Neck Pain Support Blog

Study shows that Cold Laser Therapy helps Chronic Neck Pain Sufferers

Chronic neck pain can affects one’s life at many levels. It can affect your ability to work, your ability to socialize, spend time with family- and it can be costly. At the neck pain support blog we have talked about numerous neck pain studies and treatments available for patients. Between 10 and 24 percent of people suffer from chronic neck pain, costing more than hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

A new Australian study appearing in the journal Lancet shows that using cold laser therapy to treat chronic neck pain can be very effective.

Low-level laser therapy, also knows as LLLT involves using a laser's light -- but not its fiercely concentrated heat -- to stimulate tissue repair and ease pain.

Lead researcher Roberta Chow of the Brain and Mind Research Institute at Australia's University of Sydney carried out an overview of 16 randomised trials that put this increasingly popular procedure to the test.

820 patients were enrolled in the trials and divided into two groups – 1) that received either the therapy 2) one that received a dummy treatment.

In five trials, patients given LLLT were around four times likelier to have reduced pain compared with a placebo, the paper found.

In the 11 other trials, for which there was a detailed analysis of pain symptoms, LLLT patients reported reductions of chronic pain by around 20 points on a scale of 100 points. The pain reduction continued for up to 22 weeks.

LLLT compares favourably with other drugs and other remedies for effectiveness and its side-effects are mild, says the study. The researchers further suggested that low level laser therapy be used in combination with an exercise program for neck pain as well.

Why LLLT works, though, is unclear. The authors of this study have suggested it could interfere with pathways of inflammation, muscle tiredness and the transmission of pain signals along nerves.

At the Neck pain support blog, I always trying to find treatments for neck pain that are natural, non invasive – ones that will benefit the patients in the best way. Sure, it is easy to get a prescription from the Dr, or a steroid injection- but this is not in the best interest of the patient, as there can be side effects. Treatments like chiropractic, acupuncture, traction, yoga, neck stretches, non surgical spinal decompression and cold laser therapy can help one to treat chronic neck pain. I urge all my readers to try all non surgical, and non invasive treatments before considering other treatments. Your body will thank you for that.

**Side Note*** Practitioners have been using low level cold laser therapy to treat other conditions as well such as

• lower back pain
• arthritis
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• fibromyalgia
• tendonitis
• knee pain

Source: Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials, November 2009

Additional Reading Resources

• Are Trigger Points Causing your Neck and Upper Back Pain?
• Treatment of Neck Pain for the Athlete
• Study shows that Chronic Neck Pain Can Cause Respiratory Problems
• Head Retraction Exercises- A Must to Correct Forward Head Posture
• Neck Exercises for Pain Relief

Keeping your Spine in Alignment Helps Boost your Immune System

Your spinal cord and nervous system is the most important system in your body. This is why it’s encased in bone. Think about this, your central nervous system; it’s like the hard drive of your computer. If it goes, you’re in big trouble.

The CNS (Central Nervous System) consists of your brain and spinal cord. This control center helps run your other body functions like your digestive system, circulatory system, and immune system, to name a few.

We could go on for days and elaborate on all the necessary functions and what kind of problems you can have if these body components are disturbed, but today I wanted to focus on the immune system. This time of year when there are so many colds and viruses going around, it is of utmost importance you keep your body functioning at its best.

Studies have shown us that regular chiropractic adjustments boost your immune system up to 40%. That’s why using a cervical support pillow such as the cervical linear traction pillow comes in! Just like an adjustment, this pillow helps improve neck posture and maintain healthy alignment. This alignment is absolutely vital because if alignment is good, then there’s no unwanted stress on the nervous system. Therefore, important body communications can be made at 100%; and that means your immune system will work at its best. Putting pressure on the nerves disrupts things in the body and leads to poor health.

Take an active role in staying healthy this year. Start by keeping your neck in perfect alignment, it is essential in keeping your body at its best.

