Indians’ Cliff Lee May be Sidelined due to Stiff Neck

BOSTON - Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians in Major League Baseball. Lee may not be playing on Sunday because of a pain in his neck, specifically a stiff neck. Lee ability to play on Sunday was already undecided, as the Indians are considering sitting him if the White Sox's playoff fate is determined by that regular-season finale. And now that Lee -- the likely American League Cy Young Award winner -- is dealing with a stiff neck, his chances of making the start have decreased even further.

Manager Eric Wedge didn't make Lee's neck condition out to be serious, describing it only as "a little stiff." But the Indians, obviously, wouldn't have much incentive to push Lee, who didn't throw his regularly scheduled bullpen session on Thursday. Wedge stated that Lee received treatment on Wednesday and they would see how he felt on Friday

Lee's stuff has lacked some of its luster his last three outings, in which he's gone 1-1 with a 5.06 ERA. The loss on Tuesday night at Fenway Park was his first since July 6. Before the neck stiffness was divulged by Wedge, Lee said that he would like to make Sunday's start.

"It's not my decision," Lee said. "My job is to pitch when they want me to pitch, and that's what I'll do. I definitely want to pitch every chance I get."

A Stiff Neck will prevent any player from putting their best ball forward; A stiff neck will cause decrease cervical range of motion, making it difficult for any movement. This soreness can be caused by sleeping incorrectly, keeping the head and neck in one position for a long time, trauma, or an accident. Even simple activities such as having poor posture while watching tv, or too aggressive exercise can cause neck pain. Having muscle spasms or neck tension can increase the symptoms of a stiff neck.

Doing neck exercises that involve stretching and strenghtening are important to prevent a stiff neck; Using ice can decrease pain and reduce inflammation. Using a natural pain relieving gel like BioFreeze can help with muscle spasm and tension. Finally, even massage therapy can be of benefit for a stiff neck. Sleeping on a good ergonomic cervical neck pillow will ensure that your head and neck will be in a proper position for sleeping.

Source:
Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

Additional Resources:

• Dealing with a Stiff Neck Can be A Real Pain in the Neck
  
• Sally and her Stiff Neck: Solutions for Neck Pain Relief
  

Photo Source:
Flickr Photographer by WordofMouth

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.


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Dealing with a stiff neck can be a real Pain in the neck

Dr. Bellinger discusses how neck pain affects millions of people everyday and how it can be treated with alternative therapies.

Glastonbury, CT. Neck pain affects millions of Americans everyday, and is one of the leading causes of workplace injuries and the reason why workers take sick days. It is also one of the less tolerated types of pain. Sufferers resort to pain medication, surgery, physical therapy and even pain management.

Dr Matthew Bellinger, Chiropractor, sees patients in need of various forms of pain relief. A big portion of his practice is patients with neck pain and headaches and patients with a loss of their normal lordotic curve in the neck.

Dr Bellinger has helped the vast majority of his patients but some would get recurring symptoms or felt great getting treated but upon x-ray still had an abnormal curvature. This prompted him to explore more options to help people and get them to stay better.

One place to start looking how to stop neck pain and stiff neck is to analyze the pillow you are using every night. The right neck pillow can make a big difference in how your body adjusts to laying on your back or on your side.

He started using the Cervical Traction Neck Pillow in his office for patients with neck pain, headaches, and decreased neck curve individuals. The results were amazing. To help more people (he could only see so many in his small, plus there were so many others in various areas to far from him) he decided to create Arc4Life.com.

The advent of the internet has allowed people from all over to learn about improving their neck pain or improving their posture and neck curve, and more. And now Dr Bellinger has been able to help thousands by putting the Cervical Traction Neck Pillow on the web.

Dr. Matt Bellinger is Chiropractor located in Central Connecticut. He offers pain relief for headaches, neck pain, lower back pain and more to his patients with over 5years experience. To get more information about his natural pain relief products visit www.arc4life.com.

Since it’s start Arc4life has grown substantially. The success of the pillow has become world wide with people from all over the world using it.

