How To Check Your Own Neck Posture

From the front your posture should be straight up and down- to see this in the mirror your shoulders and the tops of your hips should be even. You can look at points in your mid-body also to see if there are any shifts in your spine. For example, your shoulders may look even but when you try to line up the point midline to your eyes to your to the middle of your chin to your Adam’s apple things don’t line up.

Looking at your whole body, a straight line should be able to be drawn from the point between your eyes to your Adam’s apple, to your groin (the point of the “V” where your legs meet, to a point midline between your ankle bones).

Looking at your posture from the side, the ear should line up with the shoulder, and further down to the hip, and to the ankle bone.

The most common postural shifts we see are a forward head- the ear will be much more forward than the shoulder. Keep in mind a lot of us also have shoulders that roll forward, so picture them where they should be.

Other variables that may throw off your analysis besides forward shoulders, might be a crooked nose, ears that are different, or a jaw that is shifted. Keep this in mind when you are viewing your neck posture.


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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Forward Neck Posture And How It Will Work Its Way Down The Spine…

One of the most common postural and spinal misalignments we see these days is forward head posture. This is when the head and neck are shifted forward from the center of gravity.

We’ve talked at length about forward head posture and how it straightens the normal cervical curve as well as how it can cause neck and shoulder pain, muscle pain, as well as other symptoms like headaches, numbness and tingling in the arms or hands, and more …

Today, however, our focus is going to be on other postures that are often linked with forward head and neck as well as the issues they create.

The first is rolled shoulders. This is when your shoulders roll inward. Similar to your head being forward, your shoulders being forward also pulls and tenses the muscles of the lower neck and upper back. This can often create pain in these areas as well as muscle spasm and trigger points.

What then starts to take place what happens to your mid-back spine (thoracic or dorsal spine)?

Your thoracic spine often gets hunched at the top because of the pull on your neck and shoulders and these muscles trying to balance the body.

As it works further into you lower body, it often causes low back extension. This happens because when our head goes forward, our body automatically tries to keep your eyes even with the horizon.

To do this, most often people with this posture tend to extend at their low back. This can now cause low back pain on top of your already sore neck.


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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I have a lot of “Cracking and Popping” in my Neck, What could this be?

“My neck is always making noise, it doesn’t usually hurt much, but it feels good when it pops.” Usually what this means is that something is shifted out of place and the body is trying to correct it.

What you are hearing is simply a gas release in the joint similar to if you crack your knuckles. If this occurs occasionally and isn’t really linked with any neck pain or back pain then it’s fine. If, on the other hand, it seems to be occuring more often or you are experiencing neck pain, arm pain, headaches, or upper back pain, you may have a spinal segment out of place and along with a muscle strain.

What sometimes happens is: something gets shifted, this puts pressure on nerves. The body will then try to correct or compensate, usually by allowing the vertebrae above and below the one that is shifted and/or stuck, to move more easily. These are often the segments making all the noise.

So chances are, if things are still “cracking or popping” alot after a few days you may want to get your neck posture and alignment checked.

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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Is It Normal To Move Around A Lot At Night When Sleeping, And Will A Neck Pillow Still Work For Me?

It is completely normal to move around a bit when sleeping. Most people won’t stay in one position all night. What to do with the traction pillow is try to start out at night on your back. Once you get used to this you will sleep in this position for awhile and eventually move or roll over. The “V” part of the pillow will not only give a gentle neck stretch, but will help hold you in this position longer. When your body is ready to move, you will automatically turn and land more on the wing of the pillow on either side.

As long as you get some time on your back during the night, you will help improve your neck posture. So don’t feel like you need to sleep all night on your back, you don’t. In fact, a lot of customers are solely side sleepers. The pillow is good for that too because it keeps the head and neck level. We simply recommend to start out on your back to get some neck tractioning. Just sleeping on this for a short time will help correct neck posture and reduce 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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I Don’t Have Neck Pain, But My Arm And Hand Go To Sleep All The Time!

You can often get symptoms from a neck problem that present themselves in the hands and arms. Carpal Tunnel is a perfect example; we often see people who think they have carpal tunnel or elbow problems when in fact the problem is in the neck.

When dealing with hand or arm problems you always want to examine the source of nerve supply to that area. The hands and arms are controlled by nerves of the lower neck and upper back. The same is true for the lower back, which controls function to the legs.

A poorly aligned neck can often result in shoulder, arm, or hand pain or numbness and tingling. In fact, depending on which nerve fibers you irritate, you can get burning pain, nagging pain, numbness, or even weakness. Also, sometimes you may have neck issues as well, sometimes you won’t.



**The Bottom Line**

Whether you have an arm that’s always falling asleep or a wrist that hurts, keeping the neck in its best position will only help!



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 Is The Best Pillow For A Cervical Disc?

In my opinion, the best option for a disc problem or disc pain would be the cervical traction pillow. The key is the neck roll combined with the traction effect. These features help restore the normal neck curve and put a gentle stretch on the spine.

When the neck has the normal curvature it's in its ideal position and the discs are held in place at their best. When the discs are out of position, putting the spine back in good position helps to retract the
disc(s) back into position.

With the V part of the pillow (this gives the traction effect) we can help give additional pull to the disc helping to retract it back. So putting the neck spine in position and tractioning the neck will give the most amount of retractive force to re-position the disc.

An additional component is diet. Certain nutrients can help keep the disc as healthy as possible. The main factor is water. Drinking alot of water helps to keep the discs hydrated which is most important in disc health.

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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