Neck Pain Support Blog

For Chronic Neck Pain, try Arc4life's Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow

A lot of the Neck Pain Support readers suffer from chronic neck pain that lasts sometimes months to years. This type of neck pain is unrelenting, affecting one activities of daily living. Finding solutions to chronic neck pain can be fustrating, because neck pain sufferers will move from one product to the next.

One of the neck pillows that we recommend for chronic neck pain is Arc4life's Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow. We recently had the following feedback posted for this product.

It works!!!

I had tried many things to find a solution for an "untreatable" chronic neck pain but none worked until I tried this pillow. The day the Cervical Linear Traction pillow arrived, I had severe neck pain and tension headache that had lasted about seven days. I immediately put the pillow to use and could feel relief just after 30 minutes. Within days, even though I don't reap the full benefit of the pillow because I am a side sleeper, my neck problem was reduced so much so that I started doing vigorous exercises which I had been unable to do for years. I continue to enjoy the active life after a couple of months of using the Traction pillow. I think this pillow works because it holds the neck in a stretched position far longer than the 20-minute period a regular traction machine is normally used, therefore, giving enough time for the muscles to fully relax.

Would highly recommend to anyone who has chronic neck problem!

- July 11, 2010, by Amazon User


This consumer is correct. The Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow does hold the head and neck in the right position for sleeping. Often times, chronic neck pain sufferers will use a home traction unit such as the pronex pneumatic traction unit or posture pump 1000 along side the traction pillow. Traction during the day, and a traction pillow for sleep with proper posture. The traction allows for a stretch in the neck vertebrae, thereby decreasing any kind of pinching on the cervical nerves. Neck Exercises and hot/cold therapy also work well for chronic neck pain.

Additional Reading Resources

• Neck Support and Cervical Traction
• Frequently Asked Questions about Arc4life's Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow
• Pronex Pneumatic Cervical Traction System and Cervical Traction Posture Pump 1000
• How to Use the Traction Side of the Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow for maximum pain relief and the better sleep
• One Solution for Neck Pain- Neck Traction

Study Shows that Even a Small Amount of Meditation can Improve Cognitive Skills

Your cognitive abilities include any mental skills that are used in the process of acquiring knowledge; these skills include reasoning, perception, and intuition. Some people drink caffiene to stay mentally alert, other pop caffeine pills. Well a new study by a North Carolina Researcher shows that meditation for just 20 minutes a day, can improve your cognitive skills.

New research now suggests that the mind may be easier to cognitively train than previously thought. The researchers tested a meditation technique known as "mindfulness " found that meditation-trained participants showed a significant improvement in their critical cognitive skills (and performed significantly better in cognitive tests than a control group) after only four days of training for only 20 minutes each day.

The study was completed by Fadel Zeiden, at the University of North Carolina. "In the behavioral test results, what we are seeing is something that is somewhat comparable to results that have been documented after far more extensive training," said Fadel Zeidan

The study involved 63 student volunteers. They were first tested for behavior including mood,memory, attention processing, visual processing and vigilance. Participants were randomly to 2 groups:

1. Group 1 received the meditation training
2. The other group listened for equivalent periods of time to a book (J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit) being read out loud.

Both groups performed equally on all measures at the beginning of the experiment. Both groups also improved following the meditation and reading experiences in measures of mood, but only the group that received the meditation training improved significantly in the cognitive measures. The meditation group scored consistently higher averages than the reading/listening group on all the cognitive tests and as much as ten times better on one challenging test that involved sustaining the ability to focus, while holding other information in mind.

"The meditation group did especially better on all the cognitive tests that were timed," Zeidan stated. "In tasks where participants had to process information under time constraints causing stress, the group briefly trained in mindfulness performed significantly better."

Particularly of note were the differing results on a "computer adaptive n-back task," where participants would have to correctly remember if a stimulus had been shown two steps earlier in a sequence. If the participant got the answer right, the computer would react by increasing the speed of the subsequent stimulus, further increasing the difficulty of the task. The meditation-trained group averaged aproximately 10 consecutive correct answers, while the listening group averaged approximately one.

What type of meditation did the participants do? The meditation training involved in the study was an abbreviated "mindfulness" training regime modeled on basic "Shamatha skills" from a Buddhist meditation tradition, conducted by a trained facilitator. As described in the paper, "participants were instructed to relax, with their eyes closed, and to simply focus on the flow of their breath occurring at the tip of their nose. If a random thought arose, they were told to passively notice and acknowledge the thought and to simply let 'it' go, by bringing the attention back to the sensations of the breath." Subsequent training built on this basic model, teaching physical awareness, focus, and mindfulness with regard to distraction.

