Neck Pain Support Blog

The Cervical traction Neck Pillow Can Reduce Snoring !

Nerves in your upper neck supply your sinuses. If those nerves are compromised in any way it can cause sinus problems and hence snoring. Using the Cervical traction neck pillow puts your neck in it’s optimal position removing nerve pressure which helps opens your sinuses up, like they should be. Some additional things that may help snoring also is to manage your sinuses, use a humidifier at night, and reducing allergies.


If you press and rub your forehead just above your eyebrows and at the top of your nose. Also under your eyes at your cheek to the sides of your nose. This helps loosen up your sinuses.


A humidifier helps put some moisture in the air preventing your sinuses from getting over dry and allows you to breathe easier.


One great feature of this traction pillow is its non allergenic. But no matter what you do your house will, over time, collect dust. Dust and allergens will be airborne also. You can also order a special pillow case cover for the Cervical Traction Neck Pillow that protects it from allergens and other dust particles.


Also, it is recommended makings your furnace air filter is changed or cleaned at least one time/month, especially this time of the year. This will help reduce airborne dust particles which can irritate the sinuses.


The quickest and easiest method to reduce your snoring is to start using the cervical traction neck pillow. It will help to get those sinuses working like they shoulder by naturally restoring the neck alignment. We always think of how nerves in the neck supply the neck muscles but sometimes forget that those nerves control many areas including the sinuses.

Source: Cervical Traction Neck Pillow on Arc4life.com

Visit Arc4life.com for the best neck pillows online that will help you sleep better, improve your posture and get rid of your neck pain.



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Visit the Neck Pain Support Super Store- for Products Related to Sinus Problems

When A Little Car Accident Can Cause A lot of Pain

How do we explain when a person is involved in what appears to be a low speed impact but is suffering from a lot of neck pain. Does damage or no damage determine the extent of injuries that one can suffer? There is considerable misconception about the amount of vehicle crash damage is directly related to the degree of occupant injury. Today's post will show you how even minor car damage can major occupant injury and the injuries can be quite serious.

Plastic vs Elastic Deformation

Most people would expect that more injury will occur when the speed of the collision is greater. The truth is that this is the case sometimes especially when collisions occur at highway speeds. But in most cases even when the speed of a vehicle is very slow, with little or no damage, it can create a lot of pain. To understand this, we must understand the relationship between plastic and elastic deformity. When sufficient load is applied to a metal or other structural material like a car, it will cause the material to change shape. This change in shape is called deformation.

What happens when we hit something plastic vs something elastic? If you hit something plastic , most likely it will break or dent. In plastic deformity, there is more deformity to the car. With plastic deformity there is more metal crushing or more damage to the vehicle, the G Forces associated with the crash are absorbed by the crushing metal, which in turn exerts less g forces to the contents of the vehicle (you)- therefore less injury.

A temporary shape change that is self-reversing after the force is removed, so that the object returns to its original shape, is called elastic deformation. If you look at a vehicle that is stiffer, with less vehicle damage, the energy is not absorbed by crushing metal (elastic deformity), meaning that the occupants will be more jostled and thrown around to a greater amount. In this case more g-forces are exerted and there is a greater change of injury.vs elastic which will bounce back to its original shape. In elastic deformity there is less damage.

The Mathematics of Acceleration

Acceleration and Crush Distance can equal major injuries. In an automobile crash, acceleration is inversely related to how long the car moves before it comes to a stop (the crush distance).

a = V²/2s
where a=acceleration, V=velocity of impact, s=the Crush Distance.

Let’s look at 2 car collision scenarios:

1. A car hits a brick wall at 10mph and crushes the front of the car 5 inches.
   A=78.3 m/sec², or 8 GS of Force
   
2. A car hits a brick wall at 10mph. This car has a different car design and crushes the front of the car only 2 inches.
   A=196m/sec², or 30G’s of force.
   

As you can see, we have a collision with the same velocity, but with a different crush distance smaller by 2.5 times, will have a resulting G force 2.5 times larger!

Sometimes no serious visual deformation may occur on a vehicle even though it is subjected to relatively high speeds of impact. Often times motor vehicle bodies or bumper to bumper chassis give little or no crushing effect. Thus relatively high G forces can result in a whiplash injury. The use of stiff motor vehicle bodies and chassis will also produce a spiked G force loading to those in the car, even if little damage occurs to vehicle body or the frame of the car. So as you can see, even minor collisions can result in injury.

Injuries that can Result from car accidents

Injuries from a car accident can be be very serious. What may appear to be minor in the beginning- but can turn out to be quite major. Diagnoses related to auto accidents include: whiplash, herniated disc, Lower back pain or lumbago, stiff neck, carpal tunnel, nerve entrapment, TMJ disorder, and headaches. We'll save a detailed discussion for another blog post !

