Trigger Points In The Neck...The Unwanted Tight Muscle Knots That Cause More Problems Than You Might Think!!!

I'll start by defining trigger points. They are a tight spot in a muscle that occurs when muscles gets imbalanced, strained or irritated in some way.

It typically occurs because there is some pressure or irritation to the nerves communicating to that muscle. You see, your muscles and body parts are told what to do, when to move, etc. from your brain. The nerves are the pathway to get that message there.

Pressure to the nerves, usually from a spinal segment or segments being out of position, will block some of that communication from your brain to you muscle.

Hence, the muscle doesn't work exactly as it should. Muscle fibers slide across each other, and when there is some imbalance or problem, they don't move like they shoud. This causes those muscles fibers to get stuck and "knot-up".

Taking pressure of the nerves by correcting spinal alignment gets the muscles working properly again!...Often times you may also need to massage out those Trigger Points as well. This will help relieve pain and pressure and allow the spine to hold it's normal alignment.

The HealthyNeck System Muscle spasm and tension of the Neck and Headache Relief

We are always looking for great neck pain relief products here at Arc4life. Today I want to discuss a great tool called the HealthyNeck System.Great for the relief of neck pain, migraine headaches, cervicogenic headaches and muscle spasm of the upper trapezius and neck muscles. The HealthyNeck has 5 different surfaces to give you an effective work up of your muscles, especially where you need it the most. If you have any of these symptoms:

• Headaches and Neck Pain
  
• Muscle Soreness and Spasms
  
• Travelers Neck
  
• Fatigue due to Stiff Neck
  
• Computer Neck and Student Neck
  
• Muscle Spasms in the upper trapezius
  
• Stiff neck

Using the five different surfaces on the HealthyNeck you can work out muscle tension in your cervical paraspinals and suboccipitals Try the HealthyNeck System for relief of neck pain, shoulder pain and headaches.
Cost: 52.95 on Sale Size: one size fits all Color: Blue Weight: Light, easy and durable to travel with To order the HealthyNeck: Click here

Other products to check out for headache relief:
Halo Rejuvenator Pain Releiver
Headache Ice Pillo.

Watch the Video Below to check out HealthyNeck System of relieving muscular tension, trigger points and muscle spasm from your neck.

NJ
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Contact NJ via email: info@arc4life.com

I Cannot Fall Asleep at Night.....

If you are unable to fall asleep within 15-20 min of hitting the bed, you should get out of bed and do what you can to make yourself sleepy. Go read a book, do some activity (for example- crocheting) that won't over stimulate your mind. Staying in bed can make your over anxious, fustrated thereby prolonging your ability to fall asleep. There are actions that you can do to promote being able to fall asleep:

• Drinking a glass of warm milk can be helpful, because it contains tryptophan, an amino acid.
  
• Avoid having any caffeine in the 2nd half of the day
  
• Regular physical activity will help, but don't do it just before going to bed
  
• Do Relaxation techniques before going to bed
  
• Do some journal writing before going to bed. Sometimes we are unable to sleep because we cannot get certain things and ideas out of head. Write them down before going to bed, it can make a big difference and clear your head
  
• Avoid eating or drinking excessive water 2.5 hours before going to bed
  
• Avoid taking naps during the day
  

Some people can fall asleep so easily..for others it takes some time. It can fustrating especially because getting proper sleep at night determines how well we perform at our jobs, our alertness, our moods- so it is vitally important we do everything we can to get a good nights sleep.


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Choosing the right neck pillow based on your symptoms

Choosing the right neck pillow can be difficult because there are so many choices online, in the stores, and at your Doctors office. Which one is right for you? I would like to share a few emails that we have received in the past month about this very topic of choosing the right neck pillow:

Email #1

I was all set to order one of your pillows but now I am a little confused. I really do not have a medical problem. Please recommend one of your pillows for me. I wake up several times during the night uncomfortable with neck and shoulder pain. In the past I owned a contour memory foam pillow which I did not like. That pillow made my jaw ache. I am 5'3" tall, weigh 150lbs. Please recommend the right pillow for me. -Osi

Answer: I would recommend the cervical traction neck pillow for Osi. Because she has tried a countour memory foam pillow in the past, the cervical traction neck pillow will be a good firmness but not as hard as the foam.
This particular pillow is made of 100% polyester fiber and does not change based on temperature changes. She can sleep on her side or on her back. It would be advantageous to her to sleep on her back because then she can avoid contact with her jaw. Sleeping on her back can be also made more comfortable by putting pillows or a knee elevator under her knees, instantly taking the pressure off of her lower back.