"Simply stated, the profound improvements that we found after just 4 days of meditation training- are really surprising," Zeidan noted. "It goes to show that the mind is, in fact, easily changeable and highly influenced, especially by meditation."

Zeidan describes training the partipants in the study as a type of exercise for the brain and mind.

The study appears in the April 2 issue of Consciousness and Cognition.

Source: Brief Cognition Helps Exercise Meditative

Additional Reading Resources

1. Sleep Better and Boost Brain Health with Herbs
2. Sleep Deprivation and How it Affects More than Your Mind
3. Meditation can Aid in Pain Relief, Study Shows
4. Walk Your Pains Away
5. Study shows that Strengthening the Neck Improves Quality of Life for Chronic Neck Pain Sufferers

Sleep Better and Boost Brain Health with Herbs

In the July 2010 issue of AARP, Holly St.Lifer writes about 81 year old botanist Jim Duke who talks about herbs that have healing remedies. His special home made drink caught my eye. Jim is the author of "The Green Pharmacy" book series.

Herbs have been used for healing purposes for a long time. They can help with many symptoms of common ailments because they contain health promoting compounds such as anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories. From constipation to the common cold, it is worth it to give herbs a try. If you are on medications such as blood thinners or have a serious medical condition, check with our Doctor first.

5 Herbs with Healing Properties

Peppermint

Effective for indigestion. A cup of warm peppermint tea also thins mucus, loosens phlegm, and soothes sore throats. Also peppermint also helps muscle cramps, arthritis and headaches

Lemon Balm

 This herb has been found to relieve tension, anxiety and restlessness by the German Ministry of Health. In another study published in Neuropsychopharmacology, particpants reported increased memory and improved mood after ingesting lemon balm. This was also found in ALzheimers patients 

Rosemary

The results of a study suggest that carnosic acid, found in rosemary, may shield the brain from free radicals, lowering the risk of strokes and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's. Rosemary also increases memory and reduces joint pain according to Jim Duke. To make a topical paste with rosemary, soak rosemary needles in almond oil for 2 weeks, filter, then rub the oil onto sore joins as needed.

Valerian

Sleep better with valerian. A German study found that 16 partipating insomniacs were able to go to sleep faster, and also improved their quality of sleep.Valerian root is also used in Arc4life's Formula 303 Natural Muscle Relaxer 

  Sage- A swiss study showed that Sage combined with echinacea was as effective as the pain killer lidocane in relieving sore throat pain. Studies have also shown that Sage is a potent mouthwash. To make Sage Mouthwash, steep 1 tablespoon sage leaves in 1 cup of hot water for 5 minutes. Strain and Gargle like you normally would.
With all of the herbs discussed above, you can drink the herb as a tea or use it topically in some cases. To make the tea version, pour 1 cup of boiling water over 6 leaves (for Valerian use 2 tablespoons chopped). Steep for 5 minutes, strain and sip.

Oh and I almost forgot, Jim Duke's healthy herbal drink that "lifts his spirits and lowers his anxiety". It also boosts relaxation, mood, memory and overall brain health. Its called Creme D'Mentia. Mix 1/2 pint of 80-proof vodka with 1/2 pint of water. Add 1/4 fresh lemon, 4 tablespoons rosemary leaves, 6 tablespoons lemon balm leaves, 4 tablespoons of peppermint leaves, and 2 tablespoons of sage leaves. Add sugar to taste. Steep for 3 days.

Source: AARP Magazine, July/August 2010; 25

Additional Reading Resources

• ChiroKlenz, Natural Dexotifying Herbal Tea
• Natural Relief For Muscle Spasm, Tension and Stress for your neck and low back muscles with Formula 303
• Nutrition and Natural Topical Creams
• Natural Pain Relief For the Neck that Does not include Surgery

How Does Hot Or Cold Therapy Work To Give Me Neck Pain Relief?

Both heat or ice can help neck pain. At any given time either one may help your neck pain substantially. Het or Ice therapy is always better than use a medication because it's all natural. You can use anti-inflammatories but in the long run ice would be a better option.

As a general rule, Ice works best when someone just had an acute injury or flare up of their pain. The reason this holds true is because when someone strains their neck and initially has neck pain, he/she will typically have inflammation. The ice helps take this inflammation down. The inflammation is what contributes to pressure on the nerves. Just because you do not see swelling, doesn't mean there's no inflammation. Much of the inflammation can be be internal- in the joints and around the nerves causing pain and suffering. You may have redness in the injured area, swelling and even feel heat which are clear signs of inflammation. The ice will take this inflammation down decreasing the pain. Also it can have a numbing affect to the area which will decrease the pain sensation. Ice can be used as much as possible. Choose an ice pack that will help cover the area properly. So for example, if you are looking for an ice pack for the neck, consider a 6" x 20 " ice pack designed to cover the neck and upper shoulder area comfortably.

