Neck Pain Support Blog

Reasons For Neck Pain And How To Correct Them: The Top 10

Today's post is by Dr. Matt Bellinger, a Chiropractor in Glastonbury CT. He discusses the top 10 reasons why people get neck pain and how to find relief.

Here is a list of the top 10 most common causes of neck pain and how to fix them so you can get rid of your neck pain once and for all:

1. Misalignments in the spine - This is number #1 reason for neck pain because it puts pressure on nerves which can cause muscle tension and more. I recommend seeing a good Chiropractor; first he/she can tell you if this is in fact your problem, then he/she can help correct it. Postural exercises, neck traction and a good neck pillow will also help correct the problem.
   
   

2. Poor Posture - Posture is a window to your spine and if you have poor posture that is what your spine looks like and inside - misaligned ! Look at yourself in the mirror or have someone else look at you from the front and the side. From the front your spine should be straight, shoulders even and hips even. From the side your spine should have smooth flowing curves, ear even with your shoulder and shoulder even with your hip socket.
   
   

3. Bad sleeping habits - Sleeping on your stomach is the worst because you have to turn your head ninety degrees to the side to breathe. Sleeping with a pillow too thick or thin can be a major problem also. Get a good neck pillow to sleep with. Read #4 for our pillow recommendation.
   
   

4. Not using a good pillow - A proper neck pillow is the best like the Cervical Traction Neck Pillow - it keeps the proper neck posture when sleeping on your back or side.
   
   

5. Muscle strain and tension - Makes it difficult to move and creates inflammation, putting pressure on nerves causing pain. Try to perform neck stretches to loosen the muscles and avoid motions or positions that are painful.
   
   

6. Stress - Most people carry their stress right across the back of their neck. Stress, in fact doesn't exactly cause anything, but it exacerbates anything and everything. Try your best to relax or take a beak from work if you are starting to get stressed. Take a couple deep breathes and smile, you'd be surprised at how much this helps.
   
   

7. Work or Computer Station Set-up - If you are forced to be in an awkward position or have continued poor posture it creates misalignment and muscle strain therefore nerve pressure. Sitting on the computer for long periods of time can create bad postural habits. The nerve pressure causes pain. Move around periodically and do some neck stretches to relieve tension starting to build. Having good neck posture is important if you are sitting for prolonged periods of time.
   
   

8. Improper exercise or work out, maneuvers - Sometimes lifting to much weight or not using proper mechanics or posture when working out can cause a major episode of neck pain. The most common mistake I see is people pulling on their neck when doing abdominal crunches. Keep your eyes at the ceiling and focus on crunching with your abs, not your neck. It is important to have good neck posture while working out your abs.
   
   

9. Putting your neck in awkward positions for extended periods - This relates to the previous 2 reasons for neck pain. Doing this creates tension - things like sleeping in awkward positions, reading with your head down, too many hours in one position at the computer, are just a few. Try to eliminate these things as much as possible.
   
   

10. Lack of stretches before physical activity makes it easier to strain a muscle - Just like before you started gym class or basketball practice, you always did stretches 1st. Most seem to neglect the old stretching routine. Neck stretchs are easy and fast. It only takes second and could prevent many needless days of suffering.
    
    

Dr Matt Bellinger is a Chiropractor in Connecticut. He has written many articles on how to easily and naturally relieve pain, and has helped many patients in his Glastonbury clinic end their neck and back pain. Read more of Dr.Bellinger's article related to pain relief at Ezine Articles where he is an expert. For more information on neck pain relief and all the specifics on how you can get rid of your neck pain visit NeckPainReliefKit.com

Article Source:
Ezine Expert Articles

Additional Resources:

• 6 Ways to Improve your Posture
• Dr.Bellinger's Neck Pain Relief Kit
• Decreasing tension in the neck and upper back
• How to Choose the neck pillow for sleeping
• Treating Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Cervical Spine Naturally

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The Normal Cervical Curve in the Neck

The cervical curve in the neck is supposed to be a “C” shape. There are 7 vertebrae or bones in the neck spine: C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and C7. The first vertebrae, or C1 is also know as the atlas, and C2 is known as the axis.