Source: Robbins, MC. Lack of relationship between vehicle damage and occupant injury.

Photo Courtesy of MikeWick on Flickr.com

Additional Resources:
Read more about Whiplash in our Special Whiplash series:
Part 1: Can whiplash cause shoulder pain?
Part 2: How does Whiplash Occur?
Part 3: What Symptoms are associated with a whiplash type injury
Part 4: Reducing Whiplash Injuries by 90% - just by changing One thing

Visit us on the web at Arc4life.com

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of the best products for neck pain relief including: Electrotherapy, Tens unit, cold pack, hot pack, neck stretches and support neck pillows.

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The Relationship Between Stress and Neck Pain

" I have been under a lot of stress lately and I think it's causing my neck pain!"You may be right, well partially right anyway. Stress really doesn’t cause anything but it exacerbates anything and everything. So, my guess is something was already going on in the neck and the stress has aggravated.

Misalignments in the neck put pressure on nerves and create muscle imbalances. Both of these can lead to pain. The scary thing about nerve pressure is that it doesn’t always cause pain!

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t worry about it. Nerve pressure causes problems whether you notice it right away or not. Eventually if the pressure remains or if something like additional “stress” makes the pressure worse, you will get pain.

The 1st stop in aligning your neck spine is to get a good neck pillow. We recommend the cervical traction neck pillow. This neck pillow will ensure that your head and neck are properly aligned when you sleep. Having a supportive neck pillow makes sure that there is no extra pressure on the cervical nerves. Help decrease the stress in your neck with the right neck pillow.

Photo Courtesy of: Kelvin255 on Flickr.com

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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What Can Cause a Stiff Neck?

Here is a list of some of the major culprits of a stiff neck. Avoid these and you can avoid having the dreaded stiff neck.

• Not using a supportive pillow for your head and neck while sleeping. A flat pillow gives no support to the head and neck
  
• Working on the computer all day with out taking breaks and having a bad posture while you are on the computer
  
• Talking on the telephone all day at work with your head laterally bent to one side
  
• Sleeping in an awkward position while sleeping can cause muscle spasm and muscle strain.
  
• Meningitis: Although rare, if you stiff neck that is accompanied by a headache and a fever, there's a chance you may have meningitis. The pain tends to be quite severe with meningitis.
  
• Whiplash from a car accident or trauma in the neck can cause a stiff neck. Not being able to move your head and neck in the proper range of motion stiffens your neck muscles
  
• Using too many neck pillows at night. Using too many pillows under your neck can cause your neck to be put into a forward head posture, which puts more pressure on the back of the neck.
  
• Falling asleep on the couch or wherever- Not sleeping with a good ergonomic pillow can put your head and neck into an awkward position.
  
• Reading with your head bent in towards your chest for a prolonged period to time
  
• Stress- it does the body no good? Many people carry much of their stress in the upper back and neck.
  
• A Cold, Sinus Cold, Virus or Flu Like Symptoms tend to run your whole system down and unfortunately your neck can be affected. When neck pain is caused by flu, the neck and the rest of the body tend to ache all over, but there is no severe neck stiffness.
  

Additional Reading Resources:
Indians’ Cliff Lee May be Sidelined due to Stiff Neck
The Importance of using a Good Neck Pillow for Sleeping to Prevent Stiff Neck
How to Reduce the Chances ofGetting 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.

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Head Retraction Exercises- A Must to Correct Forward Head Posture

Forward head posture or forward head carriage is the #1 postural misalignment people suffer with today.

Head retractions are the best exercise to help correct this. Start by sitting or standing up straight. Pretend your head is on a track that runs along both sides of your neck. You are simply going to slide your head back on that track.


Remember your head has shifted forward; we want to shift it back. Retract (“slide”) your head backwards hold for 10 seconds and relax. Retract (“Slide”) your head backwards hold for 10 seconds and relax. DO NOT Tilt your head up or down, keep it level. You can use your index finger on your chin to help guide your head straight back.

If you stand up against a wall, or another example would be sitting in your car. Bring your head back so it takes the wall or the seat headrest to hold relax and repeat.

For more pictures and help with this exercise visit www.arc4life.com

This exercise can be done anywhere, whether your at home, in the gym, or even in the car at the red light.

To make the quickest correction of your forward head not only use this exercise but use a good neck pillow at night, be aware of your posture, and get adjusted by your chiropractor.

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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How To Avoid Neck Pain While Doing Ab Exercises

If you do your Abdominal crunches correctly with proper form, there is no reason to suffer from neck pain or sore neck.


