"I Fell Asleep On The Plane..."

"I recently had a trip for a few hours on the plane.  I fell asleep basically sitting upright.  Later on I had excruciating neck pain and I was unable to turn to the side.  I didn't use a travel pillow and I believe my head was bouncing around.  Sitting upright, my head was flexed forward and probably being bounced around from side to side." - Marty 

Dear Marty,

This happens more than you think!  Not to mention it can happen while your sitting in the back of the car, on a bus, or even at home sitting in a chair.  Your may even be watching tv in bed, it's very much the same...

Your head is in an awkward position for an extended period of time.  Because of this you get a neck strain, which not only hurts, but may restrict motion.  In the future I would recommend a travel pillow when traveling, and try to avoid awkward neck positions as much as possible.

Additional Reading:

• Pillows that Work Great for Pain Relief, Comfort and Travel
• Needed: A Pillow for a 20 Hour Flight
• Creating a Neck Roll when you need it all of a sudden
• Yes,  you can relieve pain naturally
• Ouch, I have a stiff 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. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

"I Turned Quickly And I Think I Hurt My Neck?"

A Quick Turn in the Wrong Direction...BAM...Neck Pain Strikes

I hear this kind of thing a lot. Most likely something was going on in the neck, and it was ready to act up. That sharp or fast turn was the final straw. For example you may have slept awkward, got up and didn't notice, later on moved quick and - bam - it hits you!

Here's the bottom line: You have a neck strain, we have to get rid of it...

Some quick tips: 
1. Put a hot pack on the neck 
2. Do some easy neck stretches 
3. Lay on a neck roll to gently help correct spine alignment

Additional Reading Resources

• A Pillow for Neck Sprain and Neck Strain
• I have a Short Neck. Which Pillow do You Recommend?
• Don't Forget About Neck Exercises
• Not Sleeping Well at Night? learn what might be the culprit
• The Hunchback 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. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

Your Body Often Knows When It Needs Aligning …

What really is neck pain or back pain? It’s your body telling you something is wrong. It’s like your car engine light going on saying it’s time to check your engine. A pain response is similar. That warning is going off saying it’s time to get checked.

The whole reason I thought of my title and the subject I’m writing about is from an episode of Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice. A couple of episodes back John Rich was having a headache. I noticed he was often twisting his head to the side- self adjusting it or “cracking” it, or at least trying.

Why might he have been doing this?

The answer is simple- your body often knows what it needs! Doing this may give some relief. He was no doubt under a lot of stress from his current task at hand, not to mention dealing with delegating to others, plus probably lack of sleep, maybe food too …

All of these things contribute to neck strain and discomfort. Also, knowing that over 90% of headaches come from the neck (cervicogenic in nature), it’s a normal body response to try and fix the problem.

Hopefully he slept on a good neck pillow to help fix his neck that night. There’s no doubt the stress relief from the task being over helped as well. Good luck to John and his opponent- Marlee Matlin for the finale coming up.

Additional Reading
• stress relief program
  
• Celebrity Apprentice News
  
• Headache Relief
  
• Headeache 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. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

Kink in the Neck?...

Kink in the neck, stiff neck, crick in the neck, neck strain, whatever you want to call it...We are refering to the same type of thing. It most often comes about sleeping in an awkward position.

You know, sometimes those nights where yu are snuggled up to your husband or wife and although nice and warm etc., sometimes it's not the best neck position. Or that day when you are just beat, and you conk out in a funny neck position. Or that night where you zonk out on the couch without very good neck support. The list goes on.

Thank goodness for the traction pillow because it can not only help relieve a kinked neck but give you support and keep your head in a good position, preventing future neck kinks.



Additional Reading Resources

• I think I Strained my Neck !
  
• The Hidden Cause of the Morning Stiff neck
  
• Help me choose the Right Neck Pillow
  
• Treatment of A Stiff Neck Naturally without Pain Medication
  
• The Neck Pain Relief Kit
  

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

Fast And Easy Neck Stretches For Pain Relief

Summary: Dr Bellinger reveals 3 simple and easy neck stretches anyone can do to relieve neck pain and tension. Also included in this article are some tips on other things in addition to neck stretches one can do, and things to avoid, to prevent neck muscle tightness and pain.

In my office I show patients these simple, effective stretches all the time. They will help stretch your neck muscles keeping your neck loose and mobile. This will relieve your neck pain and muscle tension.
Every segment of your spine has motion but when things get stiff and immobile inflammation builds up putting more pressure on the nerves. Strained or irritated muscles can also pull the neck spine out of its normal alignment putting unwanted pressure on nerves. This, of course causes neck pain and other unwanted problems like headaches and tingling into the arms and hands.

