Health Tips » neck

Tips for healthy living…Also, bad posture can result to back and neck pain.

ashish — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:07:02 +0000

Resolve to keep happy and joyous and difficulties will run away from you. Enjoy the journey, enjoy every moment and quit worrying. Tips for healthy living are:

- Drink a pint of water first thing in the morning.
- Eat fresh fruits on your way out in the morning.
- Exercise.
- Drink herbal tea or just simple tea without sugar and milk.
- Eat a handful of nuts.
- Drink fresh juice.
To build up physical endurance:
- Do some cardio training
- Get into some vigorous sweeping, mopping or vacuuming as they burn a significant number of calories.
- Take the stairs instead of elevator.
- Do yoga.
- In sedentary job, take your breaks outdoors and have a brisk and short walk. Concentration and mood is also improved.
- Dance or do aerobics at home.

As one sits in front of the desktop screen or lie in bed working on laptop, you develop the risk of nagging pain in the shoulder. Back and neck pain is a result of prolonged sitting at work.
Problems faced are:
- Back and neck muscle spasm and pain.
- Back and neck soft tissue inflammation.
- Back, neck and shoulder pain on movement and involvement of other muscles.

Bad posture can cause headaches, excessive tension in neck area, chests, shoulders, arms and forearms, back, hips, thighs and legs. From back and neck pain, you can develop pain and numbness in the fingers, wrists or arms.
Good posture is very necessary:
-Fingers should be kept as straight as possible.
- Elbows should be resting at 90-100 degrees.
- Keys on left side of keyboard should be used by left hand. Right hand should not be forced.

Not doing so, can result into:
- wrist pain that moves up to elbow.
- swelling of wrists, numbness and lack of power.
- stiffness of arms and wrists.
- surgery

Things that can be done:
- use an ergonomic office chair with lumbar support.
- adjust the height of the chair so that upper thighs are parallel to floor. Back should be supported and angeled at 120 degree to keep spondylitis away.

Torticollis (Wryneck/Stiff Neck/Cervical Dystonia) – Types, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

ashish — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:01:47 +0000

Torticollis refers to the neck in a twisted or bent position due to imbalance of neck muscles and leads to involuntary contractions of the neck muscle refers to presentation of the neck in a twisted or bent position due to non-symmetry of neck muscles leading to involuntary contractions of the neck muscle. This condition affects the neck muscles which become tender and soft. The neck gradually begins to bend to one side.
- If the condition occurs without a known cause, it is called idiopathic torticollis.
- Torticollis may develop in childhood or adulthood.
- An infant born with this condition may have limited neck movement.
- The shoulder on the affected side is usually elevated. There may be an enlargement of the neck muscle.

Congenital Causes:
This type of Neck deformity is usually due to abnormalities in the neck that are present at birth.
- Abnormal position of the head and neck of the baby, while in mother’s uterus.
- Birth injury causing damage to neck muscles, bones and nerves.
- Inadequate blood supply to the baby’s neck, while in mother’s uterus.
- Due to inheritance of a defective gene.

Acquired Causes:
This type of Neck deformity can occur overnight. It usually lasts for few days and subsides with rest and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Neck Injury / head trauma.
- Neck sprain.
- Tumor in the neck.
- Severe neck burns.
- Vigorous neck movement.
- Bad neck posture.
- Use of certain antipsychotic drugs, or neuroleptics.

Symptoms of Torticollis

- Neck pain
- Limited motion.
- Headache.
- Stiffness of neck muscles.
- Shoulder is high on one side.
- Swelling in neck.

Seek medical care when:
- Trouble breathing or swallowing
- Numbness in your arms and legs
- Urinary hesitancy, urinary or fecal incontinence
- Weakness in your arms and legs
- Impaired speech
- Difficulty walking

Treatment for Torticollis
Developing a torticollis treatment plan usually starts with identifying the cause. These treatments include medication, physical devices, botulinum toxin, and surgery.
- Most people with acute torticollis are successfully treated with medication.
- Treatment of congenital torticollis involves stretching the shortened neck muscle.
- Acquired torticollis is treated by identifying the underlying cause of the disorder. Application of heat, traction to the cervical spine, and massage may help relieve head and neck pain.
- In surgery, some of the upper neck nerves are selectively severed to prevent muscle contraction.

Helpful Hints for avoiding problems…

ashish — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:49:31 +0000

Prevention is better than cure. People get careless when their back is not hurting and they start doing all the things that they should not do to avoid back ache.
Precautions that you should take are :
- Your neck is best ruined when you hold the phone between your head and shoulders to avoid using your hands. Use a mouthpiece or else get a speaker phone to avoid this situation.
- People who say that in order to lift something, always bend your knees and crouch down to pick up something from floor level are not wrong. You should avoid leaning over from the waist to grab it. It creates a stress on the lower vertebrae.
- Driving for a longer time and in a wrong posture can create bad back ache. Take frequent breaks to get out and stretch. Keep your knees elevated and for that keep your seat as far forward. Keep doing neck exercises and shoulder lifts while you drive.
- Do not continue sitting in the same posture for longer periods. Take breaks to exercise and stretch your neck and upper back. Place a stool to elevate your knees and feel comfortable. You will feel comfortable if the lower part of your buttocks or lower back are pushed against the back of the chair.
- If the body is not prepared for active sports, then you should avoid playing active sports over the weekend. If you are planning to play a cricket match over the weekend with a gang of friends, spend a few extra minutes with the routines for the whole week preceding the get-together.
- Always turn to either of your side with knees close to the edge of bed to get up instead of keeping the legs flat on the bed, and straining the muscles of your lower back.