One of the biggest mistakes that people make is that involve their neck muscles while doing these exercises- that is a NO-NO. Bringing your head and neck forward puts unnecessary pressure on the neck and it is not healthy. So when you do your abdominal crunch look at the ceiling. In fact pick a spot on the ceiling and concentrate on that. If you keep this position you will keep your neck spine neutral, with no added pull on the neck muscles. There is no reason to be lifting your head and bringing your chin to your chest.

Also, your hand position is important. Many people interlock their fingers and place them behind the neck- change this immediately. This makes it more possible that you will involve your neck muscles. Instead place your fingers LIGHTLY behind your ears or cross your arms and hands in front of your chest. Remember to continue looking at the ceiling and not forward. If you utilize this position of your hands, you won’t pull on your neck while doing abs- and hopefully avoid neck pain

Another good point is to focus your thinking on your abs while doing these exercises. This will actually give you a better work out. Finally, don’t forget to breathe. This is very important while exercising.

Before you begin exercises, it is a good idea to do some neck exercises- some simple neck flexion extension, lateral flexion and rotation exercises will loosen you up and also prevent any neck soreness after exercise. These will help to increase mobility and range of motion in the cervical spine- decreasing the chances of get injured. -NJ


Photo Courtesy of Margaretdouglas.

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of hot pack and cold pack for pain relief.

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Fish Oil May Be Better Than Drugs For Preventing Heart Failure

Todays Health Blog Post comes from Arc4life's Healthy Neck and Low Back eNewletter, that is published monthly.

New research has shown fish oil may work better at preventing heart failure than a popular drug.

Study results: Italian researchers gave nearly 3,500 patients a daily omega-3 pill, derived from fish oils with nearly the same amount receiving placebo pills. Patients were followed for an average of four years.

In the group of patients taking the fish oil pills, 1,981 died of heart failure or were admitted to a hospital with the problem. In the patients on placebo pills, 2,053 died or were admitted to the hospital for heart failure. (Chronic heart failure is a condition that occurs when the heart becomes enlarged and cannot pump blood efficiently around the body.)

In a parallel study, the same team of Italian doctors gave 2,285 patients the drug Rosuvastatin, also known as Crestor, and gave placebo pills to 2,289 people. Patients were also tracked for about four years. The doctors found little difference in heart failure rates between the two groups.

Comparing the results from both studies, the researchers concluded fish oil is slightly more effective than the drug because the oil performed better against a placebo than did Crestor.

"It's a small benefit, but we should always be emphasizing to patients what they can do in terms of diet that might help," said Dr. Richard Bonow, chief of cardiology at Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago, and past president of the American Heart Association.

Even though the results were “small”, one must also include the side effects of the drug versus those of fish oil.

This alone may give you a change of heart…

Continue Reading the October 2008 Newsletter:
-In this Issue-

1. Article - Fish Oil May Be Better Than Drugs For Preventing Heart Failure
   
   
2. Health Tip of the month- 6 Of The Best Foods For Under A Dollar !!!
   
3. Testimonial of the month - A Patient with A "Military Neck" that was helped by the Cervical traction neck Pillow
   
4. Featured product -Slim Rest Lower Back Support for Low Back Pain Relief while sitting

   
   

The Right Pillow for Headaches

Today I want to write about a special product for headache pain relief. It is called the Headache Ice Pillow.

 

I get a lot of inquiries from patients who suffer from neck pain that is associated with a headache. Often the pain is coming from the back of their neck, radiating into their head. These are often called tension headaches. I have other patients who suffer from migraine headaches- sometimes from loud noises, dietary factors or stress. Other patients have overall neck stiffness and are looking for a pillow that they can use during the day for pain relief.
The Headache Ice Pillow has a special removable ice pack that is also shaped like a U- It is stored in the freezer when you are not using the pillow. When you need to use the pillow, take it out of the freezer, stick the ice pack in the headache ice pillow and place the pillow behind your neck. It’s as easy as that. The combination of ice pack in this neck pillow allows for a decrease in pain, decrease in inflammation and allows for blood to travel to that area that is needed the most: the back of the neck. Cold therapy is especially useful for migraine and tension headaches. Its also helpful post surgery to the neck, pinched nerves, stiffness, muscle spasms and sprains and strains.

You can use this headache ice pillow for travelling. You can also use it for sleeping, just make sure you remove the ice pack. If you want to read sitting up and still have your neck supported, then the headache ice pillow is perfect for this position. The special u shape of this pillow keeps the neck in the right position that is most natural for optimum alignment of the neck. The headache ice pillow is composed of a soft fiber construction that allows you to rest comfortably.

