What's the best neck pillow for aches and knots?

Today's post comes from Yahoo Answers- Everybody suffers from aches and knots in the neck. So here is the question:

Question:What's the best neck pillow for aches and knots? I have this neck pillow that vibrates. Well, I took out that mechanism that causes it to vibrate, because it feels like it's shaking my brains, and that's not very comfortable. I've just been using it to sleep with now, and I'm looking for a neck pillow that might gently knead the neck muscles. Any ideas? I tried several searches, but I can't seem to locate one that does that. Maybe you know from personal experience, which one is the best. Thanks so much :)

Answer: Here is a great neck pillow that will give you a gentle stretch in your neck while you are sleeping: the Cervical traction Neck Pillow.
If you look at the design of this pillow you will note that this pillow has a "v" in the center and other other side is a neck roll. The V Part actually gives your cervical muscles a gentle stretch when you are sleeping. This is really good especially if you have a decreased cervical curve in your neck. The other side of the pillow supports you head and neck, making sure that it is properly supported while sleeping.

How about instead of getting a pillow that "vibrates" or "kneads"- get a home portable T.e.n.s Unit for your muscle spasms. Do this during the day, when you are awake for about 20 minutes. Use ice (acute neck pain) or heat afterwards (chronic neck pain). Also you can use a natural pain relieving gel like biofreeze to work on the cervical paraspinals and suboccipitals.

Source(s): Yahoo Answers

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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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.

How to Treat a Muscle Spasm with Ice and Biofreeze

Muscle spasm or muscle tension in the neck or in the lower back? One way to treat this simply at home is to use a combination of ice and Biofreeze, a natural pain relieving Gel. A muslce spasm often feels like a tightness and sometimes it can be painful. I originally wrote this article on ehow.com and now i want to share it on my blog as well. In this particular blog I am talkinga about treating a muscle spasm in the neck region specifically. I have also given you ideas for your lower back region as well. Here is what you will need:

• BioFreeze Natural Pain Relieving Gel
  
  
• 6 x 20 Cold Pack for your neck OR 10 x 12 Cold Pack for your lower back region
  
• 1 towel
  
• 1 glove (non latex preferrable)
  

Step by Step Instructions for treating your muscle spasm:

1. Make sure your 6 x 20 ice pack has been in your freezer for at least 4 hours.
   
2. Take your ice pack out of the freezer and wrap your ice pack in the towel
   
3. Put one glove on and squeeze a small amount of biofreeze from the tube onto your finger.
   
4. Apply to your neck. Start from the top of your neck in the back (just under your hairline in the back) and start to massage in small circular strokes. First do the right side, then the left side. From top to the base of the neck. Keep your head in a neutral position.
   
5. After you have a massaged for about 1.5 minutes on each side, apply the ice pack that has been wrapped around the towel. Apply this ice pack right around your neck, allowing the ice pack to hang from your upper shoulders. Relax, sit (or lie down face down) like for 10-15 minutes.
   

It is a good idea to have someone else do this for you, but this is not always possible. BioFreeze Natural Pain Relieving Gel is odorless, and greaseless but you don't want your fingers tingling afterwards. Wearing a glove will also save you a step from having to wash your hands (you can concentrate fully on your neck pain or lower back pain)
Also, It is a good idea to keep your ice pack in a seperate plastic bag so that it does not pick up the freezer odors. You want to get a 6 x 20 ice pack because this will fit nicely around your neck or a 10 x 12 ice pack for your lower back region.



NJ
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Join our Free Newsletter at Arc4life: The Healthy Back and Neck eNewsletter- Read March 2008
Arc4life is an Ehow expert on health related issues. Read our eHow to Articles here: Ehow Arc4life Articles
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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
Visit us at Arc4life.com
Join our Free Newsletter at Arc4life: The Healthy Back and Neck eNewsletter- Read February 2008
Arc4life is an Ehow expert on health related issues. Read our How to Articles here: Ehow Arc4life Articles
Contact NJ via email: info@arc4life.com

Why Do I Constantly Get Muscle Tension In My Neck And How Can I End The Pain And Soreness?

Do you often wake up with a stiff neck? Feel like you always have soreness across the shoulders? Notice you can't turn your head like you should be able to? Sometimes feel the tension going right up into your head, causing a headache? Or even find it often difficult to work on the computer or drive for a long period without having your neck tension increase?

Many people suffer from tightness, spasm or sore muscles in the neck. Often times if you feel the neck you can find hard nodules which are knots in the muscles or what I call trigger points. It is very common.

Usually the source of the problem actually stems from the neck spine and nerves in the neck. Why is this so? Well, to start, the nerves control our muscle function. If there is pressure on nerves in the neck your muscles are not getting proper communication, so they get imbalanced and don't work like they should. Next, a spine that is misaligned will not only contribute to possible direct pressure on a nerve by a spinal bone or bones misaligned but also it can create an uneven ness in the spine so that the muscles are not balanced. For example, if your spine is not straight u and down from the front to back and has a curvature to the side then the side the curve is toward has a constantly stretched and tense muscle. The opposite side will have a shortened muscle. Simply because of mechanics you may be able to tilt more to one side whereas the other side is limited.

Let's take another example of the forward head. From the side view our spine should have smooth flowing curves. The neck should have a C-curve of 40-60 degrees. This keeps the spinal cord relaxed and the nerves that come off it free of interference. It also allows your spine to with stand the forces of gravity at it's best. It has been shown that for each inch of forward head drift or carriage can cause 10+ more pounds of gravitational forces pressing down on you. Not to mention those muscles in the back of the neck that now have to work harder to hold the head up and in alignment.

So you can see from just two examples how misalignments can cause tension on the muscles and/or put pressure on the nerves causing pain and blocked communication of the brain and spinal cord to those muscles.

How can I get rid of this neck pain and tension?
Fix the cause - the unwanted misalignments and nerve pressure.

Get your spine treated by a Chiropractor or Osteopath. A Massage Therapist or Physical Therapist can help as well. The Chiropractor or Osteopath can adjust or manipulate the spine into it's best position. They may also use muscle stretches or trigger point release techniques as does a Massage Therapist or cervical traction, electric muscle stimulation or postural exercises that a Physical Therapist may do as well.

Be aware of your posture - remember posture is a window into your spine. If your posture reveals a forward head carriage for example then your spine has lost some of the normal curvature and is out in front of your center of gravity. Make sure your work station is ergonomically correct and also be aware of things that increase neck tension and stress.

Sleep with a good neck pillow. I recommend one with support for the normal cervical curvature (normal neck alignment). Arc4life offers a wonderful neck pillow called the Cervical Traction Neck Pillow. Forward head posture is the most common misalignment I see. A good cervical neck pillow or cervical traction can help correct this problem without much effort at all.

So, correct the root cause - pressure on the nerves and misalignments and you will correct the muscle soreness, tension, trigger points, and muscle pain.

Dr. Matt Bellinger is a Chiropractor in Connecticut. He has written many articles on how to easily and naturaly relieve pain, and has helped hundred of patients in his clinic end their neck and back pain. He recommends specific pain relief and posture improving products at www.arc4life.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/muscle tension