Happy Thanksgiving Day Everyone ! Wishing All my Readers a Wonderful Holiday with their family and friends - NJ

Additional Reading Resources

• How to Use the Traction Side of the Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow for maximum pain relief and the better sleep
• How to Choose the Best Neck Pillow for your Needs
• The Benefits of Using a Cervical Support Neck Pillow
• Neck Pillow Reviews
• DownLoadable E-book for Neck Pain Relief. Order Dr.Bellingers Neck Pain Relief Kit to Finally Get Rid of your Neck Pain Once and For All!

New Study Shows Texting Can Be a Pain In the Neck

On a recent episode of Little People Big World, Amy and Matt Roloff give Jacob (their youngest son) a cell phone for his 12th birthday. Well, he ends up racking up more than 8,000 text messages, with an impressive $ 2000 bill for his parents at the same time. Well young Jacob maybe hurting other things in addition to letting down his parents.

This whole “texting” thing has been getting a lot of attention. So I was quite intrigued when I came across a new study that shows that frequent texting can cause neck pain, shoulder pain, upper back pain….Really !

The study took place at Temple university’s college of health professions and Social Work. Judith Gold, an assistant professor of epidemiology presented the study to the American Public Health Association suggesting that the more college students texted, the more pain they reported in their necks and shoulders.

She reported that most people aged 18 to 21 prefer texting rather than email or phone calls, possibly putting the younger generation at increased risk for overuse injuries once associated with older folks who’ve spent years tapping computer keys.

Gold states, "What we’ve seen so far is very similar to what we see with office workers who’ve spent most of their time at a computer,"

She further goes on to say, "The way the body is positioned for texting -- stationary shoulders and back with rapidly moving fingers -- is similar to the position for typing on a computer.

"Looking around our campus, you see every student on their cell phones, typing away,” she says in a news release. "It’s the age group that texts the most, so it’s important to know what the health effects may be to learn whether it will cause long-term damage."

Gold and colleagues conducted a study of 138 college students to see if correlations exist between the number of text messages sent per day and pain in the upper body. In the study, they used body maps for the students to indicate areas of discomfort. The students were asked how many text messages they sent per day. The researchers say they found an association, ,b>only in male participants, between shoulder discomfort and the number of messages punched out. The researchers propose that males might be particularly susceptible to physical discomfort related to texting.

I often wonder to myself, what did we do when cell phones did not exist ? yes they have vast cabilities that no doubt make our life a lot easier. But remember Texting is similar to any activity that we have to use one body part over and over again. Similar to working at a desk at a computer or being on the the phone all day. Off course it is going to take a toll on our neck, shoulders, arms, wrists and fingers.

I have to laugh everytime one of my sister’s says to me, just send me a text. “Uh…I don’t text, It could take awhile...” - I always answer. Believe it or not there are some techie things I just cannot get used to. Maybe I need to get a fancier phone…maybe I think my fingers are too pudgy for the puny keyboard that the cell phone companies provide. I don’t know I am just not a texter. I prefer the simpler things in life I guess.

Source: Temple University (2009, November 10). Pain In The Neck: Too Much Texting Could Lead To Overuse Injuries. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 15, 2009

Additional Reading Resources

• The Top 10 Reasons for Neck Pain
• The Hidden Neck Pain Cause that your Kids May be Doing Daily
• New Job, New Pain at the end of the Day
• Treating Carpal Tunnel and Wrist/Hand Pain
• The Neck Pillow Queen- Expert Advice on Choosing the Right Neck Pillow

How to Limit the Degeneration in your Neck and other Joints

Degenerative Joint disease or DJD is the most common form of arthiritis in the neck. In fact the most common located for degenerative disc disease to occur is in the lower cervical spine at the C5, C6 level. Not only are there changes to the bones themselves (for example, the appearance of osteophytes), but there can be decrease in disc height. It is also known as Osteoarthritis***. Studies have shown that 70-90% of adults over 70 years of age have DJD.