If I look at a “lateral” cervical spine (meaning from the side) x-ray- the spine should be in the shape of a “C”.

If I look at a “AP” cervical spine (meaning from the front) x-ray- the spine should be straight up and down, with no curves.

In between each of the bones, are the cervical spinal nerves, labels as in the diagram below as C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, and C8.

The cervical spine is very important because it encompasses and protects the spinal cord, holds up the head and skull and also allows us to move our head: forward (flexion), look back (extension), bend from side to side (lateral flexion) and turn our head from side to side (rotation).

Protection of the spinal cord is extremely important: messages from the brain travel through the spinal cord, out via nerves- innervating muscles, organs, blood vessels- this system controls how we walk, talk and basically do all of daily functions.

What do these cervical nerves control? They control certain areas of the head, neck and upper back, including the arms and hands. More specifically:

• C1: Head and neck
• C2: Head and neck
• C3: Diaphragm
• C4: Upper body muscles (e.g. Deltoids, Biceps)
• C5: Wrist extensors
• C6: Wrist extensors
• C7: Triceps Muscle
• C8: Hands

Often times we see a loss of the cervical curve, also known as a “loss of cervical lordosis” or “military” neck.

Doctors often prescribe cervical traction to help get the curve back into the spine. This involves home traction and also using pillows that will provide gentle traction while sleeping.

Also surrrounding the cervical spine are tendons, ligaments and muscles- they allow for movement and prevent us from doing certain motions to prevent injury and pain.

So there you have it- hopefully you understand the significance of the cervical spine- and why it is so important. The cervical spine is composed of bones c1-c7, nerves c1-c8, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Wrapping your head around all the complexities and functions of the cervical spine- can be a daunting task.

Additional Resources:

• Neck Pain resulting from a C5, C6, C7, or C8 Radiculopathy- Understanding the symptoms of a radiculopathy, causes and treatment
• How to End Neck Pain by Doing a Cervical Traction Protocol at home
• Neck Posture: Optimal Posture for the C-Spine
• Improve your posture and Sleep Better with the Right Neck Pillow
• Loss of cervical curvature- "military neck"
• Why Posture Is the Window to Your Health

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Decreasing Tension in the Neck and Upper Back

In the year 2009- we are a pretty high tech society, where computers play a major role in our day to day lives. It is one thing to be on your computer to buy something online, but its another to be working on the computer for 8 hours at a time. At the neck pain support blog, I get a lot of inquiries about how to relieve tension in the neck after using the computer all day- often 5 days a week for some poor souls! We are talking about neck pain, upper back and shoulder pain- and sometimes even headaches. This translates to a decrease in neck mobility, increase in stiffness and pain. Even turning your head to check your blind spot can be a cause for pain and discomfort. So what can you do? You cannot choose not to work- but you can choose to change your work environment and habits, albeit small changes:

• Be vigilant about how many hours you are logging on the computer without taking a break- that means physically getting out of your chair and doing something besides sitting at the computer. Get up, grab some fresh air- it will do your body and mind some good. Better yet, walk for about 2-5 minutes.
  
  
• Use an ice pack at the end of the day to decrease pain in the neck and upper back.
  
  
• Use a topical pain relieving gel like biofreeze for tightness and soreness in the muscles. You can even learn to treat tight muscles using this effective natural pain relief gel. Better yet, have someone help you with this. It will be more relaxing ! Follow up with an ice therapy for 10 minutes (see bullet above)
  