• Stretch #1 – Lateral Head Tilts. Start by sitting up straight or standing. Slowly tilt one ear toward that same shoulder. Tilt head until you feel a good stretch. Next, hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Then slowly bring head back to straight. Repeat one more times and then do the same to the opposite side.
  
• Stretch #2 – Head Half Circles. Half circles with your neck and head with your head tilted forward and then with your head tilted back. Similar to if you do full head circles rolling your head around to each side, the half circles are much easier to do and are safer. Start by bending your chin down slightly and roll your chin to one shoulder and then the other. Do 5-10 rolls to each side. Next, extend your head back slightly and roll one ear to that shoulder and then roll head toward other shoulder. Again, do 5-10 rolls to each side.
  
• Stretch #3 – Modified Head Tilt. This is a more advanced version of stretch number one. When performing the lateral head tilt neck stretch, reach up with the arm on the side you are tilting towards and apply mild pressure to the head pulling it or stretching it slightly further. For example, if you are tilting your neck and head to the right, use your right hand to pull your head laterally toward your right shoulder.

With all of these stretches you can easily do them whenever you have a free moment, when you feel your neck stiffening up, or when you first awake in the morning. You can really do these stretches as many times as you like. For more stretching information and pictures of the stretches visit Arc4life’s neck exercises and stretches page.
When doing any stretch if you experience more pain, or irritation, simply stop that stretch. With the neck roll stretch, you can do full neck rolls as well. The reason I like half rolls better is because it is slightly easier on the neck.
Of course, if pain or the problems seem to persist or do not improve see your primary doctor or chiropractor.
Some things to avoid that prevent stiff neck are: sleeping on your stomach, and prolonged strenuous positions, such as working on the computer with poor posture for long periods.
Some additional things to do along with a stretching regimen are: see a chiropractor for neck adjustments or manipulations, try neck traction, and use a good neck pillow while sleeping.

Dr Matt Bellinger is a Chiropractor in Connecticut. He has written many articles on how to easily and naturally relieve pain, and has helped hundreds of patients in his clinic end their neck pain and back pain. He recommends specific pain relief and posture improving products at Arc4life.com

Blog Posts Related to Neck Excercises
-Exercises for Neck Strengthening
-Exercises for Neck Stretching

Loss of Curvature in the Neck- "military neck"

"oh my neck really hurts... I cannot turn my head" "My Neck is stiff..." - is that a constant health complaint for you? Neck pain affects many aspects of our life. Working on the computer, reading, looking back to check your blind spot while driving- can really aggravate neck pain and stiffness. For those who look further into it and have a proper examination with x-rays of their neck will find that they do not have a proper C-curve in their spine. Particularly this can be seen when we look at a lateral cervical spine radiograph:. Enough can not be said about the importance of the cervical curve. When bones of the spine lose their normal position or motion, sensitive nerves and blood vessels to the head can be affected. When spinal nerves and related tissues are stretched or irritated they can symptoms such as headaches and neck pain. Aspirin and medication may cover up these warning signs, but do not correct the underlying structural cause. Many patients with neck pain have lost the normal forward curve in the neck. Ultimately, this can affect the brain stem and spinal cord.

A customer who was dealing with neck pain, neck stiffness recently wrote in our website. This customer ordered a Cervical Traction Neck Pillow:

"I have been dealing with back and neck pain for 10+ years. My x-rays show a complete loss in the curvature of my neck, a permanent head tilt, and a curvature in my spine to compensate for my head tilt. I've been to the chiropractor again and again, tried roll pillows under my neck at night (so uncomfortable) and popped tons of advil. Minimal relief.


Then I ordered this pillow. The first night I used it I woke up the next morning with much less pain than usual. The next night I slept soundly and had even less pain in the morning. I have been using this pillow every night for three weeks now, and I wake up feeling great. The best part is, my neck is still okay by the end of the day! The pain stays at bay.


Sure the pillow takes a little getting used to, you can't move around much, but I am willing to sacrifice rolling around in bed at night for a pain free tomorrow!"


Arc4life Cervical Traction Neck Pillow



Cost of Neck Pillow: $67.95
Shipping: UPS or Post Office: $12.90 (ships within 2 days)
Color: White
Dimensions: 24"x17"
Weight: 1.5 lbs
Shipping Weight: 3.6 lbs
Fits: Standard Pillow Case
Indications: Neck Pain, neck stiffness, pinched nerve in neck, sore neck, disc herniation in neck, military neck, loss of cervical curve, Cervical Brachial Syndrome, Cervical Radiculopathy, Cervical Disc, Cervical Degeneration, Neck Fusion, Cervical Sprain, Cervical Strain, Whiplash, Neck Injury
To order the Cervical Traction Neck Pillow: Click Here

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