Neck Pain Support Blog

Sleeping on your Side when Using a Cervical Support Neck Pillow

I just received my Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow and I had a question regarding side sleeping. I know that if I am sleeping on my back my neck will be in the V part of the pillow. I am a little confused about how to use the pillow when I want to sleep on my side. Do I want to keep the pillow in the same position as I would as if I were sleeping on my back (V under my neck)? I assume I would then just lay to the left or right of the V to sleep on my side. Or to I rotate the pillow 180 degrees so the V is upside down like this ^ and I just like on my side that way. I just want to make sure when I sleeping on my side that I am using the correct posture. Thank you, Maxine

Dear Maxine,
The Cervical Traction Neck Pillow is made for side or back sleepers. When you sleep on your side, you sleep on the wings of the pillow. You do not have to rotate the pillow 180 degrees to sleep on your side. You can sleep on the V side to the right or left of the V. Keep in mind, that you will get maximum traction when you sleep on your back. To help facilitate this, you can put two pillows under your knees to make it more comfortable or use a knee elevator. You will not get as much traction on your side, but you will get some.

Also, the other side of the pillow is more for support, as opposed to traction. You can use this at any time to sleep on (on your back or side).

Finally, you might experience some soreness in the beginning in the neck and upper back area. If you find yourself waking up after a few hours with soreness in the neck, go back to using your regular neck pillow. This does happen for some patients and is normal because your body is getting used to a new position of sleeping. Every patient is different. Some can use the pillow straight through the night from the beginning. If you do have soreness, ice your neck and do some neck exercises next morning.

Sleeping on a cervical support neck pillow is a good idea because your head and neck will be in proper alignment. A good support neck pillow will allow you to sleep on your back or on your side with no problems. The Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow does a great job of that. -NJ

Additional Reading Resources

• Which Sleeping Position is Best For You?
• How to Use the Traction Side of the Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow
• Downloadable E-Book: The Neck Pain Relief Kit
• 6 Ways to Get A Better Night’s Sleep
• Sleeping Comfortably When you have Neck or Back Pain

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical supports and cervical traction products for relief of stiff neck, and neck pain Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

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Michael Jackson: Another Celebrity Taken by Prescription Medications?

No one can deny that Michael Jackson, the King of Pop was one of the greatest artists of our times. There won’t be another artist like him. Like many celebrities, he suffered from anxiety, pain and chronic insomnia. This chronic inability to sleep can rob ones’s ability to have a life. Sleep deprivation plays with mind, our physical well being and our emotional state.

I have posted a few blog posts about how to get the best night’s sleep. Whether it means choosing the right neck pillow for sleeping, or getting into a sleep routine every night- it is definitely possible, with some discipline. Of course there are artificial ways to battling insomnia as well such as sleeping pills.

In the last few years or so, we have heard of numerous celebrities who died under suspicious causes- linked to prescription drugs. Over the last few years deaths due to prescription medication have arisen. People don’t realize how powerful these drugs can be when taken for a long time, in large doses and frequency and in combination with other drugs.

The Journal of the American Medical Association puts death from all drugs, illegal and prescription, as the #2 cause of death. The #1 cause was motor vehicle accidents.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that from 1999 to 2004, unintentional poisoning death from prescription drugs sleeping pills, antidepressants and tranquilizers grew 84 percent to 20,950 deaths, overtaking cocaine and heroin combined as the leading cause of lethal overdose.

Lest we forget the deaths of Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith. Both were found dead suddenly, and unexpectedly with a mixture of medications in their blood. In Jan 2008, Heath Ledger died from a cocktail of six prescription drugs including Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Diazepam, Temazepam, Alprazolam, and Doxylamine. Ledger had been complaining of anxiety, an inability to sleep, and had pneumonia. In February 2007, Anna Nicole smith was found with a deadly combination of sleeping meds and prescription meds in her system. This even happened to past celebrities like Elvis Presley, who in 1977 was found with a powerful medley of prescription medications.

