Pillow Recommendation for a Reverse Curve in the Neck

Dear Arc4life,

I bought one of your Linear neck pillows a couple of years ago. I thought it helped some, but now I am waking every morning with neck stiffness and a headache. The headache is usually gone 30 min. after I get up, without any medication. I don't have a good cervical curve in my neck. I have tried both the softer side and firmer side of the pillow.

I went on your site and read about several of your pillows, the linear TRACTION pillow, the water pillow, etc. I hate to keep spending money trying to find a pillow that will help. Do you have any suggestions?
- Petunia

Dear Petunia, if you do not have a proper curve in the neck (it could mean you have a straight neck or a reverse curve in your neck), I would recommend some kind of a traction product (such as the cervical traction posture pump or the pronex traction unit) and also the Arc4life cervical traction neck pillow. The traction side of that pillow (V Side) will help you get the curve back in your neck at night.

I would highly recommend that you get adjusted by the chiropractor. They can also show you how to do traction properly at home. It is also a good idea to use a traction device in their office before buying one. Also neck stretches in the morning will be beneficial, as will using a hot pack on your neck and upper back area.

Also, keep in mind that doing traction and using a new pillow at night, can cause pain in the neck- including soreness and muscle spasms. This is normal- just like when you work out at the gym after a long time. Your neck muscles will not be used to using such a supportive pillow at night, so it is possible that you will have that. Having headaches is also normal after using a new pillow. Again, a chiropractor can also help you choose the right pillow for sleeping, and can also help you with headache pain relief.

Finally, if you are a petite person, I would recommend the small linear gravity pillow for you. If you prefer something a little firmer check out the petite core pillow. The traction pillow is a medium size pillow: 20" x 26". Due to the design of the pillow Arc4life cannot make it any smaller. You could also go with a softer pillow such as the cervical alignment pillow which has 5", 6" or 7" neck rolls.
Hope this helps.
-Nav at the Arc4life Blog

Additional Reading Resources

• Reversal of the Neck Curvature very Detrimental to your Health
  
• I was told I have cervical Kyphosis?
  
• How to choose the right neck pillow
  
• 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!

How can Acupuncture Help me Get a Good Night’s Rest?

Acupuncture has been practiced for hundreds of years and has been shown to help a number of conditions.

It will help to “balance” the body. In the acupuncture world, you refer to it as your body’s Qi (“chi”). Balancing and relaxing the various channels of the body will help you relax. This is directly related to our body’s nerves and nervous system. Studies have shown it to especially help with neck pain and back pain as well as allergies.

Relaxing the body will help with sleep, but reducing allergies can make a big difference too. The cervical linear traction pillow is hypoallergenic, but you can also get a special dust cover. This will protect the pillow over its lifespan against additional mites and allergens. One of the most important benefits of reducing allergies or asthma-like conditions is better breathing. This is a major factor in healthy 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. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

Alignment of the Cervical Spine: A large piece to the puzzle of being pain and symptom Free!

Overall spinal alignment is extremely important because it allows the muscles to stay in balance and pressure to stay off the nerves. The neck, and especially upper cervical spine can be said to be the most important because of the increased amount of nervous system activity.

Being so close to the brain, which is basically our main “switchboard”, there are more nervous system impulses going on every second. Essentially more messages to your body; more communication is happening. This is why keeping this upper neck in check is vital.

This brings me to the following point: a neck pillow like the cervical traction pillow may help with neck pain, but should be used regularly to improve and maintain your health. Pain is a warning sign that something is irritated or “broken down”,

fixing problems as fast as possible will prevent other problems or symptoms from arising.


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!

Overall spinal alignment is extremely important because it allows the muscles to stay in balance and pressure to stay off the nerves. The neck, and especially upper cervical spine can be said to be the most important because of the increased amount of nervous system activity.

Being so close to the brain, which is basically our main “switchboard,” there are more nervous system impulses going on every second. Essentially more messages to your body; more communication is happening. This is why keeping this upper neck in check is vital.

This brings me to the following point: a neck pillow like the cervical traction pillow may help with neck pain, but should be used regularly to improve and maintain your health. Pain is a warning sign that something is irritated or “broken down,” fixing problems as fast as possible will prevent other problems or symptoms from arising.


