As a Chiropractor, patients would walk in typically with neck pain, back pain, headaches, herniated disc etc. They would also walk in with depression and anxiety. This was not usually "seen" in the first visit. It came out in conversation after a few visits and patients would get comfortable with speaking with me about what was going on. Often times these patients also were suffering with chronic pain either in the neck or the back. Pain that was constantly there but just would not go away.
According to a Columbia university study that was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, adults with two or more chronic diseases had an increased risk for a mood or anxiety disorder.
For this study, 5000 adults who were suffering with anxiety and depression were asked about their health problems. Among those participants with a mood disorder: 50% of them reported chronic pain; 33% reported respiratory diseases; 10% reported heart disease; 9% reported arthritis and 7% reported diabetes.
Often times, pain can be an attributing factor to other things occuring in the body and health professionals need to take this into account when treating patients.
Yes, use a pillow under your stomach and side area. If you use such a pillow, you will actually be sleeping on your side, not your stomach. The pillow under your stomach and torso area will feel like you are on your stomach. Here is an example of what I mean- this is called a teardrop pillow.
The Teardrop Pillow is made especially for people who must sleep on their stomachs to transition to a healthier sleeping posture.
Stomach sleeping is not recommended. It stresses your neck and shoulders, as well as your back and internal organs. Many patients actually wake up with a stiff neck because of sleeping on their stomach. Anatomically it is not healthy for your neck. If you usually sleep on your stomach it can be very hard to change this habit because it is difficult to correct since stomach sleepers desire stomach warmth and support.
This special Pillow angles stomach sleepers off their stomachs while maintaining that reassuring feeling of warmth and support - helping you really sleep on your side - but you feel like you are sleeping on your stomach.
The Tear Drop Pillow is 6"x10"x28". It is composed of viscoelastic foam which makes it super comfortable and accomodating.
The posture pump cervical traction unit is a simple, comfortable and effective traction unit. Here is a quick demonstration on how to use this neck stretcher easily at home. This neck stretcher provides relief for neck pain, pinched nerve in the neck, stiff neck, cervical radiculopathy, numbness and tingling, forward head posture, tightness in the neck, shoulders and upper back.
In Part I of this blog post, we looked at what Exactly does neck traction do for you. Now lets delve a little deeper and look at some criteria to look at when purchasing a cervical traction device.
What should we look for when buying a cervical traction system?
Is it simple to use and simple to set up?
Are you comfortable while you are doing the neck traction?
Can you comfortably do the neck traction while you are having neck discomfort?
Does it put your neck into an optimal position during the traction session?
Can you travel with the traction unit?
Does it give you sufficient traction and do you feel like your neck is being stretched?
You need to choose the best cervical traction unit for your nagging neck pain and right hand numbness. Which unit do you choose? There are so many cervical traction units to choose from. First, lets start with what exactly does neck traction do?
it restores the normal position of the spine
it widens the intervertebral space - which is the space between each of the bones in the neck
it decreases pressure on the spinal cord and the nerve root
helps to reduce muscle spasms of the neck and shoulder muscles
it increases blood circulation, joint flexibility and muscle strength
it increases your neck range of motion.
Here is a great video demonstration on how the posture pump cervical device works:
In Part II of this blog post, we will look at what criteria to look for when purchasing a new traction unit. Also I will demonstrate how to use a Pronex Cervical Traction Unit, a popular neck tractioning device often recommended by chiropractors.
What are some techniques for relaxing upper back + neck? I’m a rock climber, and I frequently strain muscles, ligaments, etc in the upper back starting at around T7 and going up to around C7/C6. It can range from close to the spine to under the shoulder blades. I need some techniques for releasing tension and maintaining this area after climbs.
There is a particular motion that many climbers too that can be the cause of neck pain and back pain. It is called belaying and often this has been called the belayer's neck. Many minutes and hours can be spent with the head thrown back and looking up, with much neck and upper back strain. There can also be a lot of neck and back twisting with this sport.
There are many great way to help relax the neck and upper back area:
Gentle neck traction- stretching the neck out either with a tractioning unit or even a simple rolled towel gives the nerves in the neck a chance to breathe, relax and be in an optimal position
Breathing Exercises
Meditation
Massage - with focus on the suboccipital muscles, cervical paraspinals, trapezius and levator scapulae muscles
Acupuncture
Sleep on a comfortable pillow at night.
