that’s still sore are my fingers, but they’re getting there!
Laurie Fessler says
MKat,
You know I adore you….but on behalf of all of my blogger friends who have Fibromyalgia (and me) that’s what our world is like with joint pain, all the time. No relief. And no..we’re not 90 years old. I’m 55 and have had Fibro for the last 5-6 years and probably before that too but it wasn’t diagnosed. There is a lot of stuff I can’t do anymore. I know you are a sweetheart and didn’t mean any harm, truly but so few people know about “the invisible” illness that debilitates so many of us. Fibromyalgia gives us chronic pain, chronic! It is also associated with many other illnesses which I won’t bother you with…..(too long). Check out my blog sometime, I do write about many things, not just pain, but there are a lot about Fibromyalgia in it too. Whip your hair, sweet Kat, just do it carefully! Love, Laurie F. @hibernationnow.wordpress.com
Mama Kat says
Thanks Laurie!
Yeah, I definitely was just associating my pain more with what I’ve seen my grandmother’s experience from old age, but I know a lot of people much younger suffer from invisible diseases on a daily basis. I can’t imagine.
For the sake of the post I thought it would be funnier to compare myself to a little old lady than to someone with an actual real disease. For what it’s worth auto immune diseases run in our family and beneath my joking nature there is a real fear that that could be my fate too. At this point, I’m glad I can trace my pain back to hair whipping.
Truly didn’t mean any offense in my posts about joint pain!
Donna May says
@Laurie Fessler. I’m so sorry you suffer so much from your fibromyalgia, but not every post about joint pain in meant to diss your real-life suffering. Next we’ll hear from people with alopecia who lost all their hair that they don’t like Kat swinging her long hair around because they can’t.
Jennifer Worrell says
I’m too scared to whip my hair:(
SouthMainMuse says
I can believe it. My crazy whipping hair story was a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Graduate school. We had these huge wooden lockers, twice as wide, long and deep as a traditional high school one. One day (as was my custom), I bent over and flipped my hair. The door to my honk’n wooden locker was open. My skull and the bottom of the door intersected. Ouch. Blood, pain, embarrassment. I actually went to the clinic to see if I needed stitches. She was more worried I had a concussion. This hair flipping business can be hazardous to our health.
Marta says
Perhaps you had a previous life as major groupie/porn star which required lots of vigorous hair whipping?
Kisatrtle says
Great now I have that stupid willow smith song in my head and I can’t even whip my hair back and forth while singing it. Thanks Kat. Thanks a lot. I do so hope your feeling better…
Jill of All Trades says
OH MY GOODNESS, I have totally done that. I was combing my hair out of the shower at the cabin one time and I ended up on the couch, laying down, crying because I COULD NOT get up. That hurts so bad. Hope it gets better soon.
Susan in the Boonies says
Girl, I just adore you, and am very glad to read in your comments that you feel like you might be on the mend.
xxx ooo