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 Knee Elevator:For A More Comfortable Position at night

Simply Place the Knee Elevator
Under Your Knees When Lying
On your Back

If you suffer from a herniated disc in the lower back, knee pain, leg pain, lower back pain, or have circulation problems, then the knee elevator may of help to you. Especially when you are sleeping, and trying to get into a comfortable posititon that will allow for some restful sleep. This item is also great for patients who suffere from tendonitits in the knees or have swelling in the ankles.  The Knee Elevator helps relieve pressure on the lower back when laying down. Simply place it under your knees when lying on your back. More comfortable than using pillows under your knees because it does not collapse.

The knee elevator is a positioning product composed of precisely cut foam. The dimensions of this product are 17"x10"x7" (43cm x 25cm x 18cm). It is covered with a blue cloud fabric cover (made of a polyester/cotton blend).

This leg pillow helps to increase circulation in the legs. It elevates the knees to decrease pressure on your lower back. The ergonomic shape of the wedge allows for a comfortable fit behind the knees. If are a stomach sleeping and trying to help yourself sleep on your back, this positioning wedge will help. When combined with the right neck pillow, the knee elevator may be the solution for a restful, painfree nights sleep.

The Knee Elevator is available at Arc4life.com > Positioning Wedges and Bolsters > Knee Elevator

Happy New Year to all Of my readers of the Arc4life Blog ! A New Year gives us the opportunity to start over, to make resolutions, and see things with a fresh pair of eyes. I hope my readers make health and exercise a priority this coming year. For us at Arc4life.com we are pleased to bring you a new year of blog posts and more information to help you be healthier. This is going to be a very special year for our small family at Arc4life.com- Happy New Year ! - Nav

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!

Study Shows that Sleep can Help Weight Loss …

Sleep Linked to Weight Loss

A recent study shows that there may be a link between losing weight and sleeping. This study included two groups of overweight individuals who sleep in a sleep lab for two separate periods of two weeks. Their diet was kept the same, but the amount of hours they slept for these periods was changed. For one period, the subjects slept for 8 ½ hours and in another period they slept for 5 ½ hours.

What they found was that subjects lost around the same weight, but during the 5 ½ hour period they lost more muscle compared to fat.

The study was by the Annals of Internal Medicine. Kristina Sargent, D.C. from ChicagoHealers.com provides tips for sleeping and health.

Additional Reading Resources:

• How to Choose the Right Neck Pillow
• Neck Exercises
• When Lack of Sleep Can be Deadly
• 6 ways to get a better nights 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. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

What kind of back brace will work for my body type?

I need a back brace for my back pain. I have lower back pain (mostly due to the weight I have to carry on my chest ) but I have a little bit of a belly too. I have gotten a back brace before but it was all elastic and folded itself in half due to my odd shape.

It can be hard to choose the right back belt when you are having excruciating lower back pain. We frequently get questions about how to choose the right lumbar back support.

I would recommend a lumbar back brace called the "Lumbosacral Low back Support Belt " The great thing about his lumbar brace is that it comes in various sizes. When you measure your waist, don't suck your stomach in. You want a true representation of what your size is. Also when you have your measurement around your belly button and you are in between sizes, go for the larger belt. Sizes for this lumbosacral belt go between Small to 3x Large. Check out arc4life.com for more information.

You can also watch a video that shows you how to wear the lumbosacral back belt properly.

Sometimes a Stiff back Belt with a hard backing can be uncomfortable, so i do not recommend it. You want something that is going to make you feel supported and that you can wear under your clothing. You also do not want something that is going to ride up either. This particular lumbar brace creates an upward and inward pressure which supports the whole abdominal region and lower back region. It works great in different positions of movement as well.

These belts are meant to be worn short term, not long term. Yes they can weaken the lumbar muscles but only if worn for long periods of time. For short term, acute pain- the lumbar belt works great. Also, if you know you are going to be working using your lower back, put your belt on for added protection. It is important to work on keeping a strong back.

Additional Reading Resources:

• Lower Back Traction Products
• Portable Tens for Muscle Spasm
• How to wear a lumbar support belt for moderate to severe lower back pain, step by step instructions
• biofreeze natural pain relief gel for muscle spasms
• positioning products for pain relief

Visit us at Arc4life.com for more pain relief products.