Arc4life.com’s headquarters are in Central Connecticut. Dr Bellinger has his practice located there as well. He offers pain relief for headaches, neck pain, lower back pain and more to his patients with over 5 years experience. To get more information about his natural pain relief products visit http://www.arc4life.com.

Source: Dealing with a Stiff Neck can be a real Pain in the Neck 09/18/2008
Additional Reading: The Top 10 reasons why you need to have a good cervical neck pillow

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.


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Working on a computer all day long...as a graphic designer...with neck pain

I recently answered a Yahoo answer for this desperate soul who works on her computer everyday as a graphic designer; Here is a snippet of her story:


"I've been doing computer work for years and have developed a sharp stabbing pain between my shoulder blades, around the T3 joint. I've been doing PT for a while but it's not doing much. Anybody out there do tons of computer work and have had the same problem/ overcome the same problem? My ergonomics are good. Great chair, monitor at eye level, special keyboard, even have two mouses to switch back and forth. I just don't know. Maybe got to lay off for a few months. But all my qualifications are in graphic design - on computers! I literally have no experience doing anything outside of that. Got into the biz straight out of a degree in digital media. Talk about running into a serious career block!" - Ms. Graphic Designer

Here are some suggestions for Ms. Graphic Designer:

Wow, this is really affecting your work..not good. Okay here are some suggestions. I know you said you have looked at the ergonomics of your desk and chair. Check out this link for a litte more information on how the position of your computer screen and chair can make a big difference. It discusses the angle of the computer screen, keyboard height, leg position. Read more about Neck Posture in the Office

Do take breaks throughout the day. Set a timer if you need to every hour. A 5 minute break (on the clock) will really help you. When you do take breaks, make sure to stand up, stretch, do some neck exercises and stretch out your upper back muscles. Simple stretching exercises for the neck can make such a big difference- Flexion, Extension, lateral bending and rotation. Consider doing them first thing in the A.M, when taking a hot shower (letting the water hit your neck). Not to the point of pain, only to the point of a stretch. During the day, have a ice pack ready to go at the office that you can apply to your back if you are having acute pain.

Also when you are sitting, watch the placement of your shoulders. So many of us raise our shoulders as we are typing, especially if we are concentrating. Make a concious effort to push your head back (cervical retractione exercise), and bring your shoulders down in a relaxed position.

I think a deep tissue massage with specific muscle work to the thoracic paraspinals, rhomboids and trapezius musculature would help reduce the muscle spasms in the upper back and neck area. You can do this at home as well with the addition of a pain relief gel, like biofreeze. Have someone help you. You can a really good neck back massager as well for home use.

I am glad to see that your MRI was free of disc herniations and disc bulges for the cervical spine. You may want to try traction in the neck and see if this gives you some relief of neck pain and soreness. You can just do gentle traction to the neck, which will promote proper alignment in the c-spine. You can accomplish this with a traction unit (like a posture pump 1000) and even a good cervical support neck pillow for sleeping at night.

Finally, do you exercise during the day? A mixture of cardio, and strength exercises will make a big difference to how you feel overall. Consider taking a yoga class to increase your flexibility.

I hope my suggestions are helpful to you. Your career sounds important to you and I hope you are able to make it more comfortable for yourself.

Extra Reading: True Neck Traction with Pronex Pneumatic Traction Unit at Home: A Blog Post
Picture Source: NoiRcORNEr on Flickr

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.


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What position do you sleep in to make your neck hurt in the morning?

There are many sleep positions that can increase your neck pain. Today I want to discuss which neck positions are not conducive for restful sleep. Suggestions will also be given that will reduce the chances of a stiff neck in the A.M Don't put too many pillows under your head and neck. This will put your head and neck into an awkward position and cause spasms to the neck muscles, which equals pain. Also avoid sleeping on your stomach; not good for the neck. You may want to try sleeping on your back- with some pillows under your knees; this is an optimal way to sleep because it take the pressure off of your lower back. The most important thing is to have a good cervical neck pillow that will put your neck into a comfortable ergonomic position. For example the linear gravity neck pillowThe great thing about this neck pillow is that it comes in 3 sizes and it has a square in the middle. There are two different neck rolls so you can choose which side will be comfortable for you. Finally, if you do wake up with neck pain, consider doing some gentle cervical neck stretches with a hot shower (not to the point of pain, just to the point of a stretch). This will help get rid of your neck pain.

