Arc4life's Alternative Pain Relief Blog

Dr Oz Talks About Forward Head Carriage!

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:44:00 +0000

The answer by Doctor Oz says "Neck pain is one of the most common muscle ailments. Watch as Dr. Oz offers tips on how to keep your neck and spine pain-free in this video."

CLICK HERE -> Forward Head Explained by Dr Oz

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

Give the Gift of Pain Relief this Christmas: Stocking Stuffers from Arc4life.com

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:10:00 +0000

Does your Aunt Gertrude always ask you to scratch her back during Christmas Dinner? Does your mother wake up with a stiff neck? Is your Uncle Ranjit a world traveller? Well this year i decided to put together some ideas for christmas gifts from arc4life.com. Believe it or not, we are very busy shipping gifts this holiday season. Our top products that we ship as a gift is our arc4life cervical traction neck pillow (#10 on our list). Usually because someone has purchased our pillow, loved it and thought of someone else that could benefit from it. But thats not all- we have other great gifts too. Here are our top 10 products from arc4life.com

Biofreeze Natural Pain Relief Gel- This natural pain relief gel contains ingredient called Ilex (a South American holly scrub that was used by the Paraguay Indians) to help decrease pain. This 4 oz tube is great for simple aches and pains in the neck and the lower back. Perfect stocking stuffer. Here is an article for how to use biofreeze correctly
The Arc4life ChiroBear- This 12" chiropractic teddy bear with a spine is perfect for the graduating chiropractic student, a chiropractor or someone who wants a cool teddy bear with a spine.
A lumbar support Belt - The corfit 7000 lumbar support is great for someone is doing heavy lifting in the yard and wants to protect their lower back. Comes in 5 sizes ranging from small - 3x large. Here is an article about how to wear a chiropractic lumbar support belt properly.
A low back support for the car- if you know someone who sits in their vehicle for long periods at a time, then the slim rest back rest is a great gift. This Car Seat Cushion supports the lower back without being bulky. It provides support to the lumbo-sacral region making your lower back more comfortable and naturally contoured during long periods of sitting
A hot and Cold therapy pack- this is a great gift idea for really anyone. Hot and cold packs can be kept in the home ready for use at any time. For an acute injury such as a knee or ankle sprain - use a cold pack right from the freeze. For chronic pain in the neck - where maybe a hot pack will come in handy, stick the therapy pack in the microwave for 2 minutes. The great aspect of arc4life's hot and cold packs is that they come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some are built just for your neck, others for your neck and shoulder area, and others for your lower back area.
A tens unit - you may have used an electrotherapy unit at the Chiropractor's or physical therapist's office wishing that you could have that machine at home. Well, with a home tens unit you can get pain relief at any time. Easy to carry, light, and simple to use.
The Bed Wedge- I included the bed wedge because this thing has many uses. First it can be used under the knees to prevent lower back pain and sleep in a more comfortable position. Second, you can use it to elevate your head and neck- it acts as an extension of your mattress. Third, you can use is as reading pillow in bed, or really any other surface. Comes in 3 sizes - a very versatile positioning product. This may not fit your stocking by the way.
The Back Knobber- You know that aunt that keeps asking you to scratch her back- this product is perfect for her. Use it to apply firm deep pressure to tender trigger points in your back. This is a great massage tool that will help decrease pain, achiness, and soreness from those hard to reach areas.
The u Shaped Travel Memory Foam Neck Pillow - Great for the family member who likes to travel.
The arc4life cervical traction neck pillow- I am going to list this item because it is still our best seller during the christmas time. It will definitely NOT fit into a stocking, but it goes well under the tree. LOL. Patients will buy this neck pillow because their Dr recommended it to them, they loved it, and now they are ordering it for a loved one. Read the testimonials for the arc4life pillow- they will speak for themselves !

HAPPY HOLIDAYS !

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Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

I Have a Disc Bulge in my Neck, Which Pillow is the Best for Me?

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:42:00 +0000

Which Neck Pillow is Best for A Bulging Disc?

The pillow that we recommend the most is the cervical traction neck pillow. There are a couple of reasons for this.

