Neck pain from injury

[Magali]

2 days ago my 3 year old was jumping on the bed, and landed with his neck hitting a laundry basket that was on the bed.  It made such a loud sound that I heard it in the next room and thought it was him kicking the wall with his feet. He was screaming.  When he calmed down, I asked him to move his neck all around and he could.  But about an hour later he was lying down with his head turned to the left and he hasn't walked/sat up or moved his neck on his own since then.  That evening we took him to the ER and an xray showed nothing was broken.  The Dr. was able to move his head to a forward facing position and put a neck brace on him and he was quite happy and not in pain.  But as soon as the brace was off he put his head back to the side.  They told us to bring him in 5 days if he doesn't show improvement.  That was the night before last.  He hasn't moved.  I am so worried about him.  I am giving him advil and it isn't helping.  He refuses to move his neck.  He can move his other body parts just fine but won't stand or move.  He eats and drinks lying down or propped up slightly on a pillow.  His little neck crease is getting all gooey and stinky and red  and he will not let me anywhere near it to clean it.  But of course that is the least of my worries.  Could it be that it is just really, really sore?  I'm worried they may have missed something on the xray.  It just seems to me that he should be able to move it at least a bit by now.  It must be so uncomfortable to spend days with his neck in the same sideways position.  About a year ago he fractured his collar bone and did the same thing, not moving his arm for a week so it could be he is just resting it but he does cry out in pain when we have to move him from couch to bed etc...I'm so upset right now and don't know what to do.  He is usually bouncing off the walls. 

[lyterae]

Have you considered taking him into a chiropractor?

[Magali]

OMG, he started feeling better last night.  It was so cute/funny when he stood up and started walking after 3 days on his back.  He seems perfect today

[lyterae]

Wonderful! I'm glad he's feeling better :)

[2xy]

You know, I would still suggest a chiropractor. I had an upper back/neck injury when I was a kid that seemingly "got better" on its own. But just because nothing is broken doesn't mean that that the spine is not affected. My childhood injury caused me frequent stiff necks through my teenage years and became debilitating in my late 20s. All my regular doctor wanted to do was give me muscle relaxants and advise me to buy a new mattress.

I really believe that if I'd seen a chiropractor for a brief time after my injury, I would not be in the boat I'm in today. My pain is no longer horrible and I have much more range of motion in my neck than I did ten years ago, but I have degenerative discs and a loss of normal curvature in my cervical spine, and will probably need to see a chiropractor for the rest of my life in order to live relatively pain free.

[Lamashtu]

I agree with 2xy about the chiro.  Just to make sure all the moving parts are moving like they should be.

I am so glad he's feeling better!  Nothing can ruin a day quicker than a sore neck.