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.


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THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A HANDY ICE PACK AND HEAT PACK

,
Having that ice pack or hot pack ready to go when you need it is a big benefit. I still remember when I was younger, coming home from practice or a game. It’s inevitable something was hurting or an older injury was acting up. I put ice in a bag and wrapped it around my arm or leg with a towel. The ice would melt in 15 minutes making a big mess if the bag did not seal good. And when it was sealed fine I would put it in the freezer and it would freeze as a big solid block, unable to use really.
For a hot pack I would run a cloth under hot water burning my hands doing so or burning them when I rung out the towel. Not to mention it would only stay warm for about 3 mintues so I would repeat the whole process. What a pain- literally.
Now with newer advanced gel packs things are so much simpler. You can just leave the ice pack in the freezer and take it out whenever you need it. Thaw it and put it in the microwave for minute you’ve got a hot pack. I leave one Dual Comfort hot/cold pack in the freezer and leave one in the cabinet. This way I always have a cold pack ready to go and the hot pack is ready in just 1 minute.
Best of all, it holds the cold and the heat in for long periods of time. So I don’t have to freeze or scald my hands every few minutes or worry about making a mess and soaking our couch with water.
Another great benefit is that the gel is flexible and soft. You can sit against it, lie on it, drape it over your shoulder, you name it.
We’ve come a long way from that hard block that you don’t have to hold against the back of your neck or burning yourself with a hot cloth to get some pain relief and relaxed muscles. Go to Arc4life for more information on heat and ice therapy.

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units


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True Neck Traction with the Pronex Pneumatic traction unit

REAL NECK TRACTION – USING THE PRONEX PNEUMATIC TRACTION DEVICE- UNDERSTANDING NECK TRACTION
To start there are 2 kinds of neck traction. One that essentially just stretches you. This would be like a neck brace or over the door device or an air bubble type around the neck. This is similar to someone pulling your head upwards.
Doing this does open up the IVF’s which are your intervertebral foramen where the nerve roots exit off The spinal cord and travel outward branching out to more nerves going to various parts of the body. This type of traction gives short term relief, opening up the nerve holds temporarily taking pressure off the nerves and reducing inflammation. This traction also helps hold the neck in place so it heals better in someone with a trauma who cannot move their neck.
The kind of neck traction most people need and should use is traction that gives a gentle stretch about also restores the curvature in the neck.
The Normal “C” curve of the neck allows for the proper IVF spacing (in other words- space for the nerve roots to exit without any pressure). Having the normal neck curvature helps keep pressure of the nerves long term. This way pain goes away and stays away.
The Pronex neck traction device is the top of the line real neck traction to restore the neck curvature and help get rid of neck pain and other unwanted symptoms of pressure on your neck nerves.
The vast majority of neck pain sufferers and even headache sufferers can benefit tremendously from the use of this type of traction. The normal curve of the cervical spine is a huge piece to the puzzle of staying healthy and removing neck pain and other related symptoms.
The posture pump 1000 is also very good at restoring the neck curvature and when combined with neck stretches and exercises and other natural pain relief methods and muscle relaxing. Check out the The Neck Pain Relief Kit for fast and long lasting relief.

Visit us online at Arc4life.com


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Neck Pain, Upper Back Pain and Shoulder Pain Common in Cyclists

The American Bureau of Transportation Statistics states that there are more than 40 million Americans who ride bikes at least monthly. Over 5 million people ride at least 20 days/month. With so many Americans bicycling injuries sustained have also risen especially neck and upper back pain.
Because of the position that a cyclist takes while biking, this can increase a cyclists symptoms of neck pain. [Wilber/Weiss AJSM/Dannenberg] Wilber, et al. found that 44.2 % of male and 54.9% of female recreational cyclists presented for medical treatment of neck pain, while approximately 30% presented with back pain. [Wilber] Weiss also reported that 66.4 % of recreational cyclists reported neck and shoulder symptoms following an 8-day, 500-mile bicycle tour.