Chiropractic for the cervical and thoracic spine
Trigger point therapy for neck and upper back/ mid back muscles - specifically for the climber ART technique or myofascial release (albeit painful) is helpful.
Neck stretching exercises
Take breaks with climbing. Just a few minute break from the act of belaying can give your neck and back the rest that it needs.
Strengthen your neck muscles (deep neck flexor muscles)
I just ordered a contoured neck pillow, called the arc4life traction pillow. It is causing my neck a lot of pain somehow which is a shame because I really wanted it to work! -Ada
Dear Ada, Thank you for your email. Any contoured neck pillow takes a while to get used to for patients, especially those who have neck pain to begin with. It is not meant to be used the whole night right in the beginning. We recommend that you first sleep on the pillow for no more than 5-10 minutes, and keep increasing by 10 min each night. Second, you should be starting to use the support side of the pillow, not the traction side.
I would recommend you try it one more week. Then email me back. I think it is worth it. Okay, so start :
1st night: 10 min
2nd night: 20 min
3rd night: 30 min
Sleep on the support side to start. On the 4th night, try 45 min- 1 hr.
One more thing I want to mention you can do with the traction "V"side of the pillow. Use it for a gentle neck stretch. Simple lay on your back on the V part of the pillow. Not sleep, just lay on the pillow. Set a timer for 10 minutes to start. Next day do 15 min. Keep working your way up to 25 minutes.
Here is a short video showing you the features of the arc4life traction pillow:
Keep in mind, that if you are used to using a flat pillow to sleep every night and now have switched to a contoured neck pillow, it is going to take some time. You may wake up with a neck ache and soreness if you decide to sleep the whole night through the first night (not recommended). You will be engaging different neck muscles when you use a pillow with curves on it like the arc4life traction pillow.
I truly think it is worth a try, as this pillow has helped many patients in the past provide neck pain relief. - Nav
"The Arc4life Pillow has helped many patients with neck pain, numbness and tingling, weakness in the extremities. Knowing how to use it effectively is important." — Arc4life Pillow Experts
The 2 Key Components of This Pillow If you look at this picture above, notice the two sides of the pillow. You have a neck roll on one side (the top part of the pillow) and you have a part where there is a "V" coming out at you. Do you see the V at the bottom of this pillow?
The V Side - Gives your neck a gentle stretch or "traction"
See below for Dr.Bellinger's video for further clarification on how to use this neck pillow and the 2 key components:
How to Use the Pillow When You First Get it Home
First look at the pillow and familiarize yourself with the two sides that we have mentioned above.
Know that you can sleep on either side.
Which side you sleep with will depend on a few things.
If you suffer from neck pain, headaches, stiffness, numbness and tingling, or weakness in the upper extremity, the traction side will be most therapeutically beneficial for you.
If you are looking for a support roll pillow, use the support side.
If you have a lot of sensitivity in the neck area, start with the support side. It is gentler and softer to use.
You can Use this Pillow for Sleeping and ONE MORE THING
Use it During the Day and at Night (in different ways)
Naturally, one would think that the only way to use this pillow is for sleep. Yes, this is the main way to use the pillow. However, we have a lot of Dr's who recommend this pillow to their patients to use it in the beginning just for traction. This involves laying on the pillow for 10-25 minutes to achieve a gentle neck stretch. The patient is recommended to lay on the traction v part of the pillow during the day, and to sleep on the opposite side of the pillow. This works well for patients who have a lot of neck pain.
Getting used to using a new pillow might take some time
You can sleep on your side or on your back.
For those patient who suffer from neck pain or who have a lot of sensitivity in their cervical spines, getting used to this pillow might take some time. We always compare this is working out at the gym. When using the arc4life traction pillow, you will be using different neck muscles - muscles that you may not be used to getting stretched. Just like working out a new muscle group at the gym, you might experience some muscle spasms or pain with using this pillow for the first few days. Keep in mind that this is normal.
How to get Accustomed to the Two Sides of the Pillow
The neck roll side of the pillow is gentler and softer than the traction side of the pillow. For someone starting for the first time using this pillow, we would recommend that you start with the neck roll side.
