Neck Pain Support Blog

The Connection Between Sleep and Neck Pain

Are you tossing and turning at night , and just cannot get into a comfortable sleep position because of your neck pain. Sleep is essential in the context of neck pain:

1. Muscle Recovery and Relaxation

Sleep is a time when our bodies go into repair mode. During deep sleep stages, muscles, including those in the neck, have an opportunity to relax and recover. When you get enough quality sleep, it helps ease muscle tension and soreness, providing relief from neck pain.

 

2. Proper Pillow and Mattress Support

The choice of your pillow and mattress can significantly impact your neck health. A supportive pillow and mattress help maintain proper spinal alignment, reducing the risk of waking up with neck pain. It's crucial to select the right type of pillow and mattress that suits your sleeping position and comfort preferences. 

3. Reducing Inflammation

Inflammatory processes can contribute to neck pain such as stiffness in the neck. Adequate sleep helps regulate inflammation in the body, which can alleviate pain and discomfort in the neck area.

4. Improving Blood Circulation

Sleep is essential for proper blood circulation, delivering nutrients and oxygen to the muscles and tissues in the neck. Improved blood flow helps repair any damaged areas and reduces pain.

5. Posture Correction

Sleep is a time when your body is free from the demands of gravity and everyday activities. Sleeping in the right position can help your neck maintain its natural alignment, preventing strain and discomfort. It's crucial to pay attention to your sleeping posture and ensure it is ergonomic and comfortable.

Additional Reading:

• Causes of neck pain you might not think of
• Arc4life Twist Pillow works great for patients who are travelling or for kids in the car
• Contoured Kids Pillows Designed for Smaller Cervical Spines
• Change up the loft of your pillow easily
• Upper Back Stretches you can do anywhere

Pain at the Base of the Neck? Easy Home Treatment

Pain at the base of the neck can happen anytime- especially when you are working on the computer or a repetitive desk task where you are looking down.  This can also be the source of headaches for some. Doing simple massage to the base of the neck can be helpful. Using a towel roll to stretch your neck can also help to increase cervical range of motion.Fixing your posture while you are on your devices can also make a huge difference: Check out the video below for more detailed information:

Additional Reading:

• Causes of neck pain you might not think of
• Arc4life Twist Pillow works great for patients who are travelling or for kids in the car
• Contoured Kids Pillows Designed for Smaller Cervical Spines
• Arc4life's Linear Gravity Neck Pillow- Small Size for Toddlers, Teens and Petite Individuals
• Change up the loft of your pillow easily
• Upper Back Stretches you can do anywhere

The Arc4life Traction Pillow Helped Me with my Numbness/Tingling and Sleeping at Night, Now What?

At the beginning of June we received a call from Marisol regarding some issues that she was having with her neck and hands. Specifically she mentioned that she was having a lot of neck pain, and numbness and tingling at night time and that this was waking her up at night. She had a busy day job and was super tired from the disjointed sleep that she was getting. She was desperate for a solution and asked if we could make some recommendations for her. 

She was recommended the Arc4life Traction Neck Pillow [ med ] and also given instructions on how to best use it.  First of all she was told to use the pillow gradually, as she was having a very tough time at night. She was to start using the pillow about 5-10 minutes, and then to put it away. The next night she was to use it 15 minutes. The night after 30 minutes. In this way, she was slowly getting her neck muscles using this type of contoured neck pillow. It was also suggested that she use the Support side of the pillow to start, as this was softer side of the pillow. Finally, it was recommended that she lay down [face up ] on the traction v side of the pillow for about 10-20 minutes per day. In this was she was getting support during the night and very gentle neck traction during the day as well. 

Fast forward to July. We received a phone call almost exactly 30 days later. Marisol stated that the arc4life traction pillow has worked for her. Gone was the numbness and tingling at night and she was able to sleep through the night. She was very satisfied with this and very grateful, as she was finally able to sleep at night. She stated that now she was only getting numbness and tingling while driving and while riding her bike. Marisol was interested in doing more for her symptoms and again asked for recommendations. 

Well, first of all we love to hear when a customer was helped- in any way. So the arc4life traction pillow helped Marisol to sleep at night comfortably. With this pillow, you are getting support and gentle neck traction. The next step to help get rid of that numbness and tingling during the day is do gentle neck traction during the day.

Our best recommendation is going to be the Posture Pump Neck Traction Device. We like this particular unit because it puts you neck into anatomically the right position to stretch: Into a C-Curve. It also opens up each of the neck vertabrae and allows the nerves to breathe properly and heal. 

 

The Posture Pump Cervical Traction Unit for the neck

Here is another good one, albeit its a little more cumbersome, but still effective: Soothe- A Ciser with Cervical Traction Device

One More: Cervical Traction System with Foam Roll. All of these units are better than the traction units that do up and down type of neck traction. For example a neck collar type of unit. 