With the passing of Michael Jackson, I again wonder to myself- is it that easy to get hooked on prescription medications? According to Gary Boggs, executive assistant of the Drug Enforcement Agency's Office of Diversion Control, the arm of the DEA that investigates unlawful trafficking of prescription medications, “The abuse of these drugs is only second to the abuse of marijuana," He also says that it is reported that out of the 7 million Americans who abuse prescription drugs, 5.2 million of them are involved in some kind of improper use of pain relief medications, such as Vicodin or OxyContin. “

To all my readers of the Neck Pain Support Blog- please take your prescription medications seriously and responsibly. Think about it, we only “hear” about celebrities who abuse drugs- in fact we love to read about it and gather all the “details”. Did you know that in 2005, At least 8,500 deaths were attributed to the overuse of painkillers, according to the DEA. That's a 114 percent increase in the number of fatalities associated with such abuse since 2001. Between 2004 and 2006, there was a 39 percent spike in the number of emergency-room visits that were connected to pain-reliever abuse. It can be said and hopefully understood that Prescription Medications when abused, can kill you. Its just not worth it.

**Post Note** As of today, the DEA recently joined the Los Angeles Police to determine the true cause of Michael Jackson's Death. According to experts, the DEA is often called in to assist in cases that might involve drug abuse

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

Additional Reading Resources

• Choose the Right Neck Pillow for Better Sleep Naturally
• Which Sleeping Position is Best For Me
• Simple Tips to Sleep
• 6 Ways to Get A Better Night’s Sleep
• Better Sleep equals better control of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease
• Sleeping Comfortably when you Have Neck or Back Pain

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My Trapezius really hurts..how do I find relief?

Having a tight and sore upper back is very common. Most people do not realize that this is the trapezius muscle, also known as the "traps" muscle. If you do a lot of typing, taking on the phone or spending time at your desk, you may have first hand experience as to what I am talking about.

The Trapezius muscle is huge. It encompases your neck, shoulder and upper back area- and it has 3 regions: upper fibers, middle fibers and lower fibers. Shaped like a trapezoid, this upper back and neck muscle is one of the largest in the body.

The trapezius muscle not only helps you to breathe, but it affects the motion of the scapula: elevation, adduction, abduction and depression (basically all your ranges of motion for the shoulder). So the next time you are reaching out for something, shrugging your shoulders, or turning to look at something- remember that the trapezius is involved. The trapezius muscle is activated when you laterally bend and rotate your head and neck- making the relationship with the neck very important. Everyday in our activities of daily living we are using the trapezius muscle. Sitting at a keyboard, driving, and sports such as tennis, baseball, and swimming all have active trapezius involvement.

You can stretch the trapezius muscle at home quite easily: Steps to stretch the right side of the trapezius

1. laterally bending your head to the left (left ear to left shoulder)
2. taking your left hand to the right side of your head/ear and pushing to the left.
3. Turn your head slightly right 3) Hold this stretch for 10 seconds, and repeat.

**make sure you are not slouching when you are doing this trap stretch; also, take deep breaths while you are stretching.

The trapezius muscle is commonly found to be stiff, tight and can be very painful. Besides doing regular stretches, you can get a portable tens unit to work muscle spasms. Using this in conjuction with the heat/cold therapy is a good idea. For acute conditions use ice, and for chronic conditions (a condition lasting for greater than 3 months), use heat. For the trapezius muscle use a hot cold pack that is 6x20 (cervical pack)or 9x16 (tri sectional pack) in dimensions for good coverage. Finally, you can use topical pain relief creams for instant pain relief. One topical pain relief cream that you can use is called Biofreeze, which works similar to an icy hot. Another is Ibunex, which works similar to Ibuprofen, but is a topical cream that works quite effectively.

A sore and painful upper trapezius muscle is more common than you may think. Working at a desk job, or driving for long hours are activites that use the trapezius muscle can cause the muscle fibers to shorten, increasing the tightness- often described as sore, achy, tight, even burning. This strain to the trapezius muscle can be very annoying and painful. Other things that can cause muscle spasms in the trapezius include : lack of exercise, stress, poor diet, tension, and faulty ergonomics. Simply making changes to improve our posture while sitting can help to keep the trapezius musle in a relaxed, pain free state.

The trapezius muscle is one of the largest muscles in the body. It is responsible for so many actions that we use at every moment of our life. Taking the time to stretch, maybe even change the way to work, and most importantly to relax can make a big difference.

Additional Reading Resouces

• The dreaded hunchback. How to correct that area of your Upper back that pops out and looks funny
• Why is Slouching so Bad
• Stretching and Strengthening Exercises for the Neck
• How to Treat Tight Muscles with Biofreeze Natural Pain Relief Gel
• Portable Tens Unit
• Biofreeze Natural Pain Relief Gel
• Decreasing Tension and Stress in the Upper Back area

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Strengthening Your Neck Muscles for Better Health

Doing exercises for the neck is extremely important. This includes stretching and strengthening. In fact, recent studies have shown that exercising in general plays a positive role in chronic pain. Having weak neck muscles can be a cause for certain painful conditions. It can contribute to such things as:

• fatigue
• irritability
• headache
• sleep loss

. When doing exercises, they must be performed correctly, in order to avoid injury. They should be performed slowly, and you should stay within your “pain boundaries”. Never do an exercise to the point of pain. The purpose of neck exercises is to increase your range of motion, reduce stiffness/tightness, and strengthen your neck muscles.