Neck pain can be made worse by several factors to include riding position, technique, and comorbid conditions. In the cycling position, the neck is in the position of extension with the back flexed for long periods at a time. Riding in a position with drop handlebars for long periods increases the load on the arms and shoulders as well as hyperextension of the neck, leading to muscle fatigue and pain.

If the virtual top tube length (top tube plus stem length) is too long for the rider, or if aero bars are used, more extension of the neck occurs. Prolonged hyperextension of the neck and associated muscle strain may lead to trigger points in the muscles of the neck and upper back.

Trigger points are hyper-irritable areas occurring as small knots in the muscles throughout the body. They send pain signals to the brain and contribute to a cycle of pain, muscle spasm and pain. Trigger points are frequently caused by direct blunt trauma, or by repetitive microtrauma, as is seen in overuse athletic injuries. Certain techniques common to cyclists may also cause trigger point pain. Shoulder pain is also prevalent among cyclists. Cyclists frequently present with pain in their left levator scapula caused by looking over their left shoulder for oncoming traffic frequently.Additionally, comorbidities must be assessed; in older riders, for example, it is prudent to question about radicular symptoms because a certain degree of neck pain may be secondary to arthritis in the cervical spine.

Source: Neck and Back Pain in Cycling
Visit us online at: Arc4life.com

Pillows should not be in the Crib with Baby: The CPSC sends out an urgent warning

WASHINGTON, DC- The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a warning for parents to make sure that there are no pillows in the crib with your baby due to the high risk and suffocation and entrapment. The CPSC is aware of at least 47 infant deaths between January 2006 and May 2008 associated with pillow use in the sleeping environment.In the 16 years between January 1992 and May 2008, pillows and cushions have been associated with 531 infant deaths.

"Parents should be especially vigilant when preparing for a new baby," said Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. "Babies represent our most precious and vulnerable population."

TIPS ON BEING SAFE IN THE NURSERY:

• Place your baby on his or her back inside the crib, to To reduce the risk of SIDS and suffocation. Make sure your crib meets current safety criteria
  
• Never use a pillow as a mattress for your baby to sleep or to prop your baby’s head or neck.
  
• Infants can strangle to death if their bodies pass through gaps between loose components, broken slats and other parts of the crib and their head and neck become entrapped in the space.
  
• Don’t use older, broken or modified cribs
  
• Check the tightness of the crib hardware regularly to make sure sides are kept firm on the crib.
  
• Infants can suffocate in spaces between the sides of the crib and an ill-fitting mattress; never allow a gap larger than two finger widths at any point between the sides of the crib and the mattress.
  
• Never place a crib near a window with blind or curtain cords; infants can strangle on the cords.

TIPS ON BEING SAFE AROUND THE HOUSE

• Properly set up play yards according to manufacturers' directions. Only use the mattress provided with the play yard. Do not add extra mattresses, pillows or cushions to the play yard, which can cause a suffocation hazard for infants.
  
• Look for a toy chest that has a support that will hold the hinged lid open in any position in which it is placed or buy one with a detached lid or doors.
  
• Small Parts – For kids that are younger than age three, avoid toys with small parts, which can cause choking.
  
• Magnets - For children younger than age eight, avoid building sets with small magnets. If magnets or pieces with magnets are swallowed, serious injuries and/or death can result.
  
• Select toys to suit the age, abilities, skills and interest level of the intended child. Look for sturdy construction, such as tightly-secured eyes, noses and other potential small parts.
  
• For all children younger than age eight, avoid toys that have sharp edges and points.
  
• Verify that furniture is stable on its own. For added security, anchor to the floor or attach to a wall
  
• Use outlet covers and outlet plates to help prevent electrocution.
  