Again when you do this type of neck traction, you want to start gradually. Just like using the arc4life traction pillow. Set a timer for yourself and try to do the neck traction 4-5/week. Start with 5 minutes [ set a timer ] and a very low amount of traction and work your way up to 15 minutes. This will ensure you are not experiencing soreness after doing the neck traction. Also, you can do neck stretches before you start: - these are some simple ones. One more thing you can do is use a heating pack on your neck after c-traction to ease any soreness or tightness. 

Facebook  | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

 

Related articles

Does a Cervical Pillow Relieve Bulging Disc and Radiculopathy Pain?

5'2" and Looking for Good Neck Pillow and Muscle Pain Relief

1st Starting With A Neck Pillow...Go Gradual

Do I Get An Epidural?

I Have Pain When I Breathe?...

How to Use Arc4life's Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow for Dummies

Updated: 4/18/2020

Help for Pain at the Base of the Skull

Here is an awesome treatment (at home) for pain at the base of the skull. Bob and Brad go over this in detail. 

Pain at the base of the skull, or in the suboccipital muscles can cause pain, headaches and decrease in range of motion (turning in all directions with the neck)

They will share with you the following techniques:

• Ice pack
• gentle massage
• stretching- neck stretching with a towel

 

Additional Reading:

• The Switchboard that controls everything
• Wake up with More Pain
• How does Traction work on a Traction V Pillow
• Keeping at a healthy weight naturally
• Exercises to Help you with neck pain

Traction Pillow Vs Gravity Pillow Vs TriCore Pillow

Lots of fiber pillows on the market today, and today I had a very nice woman call me to help her decide which pillow to choose. The Arc4life Traction Pillow vs the Arc4life Gravity Pillow vs the Tri Core Pillow. Also, she was concerned about the size of pillow that would be best for her. She mentioned that she had some balance and dizziness issues and neck soreness. She was going to PT for neck pain treatment. Nothing was really helping and she was considering changing her pillow. 

Choosing the right size is actually the easiest decision to make. Either it is going to be small medium or large. This decision should be based on ones height and weight. See the chart below. This particular patient was 5'3" and weighed 135 lbs. For her, I recommended a medium size (Standard 24"x17").

So the next question becomes, what type of firmness does one prefer in their pillow?

If someone likes a firm pillow, then my recommendation is the tricore pillow (either the gentle or the firm version). The fiber in this pillow is densely packed into the pillow, making it a very firm pillow. Also the fiber is machine blown in, also creating a more dense pillow that is more firm to lay on. 

If someone does not like a firm pillow,then the choice is between the arc4life traction pillow or the arc4life gravity pillow. These two pillows have a lot more "give" than the tricore pillow.

If a patient has a lot going on in their neck, for example:

• herniated disc
• bulging disc
• headaches (migraine or tension)
• forward head posture
• lack of curve
• chronic neck pain
• whiplash
• occipital neuralgia
• cervical sprain

Then the best pillow is going to be the arc4life traction pillow. This pillow offers two different sleeping surfaces- a traction v side (for gentle neck stretching) and a support side (a neck roll). 

Finally, if a patient is looking for just a great cervical support pillow, the arc4life gravity pillow is a great option.

This pillow has two neck rolls on it. One broader, one more narrow. These neck rolls are designed to allow for the natural curvature of your cervical spine. Great for side and back sleeping:

This pillow comes in a small, medium and large size and again it is important to choose the right size to sleep on. The arc4life gravity pillow has been a big seller since in the 1980's and is still a very popular choice for many of our customers. An oldie but a Goodie, like we say here at Arc4life. For both the arc4life gravity and traction pillows, the fiber is hand stuffed into each pillow, and the fiber is softer and easier to adjust too.

Additional Reading:

• I just received my NEW Pillow... and HELLO, its nothing like my OLD pillow
• Do you have a Closet Full of Pillows?
• A Pillow that Gives you Neck Support - not just in times of Pain
• The Pillow for Alleviating Neck Pain
• Frozen Shoulder Fix..not for the Faint of Heart

 

I have chronic neck stiffness .What is a good way to relieve pain and stiffness?

I recently got this question about chronic stiff neck: 

Dear Neck Pain Support, 

I have chronic neck stiffness .What is a good way to relieve pain and stiffness?

- Raj

Dear Raj,

Great question. So many people suffer with a stiffness in their necks that they have had for a long time. My advice to you is to do regular neck exercises.

Doing these exercises can really help your mobility in your cervical spine. You have work at this everyday and start very slowly. Otherwise you will just aggravate your neck and cause more stiffness and pain.

