“I fell asleep on the Couch, now my Neck is Killing me!”

Neck Pain While Watching TV

What happened is that you strained your neck. It’s best to sleep with your spine in it’s normal position; that is, when on your side, your head should be level, when on your back you spine should not be tilted, but have a little curvature when looking form the side.

What tends to happen on the couch is that your head is propped up on pillows, or it’s cranked to the side or something similar. Most people fall asleep by accident on the couch, usually watching TV.

The same may go for watching TV in bed. I recommend not having a television in the bedroom. The same thing tends to happen in bed; you end up falling asleep in an awkward position, or you’re sitting up and your neck falls to the side.

With the neck muscles constantly stretched from your neck being in a bad position over an extended period of time, you are almost guaranteed to strain the neck.


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The Dangers of Lack of Sleep...

With our fast-paced, ever-progressing society, it’s not a huge surprise that sleep is something that people are getting less and less of. With technology always changing, and a new gadgets coming out every month, many more people are staying up later on their iphones or laptops or video games or just watching TV. This can create a habit of bad-sleeping patterns. And with a sleep problem, other health problems will begin to show up shortly thereafter.

The short-term effects of missing out on sleep include poorer performance, both at work and in other activities of daily life, and a worse memory. You are also at a higher risk for work or car accidents while excessively tired.

The long-term consequences are even more severe. A continual lack of sleep over the years can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, ADD, depression, and an overall poor quality of life. Before letting your sleep problems lead to even more health problems, speak to your doctor or chiropractor about steps you can take to get a more restful night’s sleep.

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Always Make Neck Surgery Your Last Option!

People tend to think of surgery as the great fix that will definitely work better than all the other options. So they think: why waste time trying this or trying that for their neck pain.

However, the best thing to do is try all of these other non-surgical or less invasive neck treatments before opting for surgery. Neck surgery is similar to low back surgery- it’s risky, the success rate is actually not great, and once you do it you can’t go back.

Talk to your doctor if you recently suffered from a trauma like a car accident, if you arm and hand weakness, or if you are experiencing a fever along with your neck pain symptoms.

Recently, I received a call from a customer who needed advice on purchasing a cervical traction unit. This customer owned a painting company, but after talking with him, he mentioned he was a musician on the side, and had been recommended cervical fusion. The patient wanted to try everything else before resorting to surgery- and because of his passion for music- he did not want to even think about surgery.


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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Using Yoga to Stay Healthy and Stress Free

Yoga For Exercise and Stress Relief

Downward Dog, sun salutation, shooting bow, half moon, cow face- these are all yoga poses. Yoga is becoming the exercise of choice for those looking to de-stress and increase their physical and spiritual health. According to a 2008 Yoga Journal study, there are a reported 16 million yoga practitioners helping people exercise.

Yoga is not simply “breathing” and “stretching.” Originating back 3000 to 5000 years ago, the word “yoga” is a Sanskrit word meaning to yoke or to unite. This encompasses the main good of the yoga lifestyle which is finding union between one’s own consciousness and the universe. Achieving this balance is thought to be done differently according to 6 main yoga branches: Raja yoga, Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga, Tantra yoga, and Hatha yoga.

As with any technique, there are going to be different schools of thought. Whereas one school of thought may emphasize meditation, another may focus on an individual’s thoughts and actions. Other types of yoga may focus on physical exercise such as Hatha yoga. Despite the divergent paths, all types of yoga strive for harmony and balance of the mind, body, spirit, and breathing.




What are the different types of yoga?

1. Hatha Yoga- emphasizes physical postures also known as asanas. It combines the movement between these positions with controlling one’s breathing.
2. Iyengar Yoga- a type of Hatha yoga. It utilizes certain props and tools, such as belts, blocks and even sandbags to help students reach and maintain exact alignments and positions required for asana positions. This is a great yoga technique for beginners. The positions in this type of yoga are held for an extended period of time.
3. Ashtanga Yoga- The good of this type of yoga is to raise ones body temperature to sweat toxins out of the body. The positions in this type of yoga are always changing and the fun is in breathing with each movement being accompanied by a new breath and each position flowing into the next without rest.
4. Bikram Yoga- This type of yoga, also known as “Hot Yoga” takes place in a heated room where the temperature is set for 110 degrees for 90 minutes. With the addition of heat the body is more flexible.
5. Kundalini Yoga- a type of Hatha yoga. The positions are meant to draw up energy from the base of the spine in order to awaken the body’s 7 chakras and gain enlightenment. This type of yoga focuses on the mental and physical aspect.

No matter what type of yoga you practice, it will help to increase your flexibility, promote weight loss, sharpen your focus, and calm your spirit. It works to stimulate your central nervous system and is ideal for overall health.

Additional Reading Resouces:

• Rehab and Exercise Products- for better posture, balance and strength
• Neck Exercises
• Neck Posture
• The Neck Pain Support Blog

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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CLT Pillow Works Well for After Surgery Patients

Over the years numerous customers have contacted us with the need for a neck pillow because their doctor wanted them to use it post-neck surgery. The requested pillow has overwhelmingly been the CLT pillow (Cervical Linear Traction Pillow).



The reason for this is because the “V” portion of the pillow helps hold the neck in position while asleep. You also have the neck roll which gives the neck its normal alignment of the smooth, flowing “C” curve.



There are so many reasons the traction pillow is a great choice for your neck pillow. Even for post-surgical individuals it’s the best choice. Take it from us, we talk to people every single day about what neck pillow will be best for them.




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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Strain of the Upper Back…What Can I Do?

Upper Back Pain can be common in athletes
and for people who work on the computer

Upper back pain can be common with athletes who work out with weights (muscle strain), and for people who work on a computer or at a desk daily (poor posture). This can put stress on the upper back area causing pain, muscle spasms, tightness and an overall a feeling of discomfort.

One of the best things to do in this case is use a neck pillow. What you’ll notice, I’ll bet, is that even though the pain may be between the shoulder blades or up closer to the shoulder, it is made worse by moving your neck. Not only that your neck range of motion may be limited.

We need to align the neck as good as possible because nerves that exit between neck vertebrae mainly supply the upper back. For example- your trapezius muscle, which is a large muscle that covers a good portion of the back of the neck and upper back is mainly innervated by cervical nerves. What does this mean? Well, it tells us we need to keep the neck nerves free from pressure for the upper back to work like it should.

This is exactly what a neck pillow is designed to do. With arc4life's cervical traction pillow, not only does it align the neck but it also gives a gentle neck stretch opening up the nerve holes, and releasing more pressure.

So even if you have pain lower down, look to the neck spine for issues also. It may be the reason for your pain and has been going unnoticed.

Additonal Reading You May Find Interesting

• Neck Pain While at the Gym
• Arc4life’s Spine-Worx Posture system helps maintain spinal alignment!
• The Dreaded Hunchback - How to Correct That Area of Your Upper Back That Pops Out and Looks Funny!
• Arc4life's Cervical Traction Neck Pillow
• Which Neck Pillow is Right for Me
  Pain in the Upper Trapezius Muscle

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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