Neck Pain Support Blog

Study Shows that Using Sleeping Pills Leads to Higher Rate of Death

Look in anyone's medicine cabinet and you will find prescription sleeping pills- such as Ambien, or Lunesta. They seem to be a part of the busy life that we lead. In fact we don't think twice about taking them. We assume that they are a regular drug, and that has been perfectly approved by the FDA. Well a new study may make you think twice before reaching for that sleeping pill to get that "good" Night of Sleep.

A new study has linked common sleeping pills such as Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata and sedative antihistamines to a higher risk of death.

According to a Study by the Medical Online Journal BMJ Open, Researchers who followed 10,500 patients found that certain sleeping pills and sedatives are associated with a more than fourfold increased risk of death.

The researchers compared the longevity of people in rural Pennsylvania who took those drugs between 2002 and 2007 with the survival of those who had not been prescribed the pills — taking into account age, sex, lifestyle factors, and underlying health problems.

For example, there were 265 deaths among 4,336 people taking Ambien, compared with 295 deaths among the 23,671 people who had not taken the pills.

Additional Reading Resources

• Choose the Best Neck pillow for Better Sleep
• Sleep Like a Baby Tonight : Getting Good ZZZ's is not So Hard to To !
• When Sleep Can be Deadly
• 6 ways to Get Better Sleep
• Simple Tips To Sleep

“I Sneezed Hard and I Think I Jolted My Neck?”

Well there’s no question a hard sneeze or cough can irritate something in your musculoskeletal system. I’ve seen numerous people who have thrown their back or neck out with a forceful cough or sneeze.

This can be even more likely to happen if there’s already a previous injury somewhere. Let’s say you know you have or have had a disc protrusion at C6 (or a disc bulge, herniation, degeneration at any level), an area that you’ve strained the neck muscles, and maybe just a common stiff neck.

Also, if you are unhealthy or even out of shape, you can more easily set yourself up for an injury. This happens because your body just can’t handle as much. Plus, let’s say you have put on a lot of stomach weight. Your spinal alignment and posture may get all thrown off kilter. Think about it-you are carrying extra weight out front so your lumbar spine extends back to compensate; now because of this your neck juts out forward. If things aren’t in good alignment your spine just can’t withstand as much force. The same holds true for the muscles, ligaments and tendons. They get stretched, tightened, become unbalanced etc…setting us up more easily for muscle spasm or strain.

Ok so now you have this neck irritation, what can you do? Heat, ice, or muscle message can help substantially. I really like using a tens unit as well or some biofreeze gel to speed up the healing process. Seeing your doctor or chiropractor is warranted if you continue to have neck discomfort more than a few days. Either one may take or send you for x-rays also. Here’s the difference, your chiropractor may even have x-ray equipment right at his office and he will often do muscle work and adjustments to address any issues. Your primary doctor will most likely send you to a facility for x-rays and he or she will prescribe pain medications or a muscle relaxer. He/she may offer you to a chiropractor or physical therapist.

Prevention is the real key however. Maintaining neck posture and staying healthy helps us to prevent injuries to begin with. You can do this by regularly sleeping with the cervical traction pillow.

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Additional Reading Resources

• No more neck pain. Simple Tips To keep a Healthy Neck
• Neck Posture
• Choose the best Neck Pillow
• Neck Alignment: How Does It Effect Our Neck Muscles?
• Frequently asked questions about the Arc 4 Life Cervical Traction Neck Pillow

The Neck Roll Is A Key Component To The Traction Neck Pillow!

The Cervical Traction Pillow is two neck pillows in one. If you are using the traction “V” side you can turn it (or rotate the pillow) and then you can sleep on the Linear Gravity side (see picture on the right side). This pillow just has the neck roll, no “V” for traction. The “V” on the traction side also has a neck roll at the bottom of the “V”.

The neck roll is built on both sides because it is vital to proper neck traction, or what I like to call “true neck traction.” Just simply stretching the neck helps, and is good because it opens up all these nerve holes. But restoring the neck curve is also a major component to opening up your neural foramen. Restoring ones neck curves does this and not only reduces nerve pressure temporarily but helps to achieve lasting neck pain relief.

So, you can see how the neck roll is just as important as the traction aspect. When combined it makes a significant difference. Remember the statement "the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts". It truly applies to the arc4life pillow and is just one reason of many I like it so much.

Additional Reading Resources

• Order the Arc4life Traction Neck Pillow at the Neck Pain Relief Shop
• Understanding Neck Traction
• How to Use the Traction Side of the Arc4life Cervical Traction Neck Pillow
• 6 Ways to Improve Neck Posture
• Understanding the Arc 4 Life Pillow