Advice for Acute Injuries
Occasionally we do something silly, or for no reason at all, pain can flare up unexpectedly. For injuries that do not require urgent medical attention eg acute muscle spasms, locked neck or back, you may find the following advice helpful:
Ice - reduces inflammation. Much pain is due to the chemicals our body produces when an area gets inflammed. Putting something like an ice-pack, or bag of frozen peas (covered with a cloth) over the area for maximum 10-minute periods can help reduce the amount of pain-inducing chemicals your body releases into the area.
Hot & Cold - place alternate warm (wheat pillow or hot water bottle) and cold (ice pack or frozen peas) over the sore area for 2 minutes duration each, then rest for 5 minutes. Repeat. As with the ice treatment, wrap the hot/cold packs in a cloth before resting against the body.
Do this before bed in the evenings to reduce morning stiffness and after treatment over any areas which have been focused-on, for the first week or so after an acute problem.