Email #2

Hi there! I have a question - I was recently told I have a straight neck due to the loss of curvature. I'm trying the 'Therapeutica' one from my Dr.'s office but it isn't too comfortable for me, when on my side. That pillow comes in different sizes. Since proper height of the pillow is important, can you tell me how your pillow works if one size is for all? I've been trying for a very long time to find a pillow that is comfortable. Thank you.- Michelle

Answer: In this case I would recommend the Cervical Traction Neck Pillow for Michelle. The reason is that she needs traction in her neck while she sleeps to put the proper cervical curve back in her neck. If Michelle is a petite-framed person that is of height less than 5.0 ft, I would recommend for her the linear gravity neck pillow Small. This is an excellent support neck pillow- although it is not going to give as much traction in the neck like the cervical traction pillow, it will still give her good support under her neck in the c shape form, and the pillow will be proportionally sized for her. The Small Linear Gravity Neck Pillow is 20 inches x 13 inches in dimension. *** Incidentally, we have received many questions about the one size fits all for the cervical traction neck pillow. We have spoken to our manufacturing department and because of the design of the neck pillow, it cannot be made any smaller than what it is right now.

Email #3

I have had cervical disc replacement surgery. I have been looking at your net traction pillow. I also have had lower back surgery and have been looking at your lumbar chair pillows. If I were to order either of these and they do not work, can they be returned? Thank you for your interest, and your response.- Marble

Answer: Yes, we have a 30 day return policy. Just contact us within 30 days and you can return any item. There is a 15% restocking fee and shipping is non refundable. Just email us at info@arc4life.com and let us know that you are returning the pillow back.

Email #4

I am interested in the Cervical Traction Neck Pillow. I'm trying to establish if it will be the right pillow for me. I have had neck and shoulder pain forever. I currently use a feather pillow and was told by my chiropractor to replace it. I am bascially a side sleeper and wonder if this pillow will help me and how hard it will be to adjust to using it. -Juhy
Answer::
Yes, you can sleep on your side and on your back with the cervical traction neck pillow.


Email #5

What would be the best sleeping pillow for somone with a problem in the 5th and 6th vertabrae that has been instructed to "get the curve" back into their neck? -Jatinder
Answer: The Cervical Traction Neck Pillow will be a good choice for a pillow because is designed to give you traction in your neck while you sleep. Traction, over time has been found to improve the cervical curvature in the neck. It would also be a good idea to use the traction device during the day- that will dramatically improve the cervical curvature of your spine. Check out the Pronex Pneumatic Cervical Traction Unit.

If you have a specific question about choosing the right neck pillow, contact us at Arc4life: Email us at Info@arc4life.com

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What If You Could Stop Sleeping And Never Feel Tired Again?-

Join Arc4life's free eNewsletter: The Healthy Back and Neck Newsletter

The Healthy Back and Neck eNewsletter is for people who want to live a healthy lifestyle. Arcticles about neck pain and low back pain to help people live optimally as possible. Includes inspiration stories and Information provided about the best neck and low back pain supports and products. Here is a snippet from February 2008:

What If You Could Stop Sleeping And
Never Feel Tired Again?
Plus: Death By Cell Phone?

Let me ask you a question: When’s the last time you went to bed… slept all night… and woke up in the morning completely and totally refreshed?

Not just feeling ‘okay’. But, you actually had to jump out of bed immediately because you were so full of energy you just had to go do something…

Better yet…

Has That Ever Happened To You?

If it has… it probably hasn’t been in a long, long, long time. Right?
Chances are every single morning is a struggle. The sound of your alarm is nearly earth shattering, followed by several rounds of the snooze button, then a half gallon of coffee… and even after that… you’re still tired!

If fact, chances are, if you are like most people, you’re tired right now.
That’s a safe bet because, according to the National Sleep Foundation, over 70% of Americans get less than the recommended eight hours of sleep per night.

But did you really need that statistic when all you had to do was look at the massive lines at Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts!

Clearly, society has been self-medicating with caffeine for sleep deprivation for a long time.

And the reason why is clear…

There Is Simply Not Enough Time
To Get Enough Sleep!

Really. Who can work 40 hours a week (or more), take care of their house, raise their kids and do all the others things of everyday life… and still have 8 hours left over to snooze?
And even on the rare occasion that you have the time, the stresses and strain of your life keeps you wide awake, staring at the ceiling for half the night!

But what if there was a way to not sleep and… somehow… feel as if you did?

Just imagine how much better you would feel, not to mention how much more you could get done.

Well, that’s exactly what researchers are working on.

Scientists May Have Found A Drug That Eliminates Sleepiness

Here’s what’s going on: A nasal spray containing a naturally occurring brain hormone called Orexin A reversed the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys, allowing them to perform like well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests.

The discovery's first application will probably be in treatment of the severe sleep disorder narcolepsy.

The treatment is "a totally new route for increasing arousal, and the new study shows it to be relatively benign," said Jerome Siegel, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA and a co-author of the paper. "It Reduces Sleepiness Without Causing Edginess."

Orexin A is a promising candidate to become a "sleep replacement" drug. For decades, stimulants have been used to combat sleepiness, but they can be addictive and often have side effects, including raising blood pressure or causing mood swings.

The military, for example, administers amphetamines to pilots flying long distances, and has funded research into new drugs like the stimulant Modafinil and Orexin A in an effort to help troops stay awake with the fewest side effects.