The CPSC encourages parents to regularly check toys and nursery products against CPSC recall lists and remove recalled products from your home. Sign-up for automatic e-mail recall notifications at http://www.cpsc.gov/
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 or visit CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
SOURCE : U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Thank you for reading the Neck Pain Support Blog. If you have any questions or comments please email us at admin@ neckpainsupport.com. Visit us on the Web at Arc4life.com

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Sally and her stiff neck: Solutions for neck pain relief

My friend Sally was experiencing right sided neck pain. She could not bring her right ear to her right shoulder, or turn her head from sided to side. She had tried heat and even a neck massager, but nothing worked.

Solution: It appears that Sally has a muscle sprain/strain- she has pain in the neck plus decrease in range of motion in lateral flexion. She could have slept incorrectly, done repetitive motions (for example typing for a prolonged period of time) with her head in an awkward position, jerked her head in a uncomfortable way---- many many things that could have caused this. One solution would be try to take a hot shower and do some gentle stretches with her neck specifically: forward flexion (bringing her chin to her chest), bending her head to each side, and extending her head back. Sally should not do these to the point of pain- only to the point of feeling a stretch. Also, she should try to use biofreeze natural pain relieving gel for the muscle spasms in her neck. Finally, she should get a good cervical support neck pillow for sleeping so that she can sleep with her head and neck properly supported- try a traction pillow.

Home Neck Traction: The secret to ending your neck pain fast and effectively

There are so many treatments for neck pain: medication, chiropractic, physical therapy, and traction. When people think of traction, they think of an awkward over the door contraption that looks very painful. Well, not so at all- because today we are going to go over how to do comfortable neck traction at home. There are many traction units available online today- At our office we utilize the Pronex Pneumatic Cervical traction unit and have had the best results for neck pain relief. Here are the simple steps

1. Take out the pronex from its bag. Remove the headstrap from the traction device. Make sure you have removed your earings and necklaces before starting. If you have long hair pull it back.
   
2. Lie on a flat surface, a carpeted area is nice. If you want more cushion, put a yoga matt under you. Bring your knees up with feet flat on the floor. This is the ideal position for neck traction because it keeps pressure off of your lower back.
   
3. Put one hand behind your neck and roll back onto the pronex. Pull the sides of the pronex out gently so that your neck and head are in a comfortable position.
   
4. Apply the forehead strap to your forehead- tightening comfortable on the other side with the velcro strap
   
5. The pronex traction device uses a simple pneumatic bulb to inflate the bellows. Turn the valve clockwise to increase traction (this closes the airway) and turn counter clockwise to decrease traction (this releases the airway). Make sure you close the chrome valve on the bulb before starting traction- so turn the valve clockwise.
   
6. Before beginning traction by closing the airway by turning the valve clockwise-
7. Begin inflating the unit until you feel a gentle stretch in your cervical spine. This cervical stretch will relax the cervical paraspinals muscles and suboccipitals
   
8. Close your eyes while doing traction so that you can be completely relaxed
   
9. 
   After relaxing, Continue inflating the pronex so that you can increase the traction. Stay in this position until you feel relaxed. *Relaxation during traction is very important for a successful treatment.
   
10. Continue with traction for about 10 minutes
    
11. After finished turn the chrome valve counter clockwise to release the airway. Remove the velcro headstrap slowly.
    
12. Using one hand to support the head and neck, roll out of the unit on one side, gently sit up slowly
    
13. ***Use the gray wedge if neccessary to put some flexion into your neck while doing traction. This is for angle therapy- place the gray wedge under the head peice only.
    
    
    Indications for neck traction:
    
    • Head, Neck and shoulder Pain
      
    • Herniated disc and bulging disc in the neck
      
    • degeneration of the cervical discs in the neck
      
    • Post cervical fusion surgery
      
    • Migraine headaches
      
    
    

So as you can see, neck traction at home can be simple, pain free not time consuming, and most importantly giving you pain relief! Simply spending 10-15 minutes a day, can ease the pain in your neck. As with all medical products consult with your Dr about your specific traction protocol.