This is a U Shaped Neck Pillow that wraps around your neck. It is great for travel and on the go.

The Little Details of the Headache Ice Pillo:
This u shaped pillow weighs approximately 1.23 lbs, and the dimensions are approximately 12” x 13”. It has a white cover that is composed of 50% Polyester, 50% Cotton. 

Updated: 4/26/2020

Additional Reading Resources:

• The Real Cost of Headaches: Work, Family and Fun Headache Pain Relief Products-
• I ordered the Arc4life Traction Pillow and it seems a Little Firm for me
• Neck Traction Does not need to be scary
• Because of Covid-19, I cannot go to the Chiropractor or the Physical therapist
• Help your Immune System by Taking a cold shower

Making Your Workstation Pain Free

In 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 357,160 cases of work related musculoskeletal disorders that resulted in people not being able to work.The costs associated with this lost productivity in the US amounted to 61.2 billion, according to the Journal of American Medical Association.

Simply changing the ergonomics at work can make your workdays pain free. There are many things you can do prevent pain and strain. Practicing proper ergonomic principals at work helps to make sure you are comfortable, reduce health issues, and increase productivity. You can easily reduce stress injuries, back, neck and shoulder strain and muscle pains.

What kind of repetitive activities can lead to soreness, pain and even sprains and strains: Bad posture while sitting, reaching across your desk, bending your wrists up when you type are some examples, looking at the computer screen for long periods of time, being stressed out while working at your desk.

To stay comfortable at work and go home pain free, here a few simple changes you can make:

1. Shoulders- Keep your shoulders relaxed when sitting at the desk and at your computer. Too many times, your shoulders are raised up and forward and stay up there in a crunched manner. This causes the muscles of the trapezius to spasm. This can create knots in the upper back and shoulders. It is best to keep your elbows close to your sides as you use your keyboard and mouse. Every once in a while take a moment to check your shoulders. Roll your shoulders up and back to decrease tension.
   
2. Eyes- Make sure the distance from the screen to the your eyes is an arms length. Look away from the screen regularly so as not to stare at the screen. Position the top of the monitor screen at or slightly below , eye level. Try to take breaks 10 to 20 minutes to rest the eyes from the glare of the monitor.
   
3. Hands and Wrist- Keep your wrists straight and in a neutral position. Keep the bottom of your elbows even with the keyboard height, not below. Don’t use a lot of force when typing. Also use your chair arms for support.
   
4. Back and Legs- Adjust your chair so that your thighs are parallel to the floor. Sit back comfortably on your chair. It is a good idea to use a lumbar support for your lower back. Place your feet on a footrest or a yellow pages from years past. This relieves pull on the lower back. Again take breaks throughout the day to stretch your back and legs. Do this at least once every hour if possible.
   
   
   
   
   Additional Reading Resources:
   Lower Back Rests, Lumbar Support belts, and Lumbar Traction Devices- Get the proper support in the lower back region to minimize lower back pain and stiffness.
   
   Proper Neck Posture
   

   Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units
   
   
   
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Pain in the Neck for Keira Knightley playing Georgina, the Duchess

Even famous actresses have a "pain in the neck moment "! England's Keira Knightley recently revealed that playing the role of the Duchess proved to be a pain in the neck


The Duchess movie, released on September 19 2008, is a chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life!
As the character of Georgina, Knightley’s role in the movie involved wearing heavy elaborate costumes sometimes for up to 3 hours a day with the addition of enormous wigs which created some sufferance for her neck.


“The length of time it took to dress depended on the size of the wig and how much of the costume I needed to be sewn into,” the Daily Telegraph quoted her as saying.


“It was quite tiring, but obviously because Georgiana was such a huge fashion icon the costumes were very important. At the end of the day I’d have a glass of wine and then I went to bed. Normally I had a bath, too, because my neck was aching so much because of the wigs,” she added.
Even Knightley's costar, Hayley Atwell joked about her aching neck due to the large wigs:
“She had to wear this huge wig that was so heavy. They made her a special board that she could lean her shoulders and head against in between takes so she didn’t topple over or get neck ache! It was funny,”

Wearing a large wig on your head indeed can put a lot of pressure on the cervical spine. This can cause achiness in the neck, neck pain and soreness. This excessive weight is not normal for the neck and puts undue pressure on the cervical nerves. Any misalignment in the neck already present will be magnified, leading to more pain.

Additional Sources:
Picture by BlackSky200 on Flickr.com
Article: The Top 10 Reasons for Neck Pain

Visit Arc4life for the Best Neck Pillows for your online selection of Pain Relief Products for the Neck, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units



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