The monkeys were deprived of sleep for 30 to 36 hours and then given either Orexin A or a saline placebo before taking standard cognitive tests. The monkeys given Orexin A in a nasal spray scored about the same as alert monkeys, while the saline-control group was severely impaired.

The study, published in the Dec. 26 edition of The Journal of Neuroscience, found Orexin A not only restored monkeys' cognitive abilities, but made their brains look "awake" in PET scans.

Siegel said that Orexin A is unique in that it only had an impact on sleepy monkeys, not alert ones, and that it is "specific in reversing the effects of sleepiness" without other impacts on the brain.

Dr. Michael Twery, Director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, said that while research into drugs for sleepiness is "very interesting," he cautioned that the long-term consequences of not sleeping are not well-known.

Both Twery and Siegel noted that it is unclear whether or not treating the brain chemistry behind sleepiness would alleviate the other problems associated with sleep deprivation.
"New research indicates that not getting enough sleep is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders," said Twery.

Still, Siegel said that Americans already recognize that sleepiness is a problem and have long treated it with a variety of stimulants.

"We have to realize that we are already living in a society where we are already self-medicating with caffeine," he said.

He also said that Modafinil, which is marketed as Provigil by Cephalon and Alertec in Canada, has become widely used by healthy individuals for managing sleepiness.

"We have these other precedents, and it's not clear that you can't use Orexin A temporarily to reduce sleep," said Siegel. "On the other hand, you'd have to be a fool to advocate taking this and reducing sleep as much as possible."

Sleep advocates probably won't have to worry about Orexin A reaching drugstore shelves for many years. Any commercial treatment using the substance would need approval from the Food and Drug Administration, which can take more than a decade.

Which is a good thing, as Dr. Michael Twery mentioned: The long-term consequences of not sleeping are not well-known.

Maybe… but… they can’t be good. Research is showing all kinds of health problems caused by lack of sleep. So the question is…

Will this drug safely replace sleep… or… will it end up causing a devastating crash in the end?

Who knows? Only research will tell for sure.(We hope!) But I recommend the natural alternative; proper diet, exercise, chiropractic care, and yes…SLEEP!


Death By Cell Phone?

According to The Associated Press, on November 30, 2007, a 33-year-old Korean man was found dead on November 28, apparently killed by a cell phone battery explosion.

That was the initial declaration made by Professor Kim Hoon at Chungbuk National University after he examined the body.

The man, identified only by his family name, Sur, was found dead by his co-workers at a quarry in North Chungcheong Province, where he was employed as a shovel operator.

According to the co-worker who found him, "He had a mobile phone with a melted battery in his left shirt pocket. His shirt had soot on it in the shape of the phone."

“He was injured in the left side of his chest. His ribs and spine were broken. The explosion punctured his heart and lungs, leading to his death," Kim said.

But two days later, South Korean police stated a co-worker had come forward and confessed to fabricating the story after accidentally striking Sur with a drilling vehicle. The preliminary autopsy results had also suggested damage to Sur’s internal organs that was too great to have been caused by a cell phone explosion.

Read more February 2008: The Healthy Back and Neck eNewsletter...

-In this Issue-

1. Article - What If You Could Stop Sleeping And Never Feel Tired Again?- Plus: Death By Cell Phone?
   
2. Inspirational quote
   
3. Inspirational story
   
4. Health Tip of the month- Four Weight Loss Tips That Work…If You Are Serious About Shedding The Pounds This Year
   
5. Testimonial of the month - The Cervical Traction Posture Pump 1000- For effective traction of the neck at home
   
6. Featured product -The Posture Pump 1000- discount code included
   

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February 2008 I January 2008 I December 2007 I November 2007 I October 2007 I August 2007 I July 2007 I Contact Us I Join our eNewsletter for FREE

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How much sleep is enough for me?

The simple answer to this question is, Are you a night owl or are you an early bird. Believe it or not, it has to do with genetics...and there are special clock genes that determine this. The average amount of sleep that an adult requires is between 7.5-8.5 hours per night. This number varies person to person. The amount of sleep that we require is determined by the following factors:

• amount of time spent awake
  
• genetic factors
  
• our age
  
• our circadian rhythm which starts the process of sleep

It is true, a newborn does just one of three things- they eat, they poop and they sleep. In fact, new born babies spend more than half of their time asleep. Over the first 5 years of life, the amount of sleep one requires goes down, and then again in the teenage years and finally when an individual turns age 50.


There are two types of people- the ones who like to stay up and then the ones who like to go to bed early. The “night owls” have a natural inclination to stay up late and function better in the latter part of the day. As opposed to the “early birds” who wake up early, go to bed early and function best in the beginning part of the day. Most people tend to fall in the middle of these two extremes. The differences are genetically caused – specifically by circadian genes.


Source: Sleep Your Questions Answered, April 2007 by Renata L. Riha, MD

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