- Maintain That Curve -

Posture Pump Cervical Traction

Keeping or improving the neck's "C" curve is very important.

Getting adjusted, neck exercises, and traction can help.

Your Chiropractor can help.



Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for neck pain and back pain relief.

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Always Be Ready...

Now I’m not referring to a big storm, tornado or hurricane, but I can be. I am referring to knowing where medications are, how to get to your doctors, and when or who to contact in case of a medical emergency.

The same applies, to other kinds of emergencies. But let’s lean more towards your health. Yes, know where the doctor’s office is and hospital. Also know how you can fight neck pain at home too.

Not only know where the ice pack or ‘Biofreeze’ are but know neck exercises and neck stretches you can do. Know where another pillow is in-case for your Traction pillow cover is in the laundry. Have an idea what your plan of attack is. “The best offense is a good defense”!

I thought of this blog because we just had a scare with Dorian. Hurricanes can change their path or weaken but you still need to be prepared. Just like your health-always be ready (prevention) vs waiting until it’s too late.

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for neck pain and back pain relief.

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Tips To Finally End Your Neck Pain!

When dealing with any condition, adding to that all the usual things going on in your life it can almost be overwhelming. Here’s some steps you need to take to solve the problem:

#1 - Put it on your goal list - look at this list daily so you are constantly reminded to beat this pain. #2 - Try different treatments - see your chiropractor, see an acupuncturist; if it doesn’t seem to be helping, find another one.
#3 - Believe you can get rid of the pain. It’s tough to see but some individuals have the mind-set of: “whoa is me”, I’ll have this pain forever…If that’s what you think then you will always have the pain.
#4 - Change your routine. Maybe a different pillow. Different activities. Different stretches. You name it…
#5 - Continue to talk about it and research it. The internet has come a long way fast; use it!

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!

The News always talk about low back pain, what about neck pain?

I was flipping the TV channels last night and caught a clip from NBC Nightly News. They were talking about back pain, and of course the usual surgery drugs thing. The newscaster said to the resident doctor: "What about prevention?" She replied with the usual "strengthen the core". This may occasionally help the lower back but what about the neck?

A lot of the time they lump the neck into back things. Because your back often refers to the spine, which includes the neck. Well, just like the low back, we have to regularly look to practice prevention of pain or something similar.

There's no "core exercises" for the neck but it's very similar. You need to keep the neck health and strong too. I begin the day with dynamic stretches that include the neck and do sustained stretches later as well. I also do head retraction exercises regularly (As you may have figured, I do a lot of computer work).

So, think about your neck too, it's also part of the back!

Additional Reading Resources:

• A Wireless Solution for Neck Pain:The Witouch Wireless Tens Machine for Muscle spasm
• I Hurt My Back Moving...
• Shop for the Best Neck Pillow for a Solution for Neck Pain and Muscle Spasm
• Have Better Posture
• How Can a Neck Stretcher help me with my 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. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

"This Headache Is Terrible..."

Do you Have a Headache That Just Won't Go Away?

You've got a bad headache and it just won't go away! Did you know that over 90% of headaches come from the neck? Yes, that's right! So that poor neck posture might be catching up with you. So it makes complete sense to correct your posture; especially in your neck.

One of the most common postural MISalignments is forward head, and with that often comes a loss of the cervical curve. So what can we doe to fix it? We can do chiropractic adjustments, we can do neck exercises, we can do neck traction, and we can use a neck pillow. A great thing with using a neck pillow (pillow has a roll in it for the neck curve), is that this one's done while you sleep!

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.

Image Source: FoxNews

Additional Reading Resources:

• How to Help my Neck Pain and Headache From Work?
• Remedy For A Stiff Neck
• Do You Get Migraine Headaches?
• Pillows for Side Sleepers
• What to Do For a Neck Misalignment?

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Chin Tuck Exercises for Neck Pain

The chin tucks are great to stretch the posterior (back of the neck) neck. These neck exercises can also help to reduce forward head posture. Check out the video below to see these exercises that you can start right now at home to end your neck pain. Visit

Additional Reading Resources:

• Military Neck? Doing Neck Traction at Home
• Exercises for the Cervical Spine
• How Not Doing Weight Bearing Exercise Can Make Your Bones Unhealthy
• Things that Stop Inflammation in Your Body
• The Arc4life Traction Neck Pillow - a pillow to use with head retraction exercises

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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Make Your Neck Exercises Habit!

So often after asking a patient how they have been doing with their home stretches and exercises, they reply: “Oh yeah, I haven’t been doing them as much as I’m supposed to.”

One of the problems is this- he or she gets out of pain and tends to forget about doing them. The exercises, stretches, or our traction neck pillow may get you out of pain quickly, but that doesn’t mean you should stop using them. To really make change in the spine more permanent you need to continue with all of these things. If someone comes to see me that’s had neck pain or back pain for one year, the research shows it could take one year to get out of that pain and correct the problem. It depends on the severity and length of time the problem has been going on.

Once one relieves their neck pain they can cut back on their neck exercises, but still do them once in awhile. One of the reasons is that there are constant stressors on our neck- working at a computer all day, general stress, gravity …

One of the best ways to remember your neck stretches or exercises is to make it part of your daily routine, or habit! For example, do them every morning after you get out of the shower, do them in the shower, do them at work before your day gets going …

If you do them regularly they start to become habit. So even after you get out of pain, it’s a good idea to do some simple stretches and exercises to prevent future injury. It will only take a couple of minutes and is very important for your health. Don’t neglect your body, or it starts neglecting you!