  
• Use a good support pillow at night. When your muscles are tight and sore, you want to make sure your head and neck are aligned properly while sleeping. A cervical support pillow is one that has an indentation in the middle of the pillow (a place for your head to lie). It is best not to get a super hard pillow or a super soft fluffy pillow- unless you want to be sore when you wake up the next morning. Yes, it’s best to have a pillow that is just firm enough to give you the right support, yet soft enough to be comfortable. One example of this is the linear gravity neck pillow. This pillow has 2 neck rolls that you can choose from to sleep on. One neck roll is bigger than the other. With a square center, this pillow will cradle your head and give you a good sleeping position at night. One of the reasons I recommend this neck pillow often, is that the pillow comes in a small ( 20x15), medium (20”x26”) and large (17x21)- size is important when it comes to choosing the right neck pillow. If you are 5 ft 1” and weight 100 lbs- a large size pillow is going to raise your head, creating forward head carriage while you sleep. On your side the pillow would tilt your head and neck into an uncomfortable position- whereas your neck should be straight so as not to put extra pressure on the sensitive cervical nerves. These postures put a tremendous amount of pressure on the cervical spine and the related muscles. Choose the size of your pillow according to your height, weight and frame- it will make for a more comforting sleep at night.
  
  
• One of the muscle groups that will be in total spasms after a days work is most likely the trapezius musculature. Stretch the neck muscles and the trapezius.Hold each stretch for at least 10-15 seconds. Another simple activity is to roll your shoulder back and forward and few times. Even neck exercises can be helpful.
  
  
• For trigger point therapy use a system that you can do on your own called the Back and Neck Massager
• Get adjusted by a chiropractor- Its not normal for us to be sitting for extended periods of time. It creates misalignments in our neck, upper back and midback.
  
  Tension can build up in the neck and upper back and shoulder area from any stress in our life- if we use the computer as part of our everyday routine, than making some simple changes to our lifestyle can make a big difference and make our work more enjoyable. </uL)
  
  Updated: 4/25/2020
  
  

Additional Resources

• 6 Ways to Improve Your Neck Posture
• Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain Through Physical Exercise
• Optimal Posture for the Neck Spine
• The Hidden Neck Pain Cause that your Kids May be Doing Daily
• New Job...New Neck Pain at the End of the Day...

Treating Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Cervical Spine Naturally

If you have been diagnosed with arthritis in the cervical spine, your Dr probably has put you on medications. What are some natural ways you can treat this condition of the cervical spine?

If your suffer from arthritis such osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis you may suffer from stiffness, joint pain, tenderness and swelling. Fingers, knees, hips, the neck and other parts of the spine can be affected. Arthritis involves the breakdown of cartilage, the gel like substance that acts like a shock absorber and keeps adjacent bones from touching.

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA), also known as DJD or degenerative joint disease. Seen mostly in the elderly patients. It often affects hands and weight bearing joints such as knees. It involves cartilage destruction followed by the formation of bone spurs in the joint margins Most times arthritis occurs gradually and starts with stiffness, pain and loss of mobility. Often times it occurs in the morning, is affected by weather changes and occurs after exercise sometimes. It is often relieved by rest. With OA, there is no signs of inflammation.

Another common type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The difference between RA and OA is that RA is an inflammatory condition that affects the entire body especially the synovial membranes of the joints. In this type of arthritis is autoimmune in nature, with the body’s immune system attacking itself. RA often involves the hands, feet, wrists, ankles and knees. The onset is gradual and RA is characterized by tiredness, low grade fever, weakness, joint stiffness, and joint pain. The involved joints can be warm, tender and swollen. RA often affects the joints symmetrically ie both wrists or both ankles.

Here are some key factors to consider when it comes to nutrition and lifestyle changes:

• Perform relaxation exercises such as deep breathing, meditation, prayer for 10-15 minutes per day
• Drink at least 4 glasses of water per day
• Bromelain- a proteolytic enzyme that is found in pineapple has anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties.
• Vitamin D- the Sunshine vitamin that so many people are afraid of. Working with calcium it ensures strong and healthy bones, and reduces cancer risk.
• Omega 3 fatty acids- found in fish oils, omega 3 fatty acids have been found to improve those that suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. It is found to decrease the tenderness in the joints. Researcher have also found that fish oils help to decrease inflammation by helping the body make substances call prostagladins.
• Probiotics
• Glucosamine Chrondrotin- one of the most widely used for the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis. It slows joint damage over time.
• Cayenne- comes in the form of a topical crème and helps with pain relief. The capsaicin in cayenne stimulates then blocks the transmission of the pain impulse. It does this by depleting the nerves of a messenger substance called substance P (P stands for Pain) which is a chemical that sends pain messages to the brain. Be caution as this can cause a burning sensation. Substance P also activates inflammatory mediators into joint tissues in RA.
• Be involved with light to moderate exercise everyday such as walking or swimming to keep your muscles strong and improve your joint function. Doing neck stretches everyday can also be beneficial. The more stiffness that you suffer the less you will be motivated to exercise and it can become a very bad and habit. Fight the urge not to exercise. Inactivity causes more weakness to muscles, causing more stress to the joints and increasing pain.
• Apply heat or ice to your neck and upper back muscles a few times per day for pain relief.
• Try a topical ibuprofen such as ibunex for acute pain in the neck. It contains Ibuprofen, glucosamine chondroitin, MSM, and Bromelain. The great benefit of Ibunex is that it is applied topically, and therefore bypasses senstive organs and the digestive system. It uses Liposomes for delivery through the dermal skin which are are fatty droplets that encapsulate key ingredients and carry them to the target tissue where the lipids are naturally consumed making the ingredients bioavailable.

Updated: 4/25/2020 (Ibunex is no longer available)

Additional Resources:

• Stop Arthritis Neck Pain Dead In its Tracks
• Treatment of Chronic Neck Pain Through Exercise
• Neck Exercises for a Healthy Neck
• Formula for Strong Bones + Healthy Discs + Protection of Cartilage and Joints
• The Powers of Vitamin D: Better Sleep and a Better Mind

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Sleep at Age 40 is Important for your Heart Health

Sleep for women in their 40s is important factor in hearth health. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in our Country. Particularly in your 40’s when hormones levels are fluctuating – sleep becomes a very important factor in your health. When your body is deprived of the proper # of hours of sleep your heart has to work harder. A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that getting less than 7.5 hours a night puts your risk for heart disease at a higher amount. A new Duke University study found that if it takes more than ½ hour to fall asleep or for those women who awaken frequently during the night time may have inflammation in their arteries and greater levels of insulin which are two risk factors for heart disease.

Other risk factors of heart disease are:

• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• being overweight
• being a smoker
• not exercising regularly
• if you have had a previous heart attack, stroke or heart surgery.
• having a family history of heart disease

Thus the importance of relaxing before you go to sleep cannot be overstated. Do your best to fall asleep. If not, get up and do something calming like reading or listening to relaxing music to help you. Definitely skip the television and the computer right before getting to bed. The health of your heart is worth the extra effort to get better sleep.

Additional Resources:

• Sleep Deprivation and How it Affects More Than Your Mind
• Lack of Sleep is one Cause for Type II Diabetes
• 6 Ways To Get Better Sleep
• Proper Sleep equals better Control of Blood Pressure and CardioVascular Health
• Simple Tips to Sleep
• The Powers of Vitamin D: Better Sleep and a Better Mind

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Lack of Sleep is one Cause for Type II Diabetes

Enough cannot be said about the importance of getting enough sleep. No matter if you need to get yourself a special neck pillow or do certain activities before going to bed- use everything you have to make sure you can sleep and let your body rest. Everyday, more research is coming out with ailments that can potientially affect you- all related to lack of shut-eye time: Among them- obesity, high blood pressure and type II diabetes- You thought that eating too many sweets could land with you a diabetes diagnosis- think again.

Diabetes occurs when the blood levels of glucose (a sugar) are too high because the body does not release or use insulin properly. Insulin is very important because it is responsible to maintaining the proper amount of blood sugar level. Insulin allows the sugar to be transported into cells so that they can produce energy or store the glucose until it is needed. Insulin is released by the pancreas.

In type II diabetes the pancreas continues to make the insulin but the body develops a resistance to it, resulting in a relative insulin deficiency.