The neck exercises below combine range of motion (ROM) against light/partial resistance in 4 directions (forwards, backwards, and left side bending and right side bending). To do these correctly follow these instructions: Pretend that you are involved in an arm wrestling contest:

1. Push your head into your hand while moving the head to the end of the range, “…letting the head win” (See A, C, E, G).
2. Repeat this going back in the opposite direction by “letting the hand win” (see B, D, F, H), again, moving through the entire range of motion.

ALWAYS push the head into the hands, Make sure you move the head against resistance in BOTH directions, 3 times each (A-B then B-A x3; C-D then D-C x3) then, (E-F then F-E x3, and lastly, G-H then H-G, x3 reps).

It is very important to do these exercises VERY slowly (to build motor control and coordination) and to move through the entire “comfortable” range of motion. Repeat 3x slowly.

If pain worsens, lighten up on the amount of pressure used or, stop the movement just prior to the sharp pain onset. If you can’t make it to the end of the movement due to pain, make a note of how many reps it took before the onset or increase of pain and how far you could move your head. Do 3 slow reps and then move to the next exercise direction.

These neck strengthening exercises can be performed 1 to 3x/day, according to tolerance, and will increase ROM, increase strength, and build coordination, all at the same time.

Article Source: Dr.Bellinger’s Monthly Newsletter July 2009

Additional Resources:

• Neck Exercises- Stretching and Strengthening; To Decrease Pain, increase mobility and range of motion of the neck spine
• Exercise for Neck Pain Works, Study Shows
• Can Forward Head Posture Cause Neck Pain?
• Head Retraction Exercises
• How to Prevent Neck Pain At Your Desk Job
• How to Choose the Right Neck Pillow for your Needs

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A Supportive Travel Neck Pillow for a 20 Hr Flight...

Question: I have a 20 hour flight and need suggestions for good neck support or pillows. Buckwht? Beads? Inflatable? U? I've never used a U pillow but I like the idea that it stays in place. I have an aisle seat so I can't lean against the window. I don't know how thick of a pillow I would need. Your experiences would be helpful.

Answer: If you are sitting for about 20 hours I would recommend you buy a U shaped pillow- this way your head can be comfortably relaxed sitting up and you won’t be leaning left or right. Do you like foam or polyester fiber fill for a neck pillow- it comes down to special preference. If you have a specific symptom, such as neck pain, stiff neck or pain due to a neck condition (pinched nerve, herniated or bulging disc), the Foam pillow will be a better choice. The U Shaped Memory Foam neck pillow responds to your body heat and adjusts to your unique needs of your head and neck. If you suffer with neck pain or headaches you may want to get a pillow that has a built in ice pack for added comfort. In particular its called the headache ice pillow. Here are some travel pillows that you can look at:

• The Travel Core Neck Pillow- U Shaped, made out of fiber. Get the support you need while sitting (lobes down) or lying down (lobes up or down).
• U Shaped Memory Foam Pillow> - made with 100% viscoelastic foam to provide comfort for your special sleeping or resting needs. This U Shaped Travel pillow responds to body heat to better conform to the unique shape of your head and neck, helping to comfortably stabilize an existing condition.
• Headache Ice Pillow- This unique u shaped pillow has special , compact design to help relieve headaches by providing support to your neck while sleeping or resting with the addition of ice therapy. An anatomically designed, soft-frozen gel pack can be inserted into the pillow for added relief. Great for travel, reading or sleeping, this pillow also can provide relief from pinched nerves, stiffness, sprains, neck injuries or other traumas. You can keep the gel pack in the freezer until you need it.

Additional Reading Resources:

• The Perfect Pillow for Travelling
• Travel Pain Free This Holiday Season with the Right Pillow
• The Right Pillow for Headaches

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Study Shows Why Our Sleep Routine Is So Important

When I was studying back in a day, all my homework was completed at night- It was the weirdest thing- some of my friends would do their homework in the early morning, others like me- late at night. This phenomenon is our bodies internal clock called a Circadian rhythm.