Hot water Therapy Exercise: Pelvic Tilt Backward and Forward

ashish — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:37:01 +0000

The Pelvic Tilt hot water therapy exercise is meant to treat lower back. This exercise can be done in hot shower as well as hot water tub.
Pelvic Backward Tilt
- Stand with your knees slightly bent and hands at your sides.
- Flatten the curve of your lower back by sucking your stomach in, pressing your belly back down your spine and lifting your pubis up. This is the pelvic backward tilt.
- Hold for six seconds.
- If this exercise is to be done in hot water tub, begin by lying on your back, knees up and feet flat on tub floor. Rest your head against the back of the tub.
- Suck in your stomach so that lower back flattens. Hold for six seconds. This is the pelvic backward tilt.

Pelvic Forward Tilt
- When you are done with backward tilt, from the same posture, relax your stomach and move your buttocks back, curving the small of your back. Knees are still bent. This is forward tilt.
- Hold for six seconds and repeat it for five more times.
- If this exercise is to be done in hot water tub, let your stomach out and arch your back so that your buttocks against the floor. Your lower back is slightly curved.
- Hold for six seconds and repeat it for five more times.

Hot Water Therapy Exercise : Scared Cat to Swaybacked Horse

ashish — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:05:04 +0000

The Scared cat and Swayhorse hot water therapy exercise is meant to treat middle and lower back. The assumption is that bath or hot tub is available.
- To avoid the hard surface of the tub, place a towel or a soft cushion beneath yourself.
- Get down on hands and legs, with all your weight balanced. The tops of the toes should touch the tub floor.
- Depth of the water does not matter but your face should be above the water surface.
- Arch your back upwards gently. Drop down your head and hold the position for six seconds.
- Do not tighten any muscles other than those directly needed to arch the back.
- If you want to try this exercise in hot shower, bend your legs slightly, resting hands and weight on knees. Arch your back upwards slightly, squeezing your stomach and forming a curve with your head hanging down.

The Swaybacked Horse

- While in scared cat position, slowly and carefully flatten your back and relax your stomach and back muscles so that your back drops down a bit.
- Raise your head.
- Hold it for six seconds and then return to neutral.
- Repeat both position for six times.
- If you want to try this exercise in hot shower, drop the lower back by relaxing the stomach muscles and letting the curves release. With hands still on knees, raise your head to form the horse. Hold for six seconds, directing the spray of water to the middle back.
- Repeat for six times.

Hot Water Therapy Exercise : Seal to Swan

ashish — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:10:55 +0000

The seal to swan hot water therapy exercise is meant to treat middle back.
- Stand straight in the usual comfortable erect position.
- Bring your shoulders straight forward without raising your shoulders or turtling your neck as though you were trying trying to touch them in front of you.
- Cross the wrists in front of you with your arms straight down and rotate so you can clap your hands.
- Bend forward slightly to increase the stretch and you will look a bit like a trained seal. This will fan out your shoulder blades and a tension is felt in the middle back. Try to aim the flow of water right where it’s tightest.
- Keep the muscles of legs and buttocks relax.
- Hold the position for approximately six seconds.
- Uncross the wrists, letting the shoulders relax. Without raising hands, bring your shoulders straight back and let your hands move gracefully out to the sides and back. This is posture of the swan.
- Allow arms to hang loosely behind you. Do not raise your shoulders.
- Hold the position for six seconds. Raise your chin slightly if that feels comfortable.
- Repeat for a total of six repetitions.
- It is the movement from seal to swan and back that works both chest and back muscles, but hold each position to feel the stretch.

Hot Water Therapy Exercises: Shoulder Lifts and Shoulder Circles

ashish — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:45:42 +0000

Shoulder lifts are meant for the areas like neck, trapezius and upper back. In all these exercises, the assumption is a hot shower is beating down on your body. For doing this exercise, stand normally and the gap between your feet should be about 18 inches. Posture during standing: imagine you are hanging from a string where the string extends from the top of your head to a hook above your head. This ensures that you are standing straight and tall. Further, your shoulders are held loose and your arms are resting comfortably at your sides.
- Move your shoulders up (imagine the effort is to touch your shoulders to your ears) and, but your shoulders should not be moving to the front or the back. However, your head and neck should remain extended.
- Keep in this position for 6 seconds while breathing comfortably.
- Relax, get your shoulders slowly move to the normal position (you can use your finger tip to slowly move down your legs and drag your shoulders down along with them).
- Do this exercise for five more times.
- Standard precaution : you need to maintain a good posture.