Click here For more information about the Home Pronex Cervical Unit
Purchase the Pronex Online **** Use discount coupon arc100 for 10% off of your purchase !
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How to stop neck pain while doing Ab Exercises...

We all strive to have 6-pack abs- Alas if it were that easy ! Most people exercise inappropriately and don't have proper form, leading to more pain.
Recently I noticed the following question on Yahoo Answers: "I do abs alot and i know everyone gets neck pain is there a way to prevent that?" I thought it was very interesting and a useful tidbit that I know my blog readers will find helpful.

Answer: Don't flex your head forward when doing abs- ie try not to bring your chin to your chest when coming up. This is very common and actually can cause neck pain because it places stress on the cervical spine. Keep your neck neutral and look up to the ceiling when doing your ab workout, to prevent any neck involvement.If you are somebody that interlocks your fingers behind your head, change that to placing your finger tips behind your ears when doing abs, that way your cannot pull on your head and neck (or cross your arms and hands across your chest). Focus on crunching with your abs and don't lift your head when doing abs. If your neck is sore, consider doing some cervical spine exercises to increase mobility and decrease pain: neck strengthening and stretching exercises is very important before doing any type of workout. Hope this helps.

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Red Sox 1st Baseman Sean Casey ready for the field ?

Sean Thomas Casey, nicknamed "the Mayor" is the first baseman for the Boston Red Sox and a player that has been suffering neck pain. Since last week he has not been able to play and has been using rolled up towels to ease his neck pain. Last Thursday he was scheduled a cervical MRI- Casey has been out for 7 games in a row and want to make sure of a diagnosis for his neck pain before hitting the ball full force. Casey first experienced this neck pain when playing in Japan. "Japan was the first time I ever had any neck pain in my life," Casey said. "It's in the same spot. It gets better every day, but I can't get over the hump. I'm hoping I wake up one day and it's, 'Hey, everything's fine.' Hopefully it's soon. It has calmed down a ton."


A cervical MRI is a special diagnostic tool that will show what is going on at the disc level. With an MRI even different types of tissue within the same organ can easily be seen. Unlike standard X-rays, and CT Scans, it does not use radiation. MRI uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to create sharp images. An MRI of the neck consists of about 2 to 6 sequences of pictures, each lasting 2 to 5 minutes. Each sequence shows a cross-section of the neck.

As of today, Casey has been able to hit and take ground balls and should be available to play tomorrow. His Manager, Terry Francona agreed that he would be back in play tomorrow.

Photo of Sean Casey by Flikr: Mucci
Photo of Cervical MRI by Flikr: BigFaceMom1
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BackPacks: A pain in the neck

All over the US and Canada, kids are heading back to college. The arrival of September equals back to school, and backpacks can be a pain in the neck for many students. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, a Boston study showed that 85% of students reported discomfort and pain with using their backpacks.

Karen Jacobs, a former president of the association and a board certified professional ergonomist, stated that the most common complaints amongst students was shoulder discomfort, neck pain, lower back pain and upper back pain. "Carry water bottles empty and fill them before class. Carry only what you need and leave the rest in your room," Jacobs said. She recommends a loaded backpack weigh no more than 10 percent to 15 percent of a student's body weight.

Arc4life is proud to offer special AirPacks BackPacks, available in small, medium and large sizes.
These ergonomically designed backpacks have a special patented, ergonomic air transfer system, making it easier to carry around your stuff. This support system is created by a hidden adjustable air chamber placed in the lower back which transfers weight from your shoulders to the hips. The wide, foam-cushioned straps have buckles at the top and bottom to provide a two point adjustment. These back packs self-adjust side to side to provide bettr fit across the shoulders. Side cinches pull the load closer to your center of gravity increasing balance and stability. Visit Arc4life for more information on the AirPacks Backpacks.

It is important for kids- whether junior, highschool or college bound to have a sturdy ergomically designed back pack so that they can concentrate all their efforts on their books, not carrying them around.

Read also on the Neck Pain Support Blog:
The Case of the Heavy Back Pack