How is this related to sleep? When you don’t get enough sleep your body needs more insulin to maintain the proper glucose levels. A lack of sleep changes the sympathetic nervous system (your bodys stress control system) and hormonal balances which affects glucose regulation. This affects the insulin producing cells. They stop working properly- therefore the glucose levels in your blood rise because insulin is not there to do its job.

Being overweight is also tied into this. Extra fat on the body makes it harder to cells to properly use insulin. When you are tired your body produces more ghrelin which is a hormone that stimulates appetite and decreases production of leptin which tells you to stop eating because you are full. So you end up craving more carbs and calories because of the hormone imbalance. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that when healthy subjects got only 8 hours of sleep over 4 days, they found an increased amount of ghrelin and decreased amount of leptin.

Symptoms of diabetes to be on the lookout for include: excessive urination, excessive thirst, excessive hunger, blurred vision, drowsiness, nausea, and decreased endurance during exercise.

If you have a family history of diabetes or of a certain race (African American, Native American and Hispanic) or are taking certain medications (immunosuppressive drugs, steroids, depression meds) you are going to be even at more risk and therefore more susceptible to diabetes if your don’t get the proper amount of sleep.

Additional Resources:

• Sleep Deprivation and How it Affects More Than Your Mind
• 6 Ways To Get Better Sleep
• Proper Sleep equals better Control of Blood Pressure and CardioVascular Health
• Simple Tips to Sleep
• The Powers of Vitamin D: Better Sleep and a Better Mind

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How to Use the Traction Side of the Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow for maximum pain relief and the better sleep

Arc 4 Life’s cervical linear traction neck pillow is different from the regular neck pillows you can buy in your local store or online. If you suffer from arthritis in the neck, a disc bulge, herniated disc or chronic neck pain, you may have been recommended to try this pillow.

Today I want to discuss the best way to use this neck pillow.

If you have been diagnosed with a loss of cervical curve, a loss of the cervical lordosis or a military neck- which means that you don’t have the proper c curve in your neck, then you may been recommended to try neck traction. Basically this is a stretching of the cervical muscles which can put the curve back into the cervical spine over time. You may be doing home traction or during your physical therapy sessions. Many patients do neck traction 3 times per week for about 15-20 minutes and use the cervical linear traction neck pillow at night. This neck pillow is designed to keep your head and neck in the proper position. In particular the part of the pillow with “V” provides the cervical traction. If you sleep on your back, you will get the maximum traction that the pillow provides. When you sleep on your back, your neck should lie where the "V". This will provide a gentle stretch in your spine while you are sleeping. It is also a good idea to place a few pillows under your knees or a knee elevator, taking the pressure off of the lower back and making it more comfortable for sleeping.

Keep in mind that you may experience some soreness when you first use the pillow- you are changing the position that your head and neck are used and using different muscles. Soreness and pain can occur in the suboccipitals and cervical paraspinals during the first few uses.

Also, for some patients, the cervical linear traction neck pillow may be too large- its dimensions are 20”x26” and the height of the pillow without sleeping on it is about 4 inches. If you are less than 5 ft and weigh 110 lbs or less (or consider yourself petite framed) the pillow may be too large for you. On the other hand, if you are used to using a queen size pillow, the pillow may be fine. Consider the linear gravity neck pillow in the small size. If you are 6 ft or taller and need a larger pillow, good news! The Cervical traction neck pillow comes in a large size 21” x 33” -(www.neckpainreliefkit.com).

The cervical traction neck pillow does not come in a smaller size, although I know that Arc4life has tried multiple times. The contours and design does not allow for a smaller version of this pillow, although I know it would be most welcome if it was possible.

Please email me if you have additional questions about the cervical traction neck pillow.

Additional Resources:

• Frequently asked Questions about the Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow
• Optimal Posture for the Cervical Spine
• How to Choose the Best Neck Pillow
• DownLoadable E-Book: The Neck Pain Relief Kit
• 6 Ways to Improve Your Neck Posture

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