The first reason is the neck roll built into the bottom of the “V.” This neck roll helps to restore or maintain the cervical curve. When we put the curvature back in the neck or improve it, this will help to hold the spinal discs into place. These discs are more stable and are held more securely between the vertebrae.

The second reason is the gentle traction that the pillow gives. This gentle pull helps to suction the discs back into alignment.

Lastly, we have found this pillow really helps to keep the neck and head in a stable position. The shape of the traction pillow helps to hold one in positions versus allowing one to move around too much. Sometimes when this happens one can awake with neck pain from being in a position that irritates the discs.

Happy Thanksgiving From Arc 4 Life to Your Family

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“The Damp, Rainy Weather Seems To Make My Neck Pain Worse.”

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:32:00 +0000

This is a very common complaint, and it is very true. The dampness often cuts right into the neck irritating our spine. The change in pressure outside often creates increased gravitational pressure on our bodies. Even though it’s a tiny amount, to an already disrupted or arthritic spine that pressure change makes a difference. It’s like someone pushing down on you from the top of your head, you can imagine the increased pressure put on the spine, especially the neck.

The change in pressure also causes a disequilibrium which may cause swelling in some joints. That rise of inflammation puts more pressure on nerves that cause pain. It is also thought that the change in pressure and or equilibrium may get some nerve endings "stirred-up", hence, creating irritation and pain.

One each side of the spine you have foramen (or holes where the nerves come out). The discs between each vertebrae act as a spacer to keep these holes wide open. Extra pressure on the spine and increased inflammation can close these holes slightly creating pressure and therefore pain.

So what can be done? The best thing to slow degeneration in the neck (cervical degeneration) is to improve alignment. Perfect alignment of the neck means the nerves flow without pressure. When everything is in alignment, your spine handles the forces of gravity the best also. A good start to improve alignment is a cervical support pillow.

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

A great pillow for neck support AND travel

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:45:00 +0000

Everyday we have satisfied customers to really enjoy our pillows and pain relief products. When someone does find the right pillow specifically, the next question is "I need a pillow for travel, what do you have?" Unfortunately, your choices are limited when it comes to travel pillows. Yes you can get the U Shaped kind, but i am talking about one that you can sleep with. Not the too soft or too hard pillows you will find your hotel.

I do remember a while back, the Ritz Carlton called and requested 12 of our cervical traction neck pillows. One of their guests must have special requested this pillow before they arrived. I chuckled to myself as I filled this particular order.

Other customers who have second homes have us simply ship their favorite pillow to their house- with special instructions to make sure it arrives safely. We have been shipping pillows since 2003, so we do have many repeat customers. Once people get used to sleeping on a special pillow, they want to make sure they continue to sleep soundly.

But when it comes to getting a pillow that you can travel with, I would recommend the arc4life linear gravity pillow, the small size. The dimensions of this pillow are 23"x17". It has two neck rolls on it (one firm, one soft), that will ensure proper alignment of the neck. Yes, it does fit into a small suit case. If you have one of those vacuum sealers, it will work for this pillow too.

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Two Common Postural Misalignments Created by Forward Head Posture

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:02:00 +0000

One misalignment in one area of the spine can quickly lead to more postural misalignments throughout the spine. Your body will try to compensate for one misalignment with another. Find out how to stop this pattern from developing by keeping posture maintained during your daily life.

What happens when your head juts out forward? Well, your body always tries to keep your eyes even with the horizon. This typically can cause one of two things to happen.

#1- Your head protrudes forward then into slight extension. The neck shifts forward, but the head tilts upward. The body does this to keep those eyes even with the horizon.

#2- Your back extends. As you can imagine, tilting the lower back backwards also raises up the eyes. We typically call this a “sway-back.”

Your body can have a number of postural misalignment patterns because that whole spine works together. So, if one particular section goes out of position, the body will try to correct things by doing what it has to. The good news is that if we correct one area of the spine, it can help the rest. Start by correcting your neck posture by using the arc4life neck pillow.

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

“Great, I’m on Vacation and my Neck Pain is Acting Up!”