Heat also can help decrease overall pain, and most people's first inclination is to use heat therapy. However, heat should more often be used when you have a chronic neck condition. Heat helps increase circulation and loosen muscles. This can increase mobility and help toxins leave the area and allow helpful nutrients to get in. Similar to ice, heat will relax the area, reducing pain. So, as a general rule use ice when you initially injure or reinjure your neck. Use heat when you have a chronic neck ache or have tightness or stiffness.

Both heat and ice are natural pain relief techniques and have no side effects. There's no set in stone rule which you should or should not use. Which ever one helps the most, I would use. For most of us 20 minutes on with ice or heat followed by 20 minutes off done 2-3 times seems to work best. If recurrences of neck injuries sprains or strains regularly occurs one should make sure to have their spine looked at by a health professional. Use a good cervical support neck pillow when sleeping, and be aware of your neck posture throughout the day.

Additional Reading Resources

• Hot and Cold Therapy for Neck Pain and Stiff Neck
• My Trapezius Hurts, How Do I find Relief?
• The Stages of Soft Tissue Healing for the Neck
• Acute Neck Pain
• Choose the Right Neck Pillow for Proper Support and Comfort

Neck Pain While Working Out

It’s healthy to exercise or workout, but not if it causes you pain. It should make you feel good and energized, right?

One of the biggest complaints I get is “How can I avoid neck pain when I work out?” The main thing to keep in mind is that with most exercise routines you will work the neck slightly. Think about it- just lifting a barbell, you may flex your biceps or chest mainly, but you will also flex the majority of the neck muscles as well. Even while running your head moves. How about crunches for your abs, no matter what you do you get some neck involvement.

Here are a couple quick tips for working out neck pain free:

• when doing abdominals or crunches, instead of locking your fingertips behind your head, let your hands float behind your ears. This will prevent you from literally pulling your head forward.
• When lifting weights for a muscle group, avoid too much weight or pushing yourself to do extra repetitions when fatigued. If your triceps are exhausted, but you want to push out a couple more repetitions, your body will recruit other muscles. Have you ever seen someone at the gym who is trying to lift extra- you can see every muscle and vein pop out. Avoid this, especially when you are healing from a neck injury, and limit this kind of workout normally to prevent possible neck strain.
• I would also avoid a lot of running when your neck is sensitive because not only do you work the neck muscles slightly, but there will also be a certain amount of pounding which can aggravate a previously strained or spasmed neck.
• Since your neck muscles get a fairly good workout no matter what you do, I would avoid trying to hook a harness up to your neck and lifting weights primarily with the neck. This usually does more harm than good.

Working out your neck muscles and upper back is an important part of the exercise regiment. The benefit derived from exercising and being active cannot be overstated. Just make sure you are safe and taking the right precautions while working out.

Additional Reading Resources:

• Strengthening Your Neck Muscles for Better Health
• How to Avoide Neck Pain While Doing Abdominals
• Study shows that Strengthening the Neck Improves Quality of Life for Chronic Neck Pain Sufferers
• Stretches for the Neck that Really Work
• Exercise | Rehab | Balance Training | Increase Proprioception

Pressure on the Upper Nerves Often Causes Headaches

 Headaches can be a very aggravating condition.  They can often prevent individuals from performing their job, concentrating, even sleeping adequately. 

One common trait is that headache sufferers often have tight neck and upper back muscles.  This can often create pressure on upper neck nerves and blood vessels which will cause headaches.  The top three nerves in the spine travel up into the head, so pressure on these nerves can often directly cause a headache. 

When we are talking about upper nerves we are referring to the top most cervical neves.  Basically at each spinal level a nerve root exits the spine off of the spinal cord and out the vertebral foramen.  The nerve root branches into smaller and smaller nerves supplying the head and body.

 

Typically most of the muscles are innervated by nearby nerve levels.  So the suboccipital muscles, upper paraspinal muscles, and upper trapezius muscles are most commonly involved. 

   

The cervical traction pillow helps to relieve the muscle tension thus relaxing pressure on nerves or blood vessels, helping to relieve a headache.  An individual may want to use a traction device as well, muscle massage to the neck, and even gentle neck stretches to help prevent further headaches. 

   

Always keep in mind, however, that there can be other contributing factors to your headaches like allergies, stress, certain odors, and fatigue. 

Additional Reading Resources

• Choosing the Right Neck Pillow
• Neck Exercises
• How Do I stretch All the Neck Muscles  ?
• The Neck Pain Associated with Occipital Neuralgia