Your parents may “nag” you to get up every morning at 7:30 am, and they may force you go to sleep at 9:30 pm every night. Yes, this can be annoying, but this study shows that if you follow your parents advice, it is will be for your own good health.

A new UC Irvine Study, appearing in Science express online shows that these circadian rhythms regulate the energy levels in cells. This is a very important study because it gives us more information about how we metabolize food and the creation of new treatments for such conditions as cancer, diabetes, and obesity. These diseases are all caused by cell energy deficiencies.

Professer Paolo Sassone-Corsi and his collegeaus found that the proteins involved with circadian rhythms and metabolism are intrinsically linked and dependent upon each other.

“Our circadian rhythms and metabolism are closely partnered to ensure that cells function properly and remain healthy,” Sassone-Corsi said.

Circadian rhythms are important because they determine sleeping and eating patterns of humans. It is basically our internal clock that tells us when we should go to sleep, wake up, even telling us when it is time to eat. There are clear patterns of core body temperature, brain wave activity, hormone production, cell regeneration and other biological activities linked to this daily cycle. These circadian rhythms are going 24 hours, 7 days a week. Upsetting ones internal body clock can lead to conditions like depression, insomnia, increase in body weight, cancer and diabetes. They help us to adapt to changes in the environment and the time of day. Not following these patterns can have an adverse affect on our health.

Professor Sassone-Corsi and his collegeues have found that there is an important interactions between proteins (CLOCK Protein and SIRT1 protein) that is needed for circadian rhythms to function properly. This interaction is crucial for sensing cell energy levels and affects aging and metabolism.

“When the balance between these two vital processes is upset, normal cellular function can be disrupted,” Sassone-Corsi said. He further states that this can lead to illness and disease.

The findings suggest that proper sleep and diet may help maintain or rebuild this balance, and also help explain why lack of rest or disruption of normal sleep patterns can increase hunger, leading to obesity-related illnesses and accelerated aging. So your parents have good reason to get you into the habit of waking up and sleeping at the proper time. This is sage advice that that this study gives new light to!

Article Source: UCI.Edu- Body clock regulates metabolism

Additional Resources:

• Sleep Deprivation and How It Affects More Than Your Mind
• Best Sleep Equals Better Control of Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Health
• Six Ways To Get Better Nights’ Sleep
• Which Sleeping Position is Best For You?
• How Much Sleep Is Enough for Me?
• Choosing the Right Neck Pillow for the Best Sleep Possible
• More Sleep Articles at the Neck Pain Support Blog

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Headaches with Neck Pain: A Likely Pair

Today’s blog post comes from Dr. Bellinger’s Monthly newsletter that he mails to his patients every month. Dr. Bellinger is a chiropractor in Glastonbury, Connecticut and specializes in treating chronic conditions such as neck pain, headaches and lower back pain.

Neck pain and headaches can be very disabling and can significantly alter a person’s normal pattern of living. Simple things like reading the newspaper, cooking, driving a car, and/or looking down when feeding a baby, can become almost intolerable. Canceling plans for the day or saying “no” to vacations can be very disheartening and often occurs because of severe neck pain and/or headache making these activities simply, “no fun.”

The cause of the headaches associated with neck pain and dysfunction is usually due to the compression caused by the tight neck muscles squeezing the upper three nerve roots in the neck region, resulting in radiating pain into the head.

Frequently, light and noise sensitivity, as well as nausea, can accompany a severe headache, which only adds to the activity limitations associated with neck pain. In fact, there are many experts who feel most headaches, even migraines, stem from the neck or are at least are very closely related. Since neck pain affects approximately two thirds of the population at some point during their lifetime, it becomes clear that headaches, in the absence of neck pain, are quite uncommon.

Headaches often involve tightening of the muscles of the neck such as the cervical paraspinals and the suboccipitals. Often tight and tender to touch, they are the one area that should be treated when looking at headache relief. Using a supportive cervical pillow in conjuction with ice helps to decrease inflammation, and provides an analgesic effect. The Headache Ice Pillow, (so aptly named !) has a unique U shaped that allows you to place the pillow under your neck, targeting the posterior cervical muscles.

Additional Reading Resources:

• The Right Pillow for Headaches
• Headache Pain Relief Products
• Treatment for Headaches: Tens vs Manipulation
• Stiff Neck ? Is that what you have?

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical supports and cervical traction products for relief of stiff neck, and neck pain Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

I have Extreme Neck Pain. Please Help Me !