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:46:00 +0000

You don’t want this to happen to you. I can tell you from experience however that this happens all too often. You may not be on vacation, but traveling away from home for work. The bottom line is you are away from home with a different pillow, bed, and surroundings than what you’re used to.

Two things I recommend when you travel are a travel pillow and the Trac-Collar. Actually, three things because there are two kinds of neck travel pillows. One is a U-shaped pillow. These are great in a car or on a plane to keep your neck in good position. The other is a travel pillow that’s simply the smaller version of a standard sized pillow. This helps because it keeps the neck in alignment when you sleep. The Trac-Collar helps relieve immediate pain by stretching the spine out, opening up the nerve holes, and relaxing the spine. It’s super light and even has a small travel case. Literally buckle it around the neck and pump it up.

These are just a few things that I highly recommend for traveling neck pain sufferers. There are many other things also, like Biofreeze, Formula 303, hot packs, other spinal supports, you name it. These are the 3 most common that have been a big success to avoid neck pain while traveling.

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

“My Arms keep Falling Asleep when I’m in Bed”

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:29:00 +0000

Pillows age over time, just like anything. This can mean that the pillow that once helped you get a great night’s sleep may be the reason you are now waking up at night. Find out what to look for in a pillow and when to know that it’s time to find a new support pillow to get a better night’s sleep.

I have found this often happens when the pillow this individual uses has either lost its support or did not have any support to begin with.

One of my patients had mentioned this happening when he was using a feather pillow. He would wake up because his arms would go tingly, then he’d squish more pillow under his neck, fall back to sleep, only to have it happen again during the night. Talk about ruining your night of sleep.

I recommended our Cervical Traction Pillow, which holds the neck support and is very comfortable at the same time. He hasn’t had this issue since!

This is exactly what you need in a neck pillow: something that’s comfortable yet will hold your neck alignment in place. Every time, any pillow will lose some support.

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The Pillow Dust Cover Will Preserve You Neck Pillow...

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:43:00 +0000

In this video I show you the arc4life traction pillow with the special dust cover. This dust cover will help preserve your pillow because you can simply unzip it and toss it in the was. You can also hand wash and dry your pillow. You don't want to overdo this however as this can start to break down the pillow fibers prematurely.

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Neck Muscle Spasm: How it Happens and How to Get Rid of Them

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Most often what happens is some kind of injury to the neck. Now, this can be a serious injury like a car accident whiplash, but it can be a much less traumatic neck strain from moving too quick or the wrong way.

Here’s an example: I was reaching for something in the cabinet above my fridge. Instead of getting a step stool I was reaching and turning my neck … wham, it hit me, a sharp spasm of pain in the side of my neck.

Thank goodness I have the tools and know-how to fix this problem. Using my traction pillow is one of the biggest things that helps, but even before doing that, I recommend a few other to-do’s to cure the neck spasms.

The first thing I did was warm up my hot pack to put on that side of my neck. I may also let the how shower soak on my neck when I shower. I was lucky enough that my wife was home and gave me a little neck massage with Biofreeze. Lastly, I rotated my pillow to the traction side; I use the linear gravity support side often, but when I do something to my neck or want to do some gentle traction, I use the neck traction side. Having the know-how and tools to correct neck spasms and neck pain will save you a lot of trouble down the road.

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“My Neck Problem Keeps Coming Back …”

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:44:00 +0000

When you are experiencing neck pain, it’s all you can think about. However, when that neck pain subsides, it can be difficult to continue to be conscious of your posture, to be careful how you turn your neck, which position you sleep in, etc. This is how pain will return, but there are things to do to keep your neck in good alignment and pain away.

It’s time to finally get the traction pillow. The reason issues are returning is that pressure is easily returning to nerves. What the traction pillow does is put your neck back into alignment, which reduces tension on cervical nerves as well as the spinal cord. The light, gentle stretch helps open up the neural foramen giving the nerves more room. Putting this motion back into the spine also helps allow inflammation to dissipate.

