Conversation: The conversation between human and AI assistant.
[|Human|] Yesterday I slipped on my icy deck and fell down the stairs. I hit my head, neck and back on the stairs. I have been icing my neck and taking 600mg of ibuprofen. This morning I woke up stiff and when I move my head up and down I have a shooting pain down the left side of my back.What should I do?
[|AI|]  Hi, I read your problem. Any injury to the neck like ligaments and muscle injury called sprain or strain leads to pain and stiffness over neck. A stiff and painful neck may be treated within a day, but firstly we will have to rule out that there is only muscle strain or sprain or any fracture? If the stiffness of neck doesn't subside within a week it needs medical treatment. But some treatments are:- REST - Take rest for one or two days so that the injured tissues of neck could be healed, which in turn will help to relieve the pain and stiffness of neck.- STRETCHING - The stretching will help to ease the stiffness and restore the movements of neck.- MEDICATIONS some medicines like ibuprofen and naproxen which are NSAIDs can be a first line treatment of neck stiffness and pain.- HOT AND COLD FOMENTATION - Cold therapy or ice packs can help to relieve neck stiffness. Applying the heat fomentation would increase the blood flow which leads to better healing environment. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.