The Difference Between a Travel Pillow and a Neck Pillow

Often people call a travel pillow by the name neck pillow, however it’s not correct. A neck pillow is a pillow for sleeping that helps relieve pain and improve spinal posture by having a built-in neck roll that supports your neck. They are often called support pillows or orthopedic pillows. They help maintain the correct curvature in your spine on your back and keep the spine in alignment when on your side.

A travel pillow is a U-shaped pillow that you can use for neck support when on a plane, traveling by bus, or a car. You can call it a travel neck pillow, but calling a travel pillow a neck pillow or calling a neck pillow a travel pillow is not technically correct.

So to make sure you don’t make a mistake when trying to find, order, or recommend one of these, you now will know what a true neck pillow is versus a travel 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.



Additional Reading Resources:

• Travel Pillows that Will Keep you Comfortable
  
• Travel Pain Free this Holiday Season with the Right Neck Pillow
  
• A Supportive Travel Neck Pillow for a 20 Hr Flight...
  
• Home Neck Pain Relief with Surgery or Medications?
  
• Sleeping During A Flight with the Right Neck Neck Pillow
  

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How can Increasing my Water Intake Help with my Neck Pain?

Great question, and a very important question. If you didn’t already know, increasing your water intake helps lubricate joints of the neck. Water intake helps with the flow of fluid in the joints, as well as into the discs.

The real key is not only to increase your water, but getting motion in the neck and putting it into proper alignment. Normal alignment allows everything to communicate and flow as it should. Motion in the neck from exercises, neck tractioning, or stretches helps mobilize the water and lubricate the joints better.

Throughout the day discs become dehydrated because the weight of the head from gravity weighs on the spine pushing water out of the discs. Moving the head back into extension helps create a vacuum affect in the spine, pulling water into the disc.

Keeping the discs hydrated is extremely important because they create a space or hole (foramen) for the nerve roots to travel out of. Keeping that space open equals no nerve pressure; allowing it to close down (stenosis) equals nerve pressure and because of this Pain will follow.

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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Recent Study Shows that Biofreeze Reduces Pain and Blood Flow & Increases Muscle Function

For tight muscles, sore muscles or tender trigger points, on treatment option is to use a natural pain relief gel like icy hot, bengay, or biofreeze.

A recent University of Louisville study compared Biofreeze and ice, and their effect on pain, blood flow, and muscle function.
While they both reduced blood flow, Biofreeze Natural Pain Relief Gel actually did it much quicker. Both the ice and Biofreeze reduced pain. The one difference was that Biofreeze showed significant increase in muscle function where the ice did not.

Biofreeze works similar to ice in how it helps to heal. Ice therapy initially constricts local blood vessels and decreases tissue temperature. This constriction decreases blood flow and cell metabolism, which can limit hemorrhage and cell death in an acute traumatic injury.
The fact that Biofreeze was able to help restore muscle function was significant because allowing muscles and ligaments to work like they should reflects that nerve function is also better.

In our Central CT office, we use ice after muscle therapy and sometimes following adjustments, or we give home icing instructions. We also do the same with Biofreeze. The reason is to speed the healing process. We have found both to be natural means of getting our patients better faster. One of the nice things is that you don’t need to be in the office to use them; both can be utilized right at home.



Additional Reading Resources:

• How to Treat Tight Muscles Using Biofreeze
  
• Hot and Cold Therapy for Pain Relief
  
• My Trapezius Really Hurts, How Do I Find Relief?
  
• Neck Muscles Most Responsible For Your Stiff Neck And Trigger Points: The Levator Scapulae and Trapezius
  
• Treating Neck Pain without Surgery or Medication
  

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 Cervical Traction Neck Pillow Makes it To Goa India

Arc4life ships its pain relief products all over the world. Beautiful destinations like India, Thailand, even Kenya. Recently we received feedback from a husband that purchased the cervical linear traction neck pillow for his wife. They live in Margoa, Goa India:

"My wife suffers from degeneration of the C 5,6,& 7 discs and was in constant pain.One night she gasped and said "I rather die than have such pain". The Cervical Linear Traction pillow is a miracle cure. It took just 30 minutes for the pain to dissipate.My wife asked me to post this as a token of her appreciation for the product and the relief it brought. We are forever indebted to Arc4life."

- Edgar & Emma Soares - Margao - Goa - India


Additional Reading Resources

• Neck Pain Resulting from A C5, C6, C7, or C8 Radiculopathy
  
• The Right Pillow For A Herniated Disc in the Neck
  
• How to Choose the Best Pillow for your Needs
  
• Need a Pain-in-the-Neck Cure? Arc 4 Life’s Soft-Yet-Effective, Polyester-Filled (Non-Memory-Foam), Cervical Linear Traction 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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