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!

What position do you sleep in to make your neck hurt in the morning?

There are many sleep positions that can increase your neck pain. Today I want to discuss which neck positions are not conducive for restful sleep. Suggestions will also be given that will reduce the chances of a stiff neck in the A.M Don't put too many pillows under your head and neck. This will put your head and neck into an awkward position and cause spasms to the neck muscles, which equals pain. Also avoid sleeping on your stomach; not good for the neck. You may want to try sleeping on your back- with some pillows under your knees; this is an optimal way to sleep because it take the pressure off of your lower back. The most important thing is to have a good cervical neck pillow that will put your neck into a comfortable ergonomic position. For example the linear gravity neck pillowThe great thing about this neck pillow is that it comes in 3 sizes and it has a square in the middle. There are two different neck rolls so you can choose which side will be comfortable for you. Finally, if you do wake up with neck pain, consider doing some gentle cervical neck stretches with a hot shower (not to the point of pain, just to the point of a stretch). This will help get rid of your 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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Study Shows that Chronic Neck Pain can be Relieved with Strength Training

Neck pain affects everybody- it causes lost time from work, family and fun. Today I want to share a new study that came out in January 2008 that shows that specific strength training exercises can lead to significant prolonged relief of neck muscle pain, while general fitness training resulted in only a small amount of pain reduction. This study was completed on a group of women.

The Study was completed by two scientists: Gisela Sjøgaard and Lars L. Andersen of the National Research Centre for the Working Environment in Copenhagen, Denmark. Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial for which they recruited 94 women from 7 workplaces in Copenhagen between September 2005 and March 2006. The women were asked to do specific work related tasks such as typing and desk work. The work consisted of assembly line work and office work, with 79 percent of the participants using a keyboard for more than three-quarters of their working time.


Participants first answered a questionnaire about their pain and then underwent a clinical exam to confirm a diagnosis of trapezius myalgia (muscle pain in the trapezius muscle, which extends along the back of the neck). Participants were assigned to three intervention groups: those who did supervised specific strength training (SST) exercises for the neck and shoulder muscles, those who did high-intensity general fitness training (GFT) on a bicycle ergometer, and a control group that received health counseling but no physical training. Both exercise groups worked out for 20 minutes three times a week for 10 weeks.

The results showed that the GFT group showed a small decrease in neck muscle pain only immediately after exercise, while the SST group showed a marked decrease in pain over a prolonged training period and with a lasting effect after the training ended. "Thus specific strength training locally of the neck and shoulder muscles is the most beneficial treatment in women with chronic neck muscle pain," the researchers state.

The neck pain study also showed that the reduction in pain occurred gradually in the SST group, with trapezius muscle pain gradually decreasing as muscle strength increased. Although the GFT decreased the pain only temporarily, the authors note that even minor decreases in pain may be enough motivation to overcome barriers to exercise, and the resulting increase in fitness may benefit overall long-term health.

The authors state that the marked reduction in pain in the SST group is of "major clinical importance." They concluded: "Based on the present results, supervised high-intensity dynamic strength training of the painful muscle 3 times a week for 20 minutes should be recommended in the treatment of trapezius myalgia."

Reference: "Effect of Two Contrasting Types of Physical Exercise on Chronic Neck Muscle Pain," Lars L. Andersen, Michael Kjær, Karen Søgaard, Lone Hansen, Ann I. Kryger, Gisela Sjøgaard, Arthritis Care & Research, January 2008; 59:1; pp. 84-91.

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

Exercises for the Neck - Cervical Stretching

Stretching your cervical muscles is very important. Stretching exercices for the neck will Restore and increase range of motion in the neck. In the cervical spine, we are looking to increase range of motion in Flexion, Extension, Lateral Flexion and Rotation. Here are four simple exercises you can do everyday:

1. The First neck exercise is called Cervical Flexion (bring your chin to your chest) and Cervical Extension (look up to the ceiling). You want to start by tucking your chin in and gently bringing your head foward and attempting to touch the chin to the chest. Next, gently bend the head backwards as far as it will go. Repeat this exercise 5 times.


2. The next neck exercise is called Lateral Flexion. Bring your right ear to your right shoulder as far as you are able to. Do not rotate or turn your head when you are doing this neck stretch. Then bring your left ear to the left shoulder. Repeat this for 5 times


3. Next part of the program is called Rotation of the Cervical Spine. In this exercise you want to turn your head to the right as far as you possibly can, trying to bring your chin over your shoulders. When you are doing this neck exercise, do not bring up your shoulders. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds. Next do this on the left side of the neck and repeat for 5 times.



4. For the last part of the neck stretching exercise you want to stand with you feet shoulder width apart and place your hands behind your head. Bend from side to side, making sure to bend only with the upper back area and not with the waist or hips. Try to reach the upper elbow to the ceiling. Hold each movement for 3-5 seconds. Now do the same thing with the left side.
5. Standing with your feet apart shoulder length, clasp your hands behind your back, and pull downward toward the floor with your hands. Take a deep breath in and stand on your toes and look at the ceiling while exerting the downward pull. Hold this stance for 3-5 seconds, then exhale slowly. Relax and repeat 5 times.