You can do these neck exercises in the shower when you first wake up in the morning. It involves gentle movements in 6 directions. You must do all of it very gently. 

1. Very gently bring your head forward (chin to your chest), hold for 5–10 seconds
2. Then bring your head back (look up to the ceiling), hold for 5–10 seconds.
3. Bring your right ear to your right shoulder, hold for 5–10 seconds
4. Bring your left ear to your left shoulder, hold for 5–10 seconds
5. Turn your head to the left, hold for 5–10 seconds
6. Turn your head to the right, hold for for 5–10 seconds.

If you have pain in any one of these directions, ease off and do that motion with less tension. For example, if you have pain when you turn your bring your head forward (chin to your chest), don’t bring your head forward all the all the way. Just do it to the point that you start to feel pain, then stop. You will notice that if you do this stretching exercise daily, your range of motion will slowly start to increase. Incidentally, your neck pain will start to decrease as well.

Simple Neck Stretches that Can Help a Stiff Neck

Also, if you do this stretching exercise first thing in the morning, you can let warm/hot water hit your neck muscles while you stretch. This actually feels very good and can help your stretching.

If you cannot do this in the morning, you can also apply a warm moist heating pack to your head and neck muscles and then proceed with this exercise. 

Finally, get a supportive neck pillow for sleeping. This makes a huge huge difference every night. My suggestion is the arc4life cervical linear traction neck pillow because it provides excellent cervical support and gives you the C curve that you need in your neck when you sleep (for both side and back sleeping).

You can also use the arc4life pillow for a gentle neck stretch. Just lay on the traction V Side for 20-25 minutes on your back. A very therapeutic stretch that can relieve pain.

Additional Reading: 

• Information about the Arc4life cervical traction neck pillow
• Spinal Nerve Chart - understanding where your neck pain is coming from
• I have a stiff neck, a straight neck and shoulder pain
• Don't get a stiff neck when you travel

 

 

Natural Neck Pain Relief: A Pillow and What Else?

I recently emailed with a very nice lady named Constance who had cervical spinal stenosis and loss of cervical lordosis. She stated that she wakes up every day with a very sore/stiff neck.  She has not been sleeping through the night for a long time.  Chiropractic adjustments, massages, and acupuncture have all helped, but none of it is not long-lasting.  All of that is very expensive, too she noted. She wanted to find a pillow or something that will give me more long-term results.

 

So what to do? 

Constance is already doing all of the right things in terms of natural treatments for neck pain due to cervical stenosis and loss of neck curve. 

 

The arc4life traction pillow is going to be the best recommended pillow for her. I would not recommend any other pillow to her. She seems to have a lot of sensitivity in her neck so she needs to be using the support side of the pillow.

 

In the meantime, she can also use the traction v side as well, but not for sleeping, but for neck stretching.

 

 

How to do this?

Simply lay on your back on the traction V side of the pillow and set a timer for 10 minutes to start. This process of stretching the neck will allow the vertebrae (bones) in the cervical spine to pull apart. This allows for release of the cervical nerves. You can work your way up to 25 minutes for this type of neck traction.

 

This is a very gentle form of neck traction. Once you are feeling comfortable doing this, a person can start to use a traction unit such as posture pump 1000. This type of at home treatment will help your cervical stenosis and loss of c curve tremendously.

 

To start neck traction in an even more gentler way, create a towel roll.

You can also create a towel roll at home. This is very simple and does not cost anything   I think it would bring Constance a lot of relief.

 

 

Also, using a heating pack through out the day as needed- even once a time during the day (ex after work) can make a big difference to helping ones neck muscles). A hot shower in the morning with gentle neck stretches can also help a great deal (While the hot water in hitting your neck, you gently bring your head forward and back, gentle to the side and and then turn side to side - not to the point of pain, but to the point of feeling a stretch).

 

I would also recommend some kind of natural pain relief gel. I like Sombra natural pain relief gel personally. Don't just rub that in gently, do a little muscle work into your neck muscles, upper back and neck area. The chiropractor may be able to help patients with this if he/she does trigger point therapy/ muscle work). 

 

Additional Reading:

• Sleep Deprivation and How it Affects ones Thinking
• Cliff Notes on how to Use the arc4life traction pillow
• The 3 sizes of the arc4life pillow: A pillow for sleeping
• Factors that determine the success of a pillow
• The arc4life cervical traction neck pillow
• 3 things you can do to avoid text neck

 

 

The Upside and Downside of Sleeping on your Back

If you are having trouble with your sleep, one of the factors to look at is your sleep position. Is sleeping position causing you not to fall asleep or stay asleep? Is your sleeping position causing your neck pain or stiff neck when you wake up?