What are the symptoms of the degeneration:

• -Joint Pain
• -an achy pain
• -swelling of some joints
• -Stiffness first thing in the morning, and when one has been inactive for awhile
• -Cold and changes in barametric pressures can aggravate a person with DJD
• -Decrease in muscle tone or atrophy seen in adjacent muscles.
• -Limited range of motion. For example you have a difficult time turning your head to the right or to the left

Is arthritis in the neck a normal process of aging and should we all expect it when we turn 69? This is a common fear and frequently asked question. The answer is NO. Your body is going to see some obvious signs of wear and tear. But believe it not, there are things you can do to limit the degeneration in your spine. You can do things now to reduce the amount of degeneration in your neck. So what are 3 things that you can do now?

• Maintain good posture of the spine. In the neck be careful of forward head posture. This puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the joints in the neck and upper back area, which can lead to faster degeneration in the spine.
• Joint mobility is very important. Getting regular chiropractic adjustment in the neck and other decrease motion restriction in the spine and also help to correct misaglignments in the neck. Remember there are many different chiropractic techniques out there. Chiropractic treatment can also to help relax muscles around the neck and it overall improves the function of all muscles and joints. To help you hold your chiropractic adjustments having a proper arches in the feet through orthotics is also important. Finally, using a good neck pillow will help you hold your chiropractic adjustments for longer periods of time.
• Maintain Muscle Tone. Your muscles are an important equation here. This can be achieved by doing regular exercise- both stretching and strengthening exercises are very important. Resistance training is also beneficial to maintain muscle tone.

What about other treatment options for osteoarthritis? Besides natural treatments for arthritis, there is always medical management route. This is not one option that I am in favor of. Drugs for arthritis are often for pain relief. Not only can there is be side effects, but it does not stop the progression of osteoarthritis.

*** Osteoarthritis is another name for degenerative joint disease. Technically, the name implies that this type of arthritis involves inflammation. This is not correct. In fact OA or DJD is a non-inflammatory type of arthritis.

Additional Reading Resources:

• How to Treat Arthritis Pain
• A Nutrition Based Practical Guide To Arthritis- By Julie Daniluk, Registered Holistic Nutritionist.
• Stages of Breakdown in the Neck
• Treating Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Cervical Spine Naturally
• Neck Exercises for a Healthy neck

Are Trigger Points Causing your Neck and Upper Back Pain?

A few years ago, a patient brought in a funny looking tool that looked like a cane with knobs. At first appearance I could not figure out what the purpose of this "tool" was. My patient demonstrated to me how this device helped work on her trigger points and she excitedly explained how it gave her a lot relief from tight muscles in her upper back, muscle spasms and tender points that she could not reach on her own. I was definitely intrigued.

 

A big part of your neck pain often involves muscles and tendons. While putting the spine in alignment takes pressure off of nerves and helps the body heal, loosening tight muscles will help the spine stay in healthy alignment. The same is true for muscle spasm or muscular trigger points (adhesions in the muscle fibers that feel like a knot in the muscle). Often times these trigger points are tender to touch and sometimes they may even cause a pain elsewhere in the body- aka A Referred Pain. For example, in the last Neck Pain Support Blog Post I discussed the SCM muscle in the neck- Trigger points in this muscle refer to the forehead, above the eye, into the back of the head and behind the ear.

Many of our patients ask, “what can I do at home to relieve my muscle tension”? Along with getting a good neck pillow for alignment, I often recommend muscle massage or trigger point therapy. Two great tools that you can use at home to do this are called the TheraCane Home Massager Tool and the BackNobber II for muscle trigger point self treatment. 