Shoulder Circles

This exercise is also meant for neck, trapezius and upper back. Shoulder circles are very similar to shoulder lifts, the difference being you will mix circles with your shoulders instead of simply lifting them up.
- As in previous exercise, stand comfortably, and move your shoulders forward to the maximum extent possible, but your shoulders should not lift up.
- When your shoulders have gone the maximum possible forward without lifting, start raising your shoulders. Your arms and neck should not tighten.
- Without causing any turtling of the neck or tightening of any muscles other than in the shoulders, bring your shoulders as far back possible.
- Now complete the circle by bringing your shoulder down. After this, bring them to their normal relax position.
- The attempt should be to do this entire motion in one smooth motion rather than three or four separate motions even if it takes up to 30 seconds, it is fine for the first few attempts.
- Your breathing should remain normal.
- Now, do the shoulder circle in opposite direction.
- Once you are used to this exercise, it should not take more than 6 to 7 seconds per circle.

Exercise techniques : why exercise is important?

ashish — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:38:17 +0000

Rhythmic exercise can help your back and neck in two ways. It will loosen joints and muscles, and it will increase the range of motion that is possible. Certain exercises can do this by contracting and relaxing the muscle fibers that have gotten used to being permanently shortened.
Exercise helps flush muscle tissues that suffers from a permanent state of semi-contraction and decreased blood circulation. On full contraction of muscles, toxic materials are pushed out of the blood. Soon after, when the blood moves back in due to the relaxation of muscles, the blood carries along fresh nutrients and more oxygen.
It is similar to cleaning a dirty cloth. You would put it in clean water, squeeze it elsewhere, then again put it in the water and squeeze it elsewhere. Through this method the dirt in the cloth gets removed.
Many of these exercises can be done outside the shower and without water but it is important to understand that these exercises get far more affected when done inside a shower, especially with hot water since hot water has an advantage by increasing blood circulation and causing localized relaxation wherever the water comes into contact with the body.
An improvement technique:these exercises would be far from effective if some amount of massage (even if only for a minute or so) is applied on the affected muscle groups. Another important precaution is more about safety: a bath can be a slippery area and injuries due to falling or impact can be troublesome. It is necessary to have some object to act as an cushion, large bath towel placed at the bottom of the bath is ideal for this purpose (if it gets wet you can always dry it later).

Hot Water Therapy Massage : The Trapezius Walk and The Sacrum Stroke

ashish — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:38:23 +0000

The Trapezius Walk

The trapezius hot water therapy massage is meant for neck, trapezius and upper back. It could be done in shower bath or hot tub. This deep massage technique should be a part of day to day routine for neck pain, upper back pain, or tension headaches.
- Reach left hand up to the base of your skull and start walking your fingers down along the left side of the center of your neck until you reach the base of your neck.
- Switch hands and work your way down the shoulder, along the trapezius to the bony area at the top of your left shoulder.
- Stop and concentrate on any tender spots by pressing into them gently until the pain recedes.
- Repeat it on the right side, beginning with your right hand at the top of your spine and switching to your left hand as you reach the right trapezius muscle.
- Work down a little into the upper back as well.

The Sacrum Stroke

The sacrum stroke is meant for lower back. This is done in shower, bath, or hot tub.
- Place palms on either side of the top of your pelvis, so that thumbs can be conveniently used to make small circles on the muscles on either side of spine.
- Work your way down onto the flat, bony part of the back of the pelvis.
- As you get lower, you may want to reverse your hands and use your fingers instead of your thumbs.
- If any pressure points are found, press gently into them until the pain recedes.

Two techniques for pain relief : Finger Walk and Finger stroke

ashish — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:28:10 +0000

The Finger Walk : Searching for pressure points

The finger walk is a convenient and natural way to find centers of tension, and apply helpful pressure. Use your fore and middle fingers so that the very tips walk in tiny steps across the muscle. Feel for tender spots that indicate pressure points by gently pressing into the tissue. Do not press very hard that it hurts wherever the fingers walk. The fingers should sink into the muscle beneath the skin at least a quarter of an inch.
When you feel a spot that is clearly more tender than the surrounding are, gently press into that spot. Make it hurt slightly. Continue to press with the same degree of pressure until the feeling of pain diminishes. Generally, this will take from 10 to 30 seconds. When the pain fades, do not press harder. Just let the pain fade out as much as it will, then continue your finger walk, and seek additional tender spots.

The Finger Stroke : Flushing the muscle

This stroke helps in increasing the circulation and flush tightened muscle fiber. Use the flats of your fingers, as if you are brushing off dust. The difference is that you are pressing more deeply into the muscle. Brush your hand slowly along the length of the muscle, working along the muscle in the direction of your heart. As you work, visualize your hand flushing the muscle to loosen it and increase circulation.
Try to find the exact point of pain or tightness in the area of the muscle and once you have found them, press gently into those points and then slowly move your fingers in circles around the points where the pain is concentrated. What this achieves is, it causes more contact with the painful points of the muscle and experiment with your finger movement to find the best way to get some relief.
This is not just finger contact, you need to apply pressure; all your finger strokes should be in a direction such that they are in a movement towards the center of the body.