Back Sleeping is Ideal for Your Body

There are many positions for sleeping. Sleeping on your back, sleeping on your side, or sleeping on your stomach. Sleeping on your stomach is by far the worst sleeping position. Some people get used to sleeping on their stomach and it’s hard to get out of this habit as they age.

Sleeping on your back is actually an ideal position for sleep. However it’s a hard habit to follow every night. When you sleep on your back you actually stretch out your body evenly on the mattress. There is alignment of your head neck and spine in a neutral position. I like to recommend the back sleeping position because it puts the least amount of stress on your body. The least amount of stress on the bones in your spine and the discs of the spine. Incidentally, if you have an issue with acid reflux - back sleeping is ideal. If you lay on your back and elevate your body with, for example a bed wedge or a bolster, your pillow can help you keep acid from coming up.

There are two disadvantages if you are a back sleeper. Number one is snoring and number two is sleep apnea. Both can be made worse by back sleeping.

Sleeping on your back and make your snoring worse by making it louder. Snoring is so annoying to the person sleeping next to you and it someone they may give you a gentle push to make you sleep on your side to stop the snoring sound.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes your breathing to stop and start again. It can cause loud snoring or choking sounds. Sleep apnea is often linked to heart disease and high blood pressure. If you do a lot of snoring this is something that you should look further into, possibly a sleep study. Sleeping on your back can make your snoring worse by making it louder. 

It can be difficult to sleep on your back but there are ways that you can help this. One way is to choose the right pillow for sleeping. One example of this is the Arc4life cervical traction pillow which can help you to sleep on your back. This pillow has two sides to it it has a support side and a traction side. The support side of the traction pillow allows you to keep your head and neck in neutral position. The traction side of the pillow allows your neck to be gently stretched while sleeping on your back. With this particular pillow you want to make sure you purchase the right size of pillow. If you use a pillow that is too large for example, your head will be pushed forward which can cause forward head posture. This can lead to neck pain, stiffness, and headaches.

Let your body gradually get used to sleeping on your back. Start every night in this position and train your head and neck muscles to know what this feels like. Using a supportive cervical pillow will help with this.

Additional Reading Resources:

• 5 Products You Can use for neck Stretching
• How to get used to your new cervical support pillow
• Why its better to use a pillow vs no pillow
• The key to Restorative Sleep
• The Neck Pain Support Group
• A pillow for back sleeping that works for post surgical patients

 

 

Study Shows that Tai Chi Can Help Patients with Chronic Neck Pain

Chronic Neck Pain can be one of those things that can impact your life on a daily basis. It may affect your ability to work, your ability to relax and do simple things around the house. Many patients often look for alternative treatment solutions that don't involve medications. One study this year looked at the relaxing sport of tai chi (if one can call it a sport). Perhaps more of a stretching routine ! According to a recent study, tai chi can help to relieve chronic neck pain. Researchers studied a group of participants who completed tai chi exercises for neck pain relief to a control group that did not receive any treatment. The study also compared to see if tai chi would be more beneficial than traditional neck exercises.

There were 114 neck pain sufferers in this study that lasted for 3 months. Co-author Peter M. Wayne explained, “The study results showed that 12 weeks of tai chi was more effective than no treatment to improve pain, disability, quality of life, and postural control in persons with chronic neck pain.”

Tai chi can be done by anyone because it a low impact type of exercise and can help focus and clear the mind. Specifically, it focuses on specific movements tied with breathing techniques, aiming to improve mobility, flexibility, and reduce pain. This makes it a great option for someone looking to find a solution for chronic neck pain relief.

Source: Chronic neck pain can be relieved with tai chi: Study

Additional Reading Resources:

• Neck Exercises
• Neck Stretches that You Can do At Home to Relieve Neck Pain
• Which Pillow is Best After my Neck Fusion Surgery?
• Join us on Facebook

Updated September 2020

Stretches You Can do If you Wake Up with Neck Pain

It was a rough night last night and you don't even know how you fell asleep - You wake up with on the couch with a neck kinked to one side and in a lot of neck pain. A "Crick in the neck" Can even happen after sports such as golf or playing tennis. Even a simple desk job can be cause of neck pain the next day. Even using a new pillow can set of neck pain in the worst way. Whatever it is, it can start your day in a damper, the pain is so unbearable. 

Does this sound familiar to you? Holding your head in a abnormal position that is not normal can put your neck out of alignment, causing you to wak up with a kink in the neck. This stiffness can cause you a lot of discomfort in the mornings. Here are some great exercises you can do:

Additional Reading:

• How to Get rid of the Kink in the Neck
• Contoured neck pillow for pain relief
• Stiff Neck Remedies that are All Natural
• 5 Things that Can Cause you the Worst Pain, and How to Fix Them