Question: I'm a healthy 23 yr old woman, but recently I've been having really bad neck pain. I was thrown off of a horse about 2 weeks ago, but the neck pain had been causing me problems 2 weeks prior to the accident. I went to the ER and the doctor said I had whiplash and severe bruising in my forearm. She prescribed hydrocodone and flexril, enough for 5 days (3x/day each). It has been over 2 weeks since then, and my neck hurts more than ever now. I sincerely believe that I have a phobia of going to doctors, and I am in financial crunch (I was just laid off!), but I think something is seriously wrong. I have a very high pain tolerance, but the pain is nauseating. Should I go see a doctor or wait it out? What could be wrong with me? Please help....and thanks for any and all answers.

Answer: Being thrown off of a horse is a very traumatic experience. Yes, it does sound like you may have experienced whiplash. This violent whipping of the head and neck can create injuries to the structures surrounding the cervical spine. There is also probably a cervical sprain/strain – an injury to the ligaments, soft tissues and neck muscles. This type of injury can also cause headaches, nausea, weakness and changes in sensation as well.

My recommendation is to see a chiropractor about this problem. They will be able to treat your neck using chiropractic manipulation and therapies (Such as ice, heat and electric stimulation). When you are ready, they will also give you exercises as well to stretch and strengthen the cervical spine.

Also, the chiropractor may recommend for you to have a neck x-ray- that can show if there is an alignment issue. If you do not get better with conservative treatment, you may have to go for a cervical MRI which shows the discs and soft tissue structures.

The good news is that chiropractic is covered in most States and by most insurances. If you do not have health insurance, speak with the Doctor and they may be able to put you on a cash/discounted plan.

For the symptoms that you have described, I would ice your neck and upper back. Ice helps to decrease inflammation and provides a pain relieving effect. Get a good support neck pillow for sleeping at night. You may want to use a natural pain relief gel for your neck and upper back to help with the muscle pain. Get a cream called Biofreeze if possible. I would definitely get this checked out, so that you don’t have pain long term. Acute Neck pain can turn into Chronic Neck Pain- meaning that this could last for a long time. It can be a nagging sensation that affects all of your activities of daily living. Therefore, it is best to seek treatment sooner than later.

Additional Reading Resources:

• More Causes of Neck Pain
• Remedies for A Stiff Neck
• How to End Neck Pain Naturally By Doing a Cervical Traction Program
• The Top 10 Reasons for Neck Pain and How to Correct Them
• What do After a Whiplash Type Accident
• Choose the Right Neck Pillow when You have Neck Pain

Photo Source: RoxburyNY.com

Question Source: Yahoo Answers

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How can I alleviate neck pain that occurs during tests?

I recently came accross this questions on Yahoo Answers- a student in need of advice:

I'm taking the LSAT in June, and my scores are relatively fine but I cannot help but think they would be better if I could alleviate the intense neck pain I have during the test. Is there anything I can do to make this not as intense? I take advil, i try to massage or use better posture, its just not working....advice? - L.s.a.t Student with neck pain

I have said this often on the Neck Pain Support Blog, studying can be a pain in the neck ! Long hours spent pouring over your notes and textbooks are not my cup of tea, and I have definitely done my share over the years. It’s physically, mentally and emotionally draining work..but alas it is important too. Often studying for long periods can cause strain to our neck if we don’t have good posture in the process. This can catch up to us in the long run- especially in times of greater stress like writing tests such as the LSAT, GRE, MCAT or whatever test ! When you are studying you may be keeping your head forward flexed for long periods of time. This puts a lot of stress on the cervical paraspinal muscles, the suboccipitals, and the upper trapezius. It can cause you have decrease in range of motion, stiffness and tightness in the muscles. Poor diet, poor sleeping habits and lack of activity can further aggravate your neck pain. These days a lot of students are doing computer work for long stretches of time which can also cause neck pain and stiffness. So here are some solutions for what you can do to alleviate the neck pain while studying:

• Take frequent breaks while studying. Simply standing up, and walking around for 5 minutes can make a big difference.
  
• Do neck stretches every morning and at least once during the day: http://www.arc4life.com/site/615058/page/993935. Using a hot pack can also be beneficial for 10-15 minutes- this will help to relax the muscles
  
• Check your posture while studying: Make a conscious effort to not look down and keep your head flexed forward. Use a book end or a book holder, similar to a cookbook holder so you can keep your head and neck in a neutral position. Alternately, put a phone book under your study materials to elevate them while studying so you are not flexing your head so much
  
• Have good posture while on the computer- look at your chair, your desk and how everything is arranged. Proper ergonomics at the computer can go a long way in preventing neck pain
  
• Watch your posture while sitting- using a lumber support cushion behind your back can help to maintain the proper lordosis while sitting. Check out the sitback rest for this purpose.
  