Don't feel that you have to sleep with the pillow the whole night thru from the very beginning. Slowly get used to it. Start by sleeping on the pillow for about 15 minutes. Let your neck muscles get used to it and relax as much as you can. Then put the pillow away and use what you normally use. The next night, use the pillow for 20-30 minutes. Same thing - relax and allow your neck muscles to get used to the new pillow. The next night, try for one hour and go from there. You can sleep on your side or on your back.
You can see the two parts of the arc4life traction pillow here in this picture.
The Traction V Side **May** be hard to get used to (for Some).
As we noted previously, using the support side of the pillow will be easier in the beginning for most patients.
However, lets say you have a very painful neck condition, and you really want to get some relief. Especially from something like a herniated disc, bulging disc or neck arthritis.
Use the Arc4life traction pillow as a traction unit. Set a timer for 10 minutes to start. Lay on the traction V side for 10 minutes on your back. This is similar to using a traction unit such as the posture pump or over the door neck traction unit. The next time you do neck traction, lay on the V side of the pillow for 15 minutes.
Doing neck traction everyday when you have a neck condition can provide a tremendous amount of pain relief.
"I have used the Arc4life Chiropractic Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow (large) for only a week and most of my neck pain has vanished. Another result has been an improvement in flexibility because I can move my head farther to the right and left." — Tom Robertson (October 2015)
I need specific help with my neck condition and choosing the right product...
Well there is a solution for that. Arc4life has customer service available to help you decide which pillow is best for you. Whether its the arc4life pillow or another pillow altogether. Their customer service # is 1-800-605-7079. There are 2 dedicated pillow specialists who can help you. If they are not available, they will call you back during normal business hours. Just leave your name, number or email address. Customer service turnaround time is pretty quick.
So you fell while playing t-ball with your co-workers and you knee is in major pain and its swollen. Which major pain reliever to you reach for in your medicine cabinet? Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen? Check out the scientific explanation below about how these two pain relievers work on receptors in our brain.
It's good for many to know that Tylenol is Acetaminophen - A good way to think of one thing it does is that it fools the brain so you don't feel the pain. Acetaminophen was actually discovered in the 1800's and is not an anti inflammatory medicine. One interesting fact is that it may work the the system in your body that responds to cannabis. Actually no one really knows.
"Advil" and "Motrin" are Ibruprofen. Aspirin is very similar to ibruprofen. Naproxen, or "Aleve" is similar too. Really, the question becomes: when do I use which one? Aspirin may be tougher on the upper digestive tract; so if you have issues there, like heartburn or ulcers, you may want to use something like "Motrin", or "Advil". "Aleve" seems to work especially well against inflammation.
Ibuprofen was discovered in the 1960's and markets over the counter in 1983. It is anti-inflammatory in nature and is said to stop the production of prostagladins.
The first thing to do is for any other part of the body as well - warm up.
Do some dynamic stretches or warm-ups specifically for the neck. The best are half circles for the neck. Roll from one ear to the other with your head tilted forward. Roll from one ear to the other with the head extended back.
Otherwise a general warm up like a 5 minute jog or a few minutes on the bike will help to get your entire body loosened up.
I like neck half circles but I like to put the neck into all it's ranges of motion and do a stretch in each direction too.
These directions- include:
1. Flexion - tilt the chin down to your chest. For an extra stretch put some light pressure behind the head pushing the head into more flexion.
2. Extension - the exact opposite of the 1st one. Tilt the head back. Use one of your hands to apply light pressure tilting the head into more extension.
3. Right lateral flexion - lateral flexion is the same as bending or tilting to the side. Bring the right ear toward the right shoulder. For a bit more stretch, reach up with the right hand pulling the head into more lateral flexion.
4. Left lateral flexion - done to the opposite side of right lateral flexion, this time bring the left ear to the left shoulder.
5. Right rotation - turn the head to the right, fingers or the hand on the left temple with a little pressure will put you in extra rotation.
6. Left rotation - the exact opposite of right rotation, or I probably should say the mirror image. Do the same thing but turn the head to the right.
Afterwords I like more sustained stretches. So for example bringing one ear to the shoulder and holding 15 seconds. A "cool down" is good too... Finish with a 5-10 minute light bike ride for instance; even do a little neck massaging.