Theracane Home Massager Tool

Certain times, you can use the tip of your fingers or knuckles (with some pressure) to massage reachable areas of your neck and back; sometimes even lying on a tennis ball and rolling it around on the muscle tight spots will help relieve tension and remove pain. However, it is often hard to get to certain areas of the back such as the paraspinal muscles. Also, you may not be able to apply as much pressure as you would like to get relief.  Using the Theracane or the Backnobber is literally like having an extra set of hands to help you get the “knots” out of your back muscles. These units apply pressure to sore muscles and trigger points. This can aid in reducing tension and pain in the muscles, increase range of motion and restore overall function. When you do use a home massage tool, keep in mind that when you press on that tender trigger point, stay on that point for a few minutes.

Back Knobber Massager Tool

Using one or both of these massage tools will make a huge difference in how you feel. You can get a deep massage to the hard to reach areas, save your hands, and finally break up those muscle knots that are causing more pain and contributing to poor posture and spinal alignment.- NJ

Additional Reading Resources

• Pain in the Upper Trapezius Muscle
• What Can Cause a Stiff Neck
• Using the TheraCane for trigger points in the mid back and lower back area
• Home Massage Unit for Muscle and Trigger Point Pain Relief
• BackNobber II for Muscle Trigger Point Self Treatment

 

Updated on 7/6/2020

The SCM Muscle in the Neck, it doesn’t Typically Cause Neck Pain, But can cause a Slew of Neck Related Problems!

   To start off, the SCM muscle is actually named the sternocleidomastoid muscle.  This muscle is responsible for specific neck and head motions and is split into two parts.  The interesting thing is that neither part sends pain to the neck, however, it can often cause jaw pain or pain that travels up into the head.  Besides headache-like pain and pain in the cheek or jaw region, it has also been linked to eye disturbances, sinus problems, inner ear problems, and even dizziness. 

   

One of the reasons for these various symptoms is because of the attachment to the mastoid process which is that bump like area behind the ear.  Strain to that region is directly connected to the ear which attaches to the sinuses and eyes also. 

   

The SCM specifically attaches from behind the ear on the skull (mastoid process) down to the clavicle and down to the top of the sternum.  This is the two parts of the muscle I described.

   

A tip to help relieve pressure in the SCM are to grab the muscle and/or trigger points with a pincher-type grip along the muscle, holding for 7-10 seconds at different spots along the muscle.  This will help break up any knots or trigger points and help relax the muscle.  Remember, the sternocliedomastoid travels from behind the ear to the top of your chest essentially so you should be able to do this with either hand.

 

Additional Reading Resources:

• Neck Muscles Most Responsible for Your Neck Pain and Stiffness
• Cure your Vertigo and Dizziness
• How to Choose the Right Neck Pillow for Proper Posture While Sleeping
• How To Treat Sinusitis at Home Naturally

 

When Lack of Sleep Can Be Deadly...

At the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, David Dinge is studying how lack of sleep affects ones activities. He is studying how lack of sleep over time affects the brain and to find out how much sleep is really necessary to get back on track. In particular, some people are more affected than others when it comes to chronic sleep deprivation.

In Dinges study, volunteers are limited to 4 hours of sleep a night for 5 nights, and then allowed to sleep for up to 10 hours for 2 days.

In her article entitled “Dying to Sleep” published in Science News in October 2009 author Tina Hesman Saey discusses Dinges study.



A volunteer named Heather is behind the wheel in a driving simulator. She has electrodes taped to her head. In this study Heather has gotten only 4 hours of sleep every night for the last 4 nights. She is in a car simulator driving on make believe roads and highways, sharing the road with truckers, bright lights and zig zagging roads. She states “ My limbs feel heavy”. Saey reports that the electrodes on Healthers head are monitoring her brain waves and eye movements so that researches can detect even brief bouts of sleep. Heather has reported feeling light headed and dizzy- and yet she has’nt nodded off and tests show that her driving has not affected by lack of sleep.

Saey reports that the tests in Dinges lab have shown how severly most people’s performance of daily activities can deteriorate with sleep loss. Heather may be one of the few people whose brain is not adversely affected with chronic sleep loss. By looking at Heathers genes, researches can then develop drugs that affect those genes and help ordinary people resist making mistakes after chronic sleep deprivation.