• Get a good neck pillow for sleeping at night. Sleep is extremely important for your body- it’s when your body rests and heals. I would recommend a cervical support neck pillow for your neck. Check out Arc4life’s Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow or the Linear Gravity Support Neck Pillow for a good support pillow
  
• Drink lots of water while studying. I know most students prefer coffee, high energy drinks like Jolt, and Pop drinks like Coca-Cola. There are lots of benefits to drinking just plain old water. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. A Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue. I could go on and on about the benefits of water…for another time !

Studies have shown that extended use of computers can lead to neck pain in students. Studying is important and if done ergonomically correctly, we can all do it without pain and anguish.

Additional Resources:

• How to Treat Tight And Stiff Muscles
• Can Forward Head Posture Cause Pain
• Remedy For A Stiff Neck
• Working On A Computer All Day Long
• Treatments for Neck Pain

Visit Arc 4 life for your online selection of cervical supports and neck traction products for neck pain relief, neck stiffness and discomfort. Learn how to Choose the Best Neck Pillow for Sleeping, How to Get rid of tight muscles and soreness, how to wear a lumbar support belt and MORE on Arc4life.com! Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

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Female Office Workers More Prone to Neck Pain: A Study

According to a new Australian study, research has shown that female workers are 3x more likely to suffer from neck pain than their male counterparts. This study examined what factors where important in determining who got neck pain and didn’t.

The Study was published in the European Spine Journal and conducted by Dr. Julia Hush of the Back Pain Research Group at the University of Sydney

According to Dr. Hush, "Neck pain is certainly one of the big problems in an occupational setting. It can impact on the ability to do day-to-day activities and has a substantial cost for not only the individual, but also society."

Hush says that between 15 to 44% of people suffer pain in any one year, but recent studies suggest that office-workers are at higher risk of neck pain than others.

They followed 53 office workers at the University of Sydney over a year, and used questionnaires to find out who developed neck pain and why.

"Almost 50% of people in this cohort, who to start with had no neck pain, developed an episode of neck pain over a period of one year," says Hush.

While the majority of people recovered within a couple of weeks, about 12% suffered longer term, and some even took time off work.

Gender and stress risk factors Hush and colleagues found that women were around three times more likely to develop neck pain during the year than men.

People who suffered high levels of personal psychological stress were over one and a half times more likely to suffer neck pain than others, says Hush.

On the protective side, the researchers found those who exercised three times a week or more were less likely to suffer neck pain, as were those whose neck was more flexible.

"The incidence of neck pain is very high," says Hush.

"Female gender and high psychological stress can increase the risk of developing neck pain, but if you have greater mobility of your neck and if you exercise more, you might reduce the risk of developing neck pain."

She is not sure why women are more likely to suffer neck pain, but it could be because they hold more tension in their muscles as they work.

Hush says the study also found women were more likely to be suffering from personal psychological stress.

She says the findings suggest neck pain prevention strategies involving exercise and stress reduction could be targeted at women.

Time and time again, we have shown that stress is the cause of so much suffering, including neck pain. Women who are juggling the demands of a job, motherhood, taking care of the family and themselves are not taking care of themselves. This study shows us that neck pain at work, especially for women is real and prevalent. At the Neck Pain Support Blog, we presented a study that shows that exercise can help prevent neck pain.Stress reduction, changing the ergonomics of the workstation, doing neck stretches should also be a prevention strategies, targeted especially at female workers. Dr. Hush findings have helped narrow down some of the most important risk factors in neck pain and will be useful in designing a larger study in the future.

Additional Reading Resources

• Making Your WorkStation Neck Pain Free
• New Job, New Neck Pain at the End of the Day
• The Relationship between Neck Pain and Stress
• Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain Through Physical Exercise
• How to Treat Tight Muscles
• Cervical Exercises to stretch your Neck and Upper Back while at Work

Products that May Help You at Work to Be Pain Free

• Sit Back Rest- Lumbar Support for Your Office Chair
• Hot and Cold Therapy- For Pain Relief
• Posture Corrector- Promotes proper posture in the upper back and middle back areas.
  
  Visit Arc 4 life for your online selection of cervical supports and cervical traction products for neck pain relief, neck stiffness and discomfort Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!
  

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