Healthy NeckFor an ailment that’s as common as neck pain (affecting around 70% of Americans), there are several ways to improve the health of your neck naturally including the following 5 recommendations.
We've all heard this one and it involves avoiding slouching whether you're walking or sitting in a chair. Also, avoid sitting for long periods of time without changing positions or getting up. Get in the habit of taking short breaks 3 or 4 times an hour to stretch your neck (leg and back) muscles. Even when you're sleeping you should consider good posture (don't sleep on your stomach) and sleep with your neck straight. You can purchase special neck support (cervical) pillows that can help relieve neck stress.
If you work At a computer there are several ways you can make your office environment more ergonomically friendly. Good examples include adjusting your monitor so that the top of the screen is at eye level and using a document holder when you type that puts your work at the same level as your monitor screen. In addition, sit your head back, positioned over your spine, to minimize neck strain and use a headset if you're on the phone a lot to avoid tucking the phone between your ear and shoulder, a common cause of neck pain.
If you suffer from intermittent neck pain and stiffness, you'll benefit from strengthening and stretching the dozens of ligaments and skeletal muscles that line your neck. The most important thing you can do for healthy muscles and ligaments is to encourage steady blood flow to these tissues, and gently stretching the ones that line your neck is the most effective way to maintain a rich supply of blood in these areas. Try simple exercises like shrugging your shoulders up and down and pulling your shoulder blades together, then relax. Another move would be to pull your shoulders down while you lean your head to each side; this is a great way to stretch tight neck muscles. It is important to always move slowly and take deep breaths in and out when stretching.
Stress often plays a role in neck pain and also leads to weight gain in many cases. If stress is a factor for you, learn some relaxation exercises, consider meditation and massages, strategies that can not only keep your neck healthy by relieving stress, but also help you avoid stress eating.
The cervical spine, or neck, is the most delicate section of the spine; it supports the head, houses the spinal cord and regulates blood flow to the brain, all factors that can lead to neck pain due to muscle strain. Upper Cervical Chiropractic, a natural, nonsurgical treatment, can alleviate the pain caused by several types of neck problems and help prevent it by keeping the area in perfect alignment. Basically, upper cervical chiropractic care facilitates correct posture, helping the entire body rebalance itself, which results in less stress to not just the neck but all areas of your body including the rest of your spine. And upper cervical chiropractic does not require any popping, cracking or twisting of the spine. It is a precise mathematical approach to realign the spine to a normal balanced position gently and effectively.
To find an upper cervical specialist in your area go to www.upcspine.com or if you are in the Redwood City, California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click here.
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/
Does Your Neck Hurt?Do you regularly sleep on your stomach?
This is the one habit that is the most harmful to the health and function of our spine and our nervous system. When the head is turned to the side and then the weight of the body is placed upon it...the muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, discs, nerves, etc. are compressed. The application of this stress of stomach sleeping will lead to an acceleration of degeneration of the discs and joints. Some of the worst degenerative disc disease that we have seen in the spine is in those that have spent their life sleeping on their belly.
So if you shouldn't sleep on your stomach...how should you sleep? Flat on your back is best. Some people will find that placing a pillow underneath the knees will be more comfortable. You should always sleep with only one pillow under your head though so the neck is in a relaxed position. If you are unable to sleep on your back then the next best option is on your side. When you are sleeping on your side, you want to make sure that your head and neck are in as an aligned position as possible. You should only use one pillow that is thick enough to support between your shoulder and your head. Most people have a pillow that is too thin to sleep on your side...so there head is side bent all night. The most vulnerable position for the neck to be in is side bent or extended.
To break the habit of stomach sleeping sometimes you have to get creative. Some people have even sowed a tennis ball that they had cut in half to a t-shirt and wear that when they slept! But most people don't have to go to that extreme...just understanding the importance of spinal alignment and knowing that stomach sleeping will destroy the spine is enough.
How long have you been stomach sleeping?
Have you ever had your neck thoroughly evaluated to see what your sleeping position has done to it?
To find an upper cervical doctor in your area go to www.upcspine.com or if you are in the Redwood City, California area to schedule your evaluation, click here.
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/
Severe Migraine and Neck PainNeck pain can be an early sign of a migraine or may show up after the episode, leaving sufferer's with a throbbing pain at the back of the neck. According to an online survey generated by the National Headache Foundation, 38% of migraine patients said they always experience neck pain and 31% said they frequently had neck pain along with their migraine headaches.
It is very common for a tightness in the shoulders and neck to cause a cervicogenic headache (or migraine), which is a condition connected to the cervical spine. This occurs because tightness in the neck muscles and joints stimulates nerves in the neck that extend into the head, resulting in the pain traveling to the head, causing a headache. When it comes to the neck and migraine, the same process takes place except that when the signals reach the head it causes a migraine for those who are prone to getting them.
Muscle tightness and neck pain are usually signs of mental or physical stress and posture, all that can be effectively addressed naturally without drugs. Instead of simply opting for medication to treat migraine neck pain, take a look at your overall health and see if any changes need to be made, including finding time to relax, exercise and to learn stress relieving techniques.
Medication management of migraine and neck pain generally starts with analgesics like aspirin, acetaminophen and NSAIDs, however the results vary from patient to patient. Sometimes a combination of medications is prescribed, however, this approach has the potential for causing rebound migraine. If this approach fails, a cautious use of an opioid can be prescribed, using a sustained release medication around the clock for unrelenting headaches in the hopes of preventing a rebound effect. Invasive practices may also be considered and they include trigger point injections, facet joint blocks, occipital nerve blocks, nerve root blocks, segmental nerve root blocks, etc. it is important to be aware that all of these pharmaceutical approaches have side effects, and do not address the underlying cause of the migraines only attempt to relieve symptoms temporarily.
Symptoms of cervical spine dysfunction usually include tension and migraine headache (cervicogenic headache). Upper cervical chiropractic care is focused on finding and correcting any alignment issue in your neck that can cause not only migraine neck pain, but a number of other chronic health problems and conditions. Because the human response to trauma and injury is to realign the body, down to even the pelvis and hip area, tension is placed on the spine as well as the cranial nerves, nervous system and also affects blood flow. Gentle and safe upper cervical corrections can relieve and even eliminate neck pain, getting the neck and spine back into the correct positions, without jerking or twisting your neck during the procedure.
Correcting underlying neck injuries will frequently decrease or eliminate migraine headache pain. The best and safest approach available to address severe migraine and neck pain is upper cervical chiropractic and positive lifestyle changes that include following a healthy diet plan, getting a proper amount of sleep, exercise and finding a way to reduce tension.
To find an upper cervical specialist in your area go to www.upcspine.com or if you are in the Redwood City, California area, to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click here.
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/