Another volunteer, James who is an architecture student, studys all night especially at the end of the term. He is referred to as a "short sleeper". He functions normally on short amounts of sleep. When tested after sleep deprivation he smashes his vehicle into the back of a truck.

Dinges says that many short sleepers are convinced that they function well on less sleep. He has noticed in his study that most people do not predict how well they will perform after sleep deprivation. Dinges has also found that “some people fall apart after missing just a few hours of sleep”. Other shows a slow steady decline in their ability to remain awake and clear. Other people like Heather, is categorizes as “type 1s”- these people’s performance does not change with 5 days of restricted sleep. According to Dinges, “people are walking around with grossly different brain activity profiles”.

So whats the magic number of how many hours of sleep one should get every night? According to the author, Saey, her research has shown that the “normal” range includes 6 to 10 hours of sleep per night, depending on the person. In her research she further highlights that “sleeping about 7-8 hours carries the least risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses”.

The National Sleep Foundation conducts research on people’s sleep habits. Their research shows that overall, people are just getting less sleep in general. Here some interesting facts they have found:

• In 2009, 20% of those surveyed said they slept less than 6 hours on weeknights, compared with an earlier study in 1998 which was 12%
• In 2009, respondents reported sleeping 7.1 hours on weekends, down from an average of 7.8 hours in 1998>

So as this study shows even if you think you will be functioning at 100% with a lack of sleep, think again. Sleep is too important to be taken lightly. Sleep, along with food, water, and exercise must be a staple in your everyday life.

Source: Science News, October 2009

• The Cost of Not Getting A Good Nights Sleep
• Why Adequate Neck Support While You Sleep Is Vital To Stop Neck Pain
• Which Sleeping Position is Best For You?
• 6 Ways to Get a Better Nights Sleep
• How to Get Better Sleep
• Natural Sleep Secrets- How to Cure Insomnia

The Cost of Not Getting A Good Nights Sleep

I recently came across a very informative article in Science News by Tina Hesman Saey. At the Neck Pain Support Blog we focus on neck pain and how to get rid of it. We also focus on how to reduce neck pain so that you can sleep comfortably through the night. In her article entitled “Dying to Sleep”, Saey states that getting too little sleep can impair the body and the brain. She shows that recent research shows that not getting enough sleep can be deadly and very harmful to one’s health. Here are some of the consequences of not getting the right amount of sleep every night:

• Some of the obvious consequences include being irritable and not being able to function as well. Studies have shown that students don’t learn or perform as well as their well-rested peers.
• Obesity, Heart Disease, high blood pressure and diabetes and decreased life span
• Saey states that new studies show that a new study links sleep loss to Alzheimer’s disease.
• Not getting enough sleep night after night can cause changes in ones brain- predisposing people to mental disorders such as depression.
• A lack of sleep can also increase levels of inflammatory chemicals in one’s blood and increase hunger promoting hormones.

The way I see it, sleep is one of those things that your body needs.. Just like water, rest, exercise, and nourishment. If it does not get it, the body and brain will pay the price in the future.

Stay tuned. In the next blog post I will be discussing how sleep deprivation affects our driving- and how some people are not as affected as others.

Source: Dying to Sleep by Tina Hesman Saey Science News

Additional Reading:

• 6 Ways to Get A Better Night's Sleep
• Counting Sheep to Fall Asleep, Does it Work?
• Why Adequate Neck Support While You Sleep Is Vital To Stop Neck Pain
• Simple Tips to Sleep
• Natural Sleep Secrets to Cure your Insomnia

The Most Common Disc Herniation in the Neck: C6

For the C6 nerve root to be affected, there must be something going on in between C5 and C6 vertebrae (bones). AkA: a C5-C6 disc herniation or C5-C6 disc bulge

The C6 nerve root has a motor, sensory and reflex component. This means that they control your muscles, your sensations and your reflexes. If there is a herniation or a bulge at this level, it can result in weakness, numbness and tingling as well as pain. Lets look at these 3 components for the C6 nerve root, the most common location for a disc herniation.