Once we do this, communication to the muscles and ligaments is restored and not only will neck range of motion improve, but so will pain. One needs to restore neck alignment to a certain degree to get rid of chronic or returning pain. You may even use the cervical traction pillow already, get neck pain relief, and then put it away. The best way to restore neck alignment, and maintain that posture, is to still use your traction pillow often. Also, combining the use of the pillow with heavier traction periodically as well as neck exercises will make the postural change happen faster and last longer.

Aligning and stretching the spine can also help the discs in the neck fall back into place. Injured cervical discs can often be a culprit of chronic or returning pain. Putting the neck in its ideal position not only helps the discs to fall back into place but to stay there as well.

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

Do you Only Sleep on your Side?

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:18:00 +0000

Over the years we have found that a number of individuals solely sleep on their side. They may move or roll over, but they only go side to side. Besides that, if someone is suffering with back pain, hip pain, shoulder discomfort or any other condition similar, they may solely seep on the side opposite of the pain.

People that fall into this category may want to choose the side-sleeper pillow. The side-sleeper pillow is specifically designed to keep your posture good when you are on your side.

"I admit that I purchased my side sleeper pillow (MedSPL106) with an expectation of zero results. I have tried everything else that you could buy in all the retail stores, and nothing worked, including some expensive pillows. Then I found arc4life and this amazing pillow, and it has COMPLETELY eliminated the chronic neck pain that I have suffered from, for years! I'm so happy that you cannot imagine the relief I feel. The increase in my daily productivity as a result of this purchase will pay for this item a thousand times over the years. Thank you arc4life. You're my hero for life. " - Reid Harvey, California 08-13-2011

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Will My Neck Pillow Help with my Neck Pain Over the Long Haul?

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:56:00 +0000

Absolutely! Sometimes it will be a quick fix for your pain in the neck also. The key, however, is to think about the long term. Using the pillow will often help to correct spinal alignment and neck posture over time. It just won’t do it overnight, reason being is that it has probably taken some time for your posture to shift out of place.

The pillow may align things enough to take pressure off of the nerves creating pain or relax muscles that are tensioned. It may also help inflammation dissipate, which often builds up with misalignments and muscle tension creating more nerve pressure.

So, use a neck pillow to help realign your neck or maintain your neck alignment. It’s typically going to take some time so rest assured (literally!) that it’s working. You may even benefit from some short term neck pain relief. In the long haul, using your pillow when you’re not in pain, will keep neck pain away too!

Have you ever experienced neck
pain when you wake up in the morning?

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My Hands go “Tingly” when I Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:30:00 +0000

Most often what we see is that this person’s pillow has lost its support. Now, if the hands are going numb and tingling all day, it’s a different story, but in this case the individual only gets the tingling when she is sleeping.

If the pillow has lost support or just doesn’t have the support to begin with, then it will allow your spinal curve to flatten.

We all have or should have a nice C-curve in the neck. If our pillow has no support or has lost its support it flattens and your neck will go flat too. When this happens or when you lost the normal neck alignment in any way you will put pressure on nerves. Nerves also communicate to blood vessels, so for these reasons the hands or arms will get that sleepy or tingly sensation.

Really, this is a major reason for using a neck pillow. Neck pillows are made with extra support in a neck roll to hold the right neck posture. This keeps the spine in place and nerve communication intact.

Addtional Reading Resources

Posture may Affect more than just your Health

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:43:00 +0000

Posture Plays A Role in How
Someone Acts

A study at Kellogg School of Management showed that posture plays a role in how someone acts. In this case, if someone acts more in charge or has more “power.”

There is no question posture has a psychological benefit besides a physical health benefit. We know that good posture means good spinal alignment. If we have this, then we have a body that works and functions normally. We have no pressure on nerves and joints have less stress.

Now, think about it- you’re feeling sad, down: what happens to your posture? You look down, your head shifts forward and down, your shoulders roll in. This posture is not so good for neck and back alignment, is it? Now you’re feeling happy: you just won a raffle (which never happens, you never win anything). You’re happy, you feel really good. Look at your posture now, it’s good: your head is up, you are smiling, you feel strong!

This is exactly what I’m talking about. We know our mind plays a big role in our physical health, just think about someone who is often stressed out or depressed, I can guarantee they start to have health problems.