What muscles are affected? If the C6 nerve root is affected it can affects mainly the biceps and wrist extensor muscles. You may have difficulty bending your arm at the elbow. Picking up a bag of groceries may be difficult. Activities that involve the shoulder joint would also be difficult. For example moving the arm away from the body at the shoulder jt (abduction) or toward the body (adduction). These may be the first muscles that come to mind, but you would be surprised at all the muscles that the C6 nerve root innervates.

This list includes the 4 muscles that make up the rotator cuff group and many muscles of the distal arm:

• Teres Major
• Brachioradialis
• Deltoid (shoulder muscle)
• Supinator
• Subscapularis (a rotator cuff muscle)
• Teres Minor(a rotator cuff muscle)
• Infraspinatus (a rotator cuff muscle)
• Supraspinatus (a rotator cuff muscle)
• Coracobrachialis
• Brachialis
• Subclavius
• Serratus Anterior
• Pectoralis Major
• Extensor Muscles (image the position of your arms and wrists when riding a motorcycle)- includes: Extensor carpi radialis brevis, Extensor carpi radialis longus, and Extensor pollicis brevis
• Pronator Teres
• Flexor carpi radialis
• Latissimus dorsi

You can have pain along the lower arm into the thumb and index finger. This can be described as “pins and needles”, numbness and even a tingling sensation. Finally, the reflex that is affected is called the pronator reflex. When your Doctor checks it, it may be diminished or absent on that side. The C6 nerve is the most common nerve that is affected when someone has a disc herniation.

A herniated disc in the neck is often one cause for neck pain and arm pain. Often times, patients seek treatment from thier primay care physician, chiropractor, or osteopath. Studies have shown that it commonly develops in patients between ages 30 to 50. Where does a disc herniation come from, you may find yourself asking? . One common way may be a trauma or an injury. Symptoms often include neck pain, neck stiffness, numbness and tingling and arm/hand pain. As you can see from the list of muscles that are innervated by C6 nerve root- nerve roots play an all encompassing role in the function of your body and well being.

Image Source:
London Health Sciences Center

Additional Reading Resources:

• Understanding A Disc Problem with a Jelly Donut: Herniated Disc or Slipped Disc?
• Neck Pain resulting from a C5, C6, C7, or C8 Radiculopathy
• Severe Neck Pain From a Herniated Disc: What are Your Treatment Options?
• DID YOU KNOW… Hand And Arm Pain can be coming from your neck!
• What is the Best Pillow for a Pinched Nerve in the Neck?

Did You Know? Often Times Carpal Tunnel is Mistakenly Diagnosed...

The hidden cause of your hand or wrist pain may be your neck! Yes, that’s right. Your neck may be causing your hand or wrist pain. Nerves in the lower neck innervate your hands and arms. Basically the nerves in the lower neck come together to form the brachial plexus which in turn communicate to different regions of the hands and arms.

Do you ever notice your hand fall asleep when sleeping with your neck or arm are in awkward position? Of course. It’s because of the nerve pathway I described. Remember, nerves communicate to blood vessels as well.

So if this happens to you often or you might have carpal tunnel, have your neck spine checked as well. Too often we have wrist or hand pain and automatically think its CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) and sometimes so does your doctor.

Even if you are just not sure but just want to correct the problem do some things at home that may help both the neck and the wrists. Try a contoured neck pillow to correct neck alignment and remove nerve pressure as well as home wrist therapy.

Additional Reading Resources:

• Treatment for your Wrist Pain
• Stop Arthritis Neck Pain Dead In its Tracks
• Wrist Supports and Hand Products
• DID YOU KNOW… Hand And Arm Pain can be coming from your neck!