By improving your posture you can improve your health mentally and physically. Start by correcting your neck posture and everything else will start to fall into place.

Picture Source: Posture of Success

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Piriformis Syndrome and Lower Back Pain or Sciatica

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:06:00 +0000

Piriformis syndrome is basically deep pain in the buttocks region and often creates sciatic pain. The piriformis muscle has attachments to the sacrum and sacrotuborous ligament to the head of the femur.

The sciatic nerve travels between the two separate heads of the piriformis muscle. This is why piriformis strain or irritation is often associated with sciatica.

Muscle massage and chiropractic adjustments often relieve muscle tension allowing inflammation to dissipate and pressure on nerves to release. Your chiropractor may often give you stretches for your piriformis muscle to help loosen tension as well.

Any strain or pressure in the sacral or pelvic region will often throw off lumbar spinal alignment, hence it causes back pain. So, relaxing the piriformis may help relieve buttocks pain, but also sciatic pain and lower back pain.

Additional Reading Resources

Yoga can Help you Sleep Better

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:05:00 +0000

There may be many causes for someone’s lack of sleep. One major issue can be stress and yoga can help relax you. Here are some yoga poses I feel can help someone calm their nerves and get more relaxing, better sleep:

Forward Bends- standing and seated: Sit or stand and extend arms and head down toward floor.
Child’s Pose: Similar to a cat stretch with your forehead touching the floor or surface you are on.
Nighttime Goddess Stretch: Lying supine with your arms and legs out. Legs in a diamond shape; bottoms of feet together.
Inverted Poses: Lie supine with buttocks close to wall and your legs raised up against the wall.

It is suggested that those poses can be the most helpful for sleep, but really any short yoga routine before bed may help substantially. Focus on deep, slow breathing and don’t try to force any poses or uncomfortable positions.

Additional Reading Resources

Having Solid Core Muscles can have Multiple Health Benefits
Sleep Like A baby and Wake Up Feeling Refreshed
Choose the Right Neck Pillow For Comfort and Support
Sleep Deprivation and How it Affects More than your Mind
The Queen of Neck Pillows- Expert Advice on Getting a Good Nights Sleep with the right Pillow

Wishing Yourself a Good Night's Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 20:20:00 +0000

Arc4life's Tips for your Best Night’s Sleep

Arc4life's Top Tips for Better Sleep

Spinal Alignment- the top thing we recommend is a neck pillow to keep your natural alignment. Not only will this improve your night’s sleep, but it will improve your neck posture and neck alignment when you are awake.
Make it dark. Studies have shown we get our proper REM sleep when we sleep in complete darkness. So, if the street lights shine in or all your electronics glow in the dark, get curtains and move the gadgets.
Put away your electronics. To continue on from the 2nd tip- Get rid of electronics in the bedroom. Not only do they often emit light, but studies are showing the electromagnetic waves or currents they give off can be harmful to your health.
Reduce Noise- if your partner keeps you up because of their snoring get them the traction pillow. If you have to, get earplugs. Mainly, I find lately too many of us have a TV going that we fall asleep to. This is not a great idea. The TV room is for TV, the bedroom is for sleeping.
Diet and exercise- do not eat or exercise too close to bed, or you will not sleep well. Preferably, you want to have down time or time to relax before bed, this calms your nerves allowing you to sleep and sleep better.
Make sure you are breathing well. You should be breathing in and out comfortably. If your partner notices your breathes are very shallow try to inhale, hold for a few seconds, and release. Do 10 reps before bed to get your breathing deeper before you fall asleep.

Additional Reading Resources

The New Pillo-Pedic At the Neck Pain Relief Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 21:44:00 +0000

On our sister website, The Neck Pain Relief Shop, we have recently added new neck pillows to our family of pillows: The Foot Levelers Pillo- Pedic Neck Pillows. These neck pillows can help you hold chiropractic adjustments longer. The gentle neck traction provided by these neck pillows while you sleep helps to correct neck alignment and provide excellent suppprt during sleep. These pillows are composed of durable non allergenic polyurethane foam and polyester fiber. The flat shape of the Pillo Pedic Pillows is great for sleeping on your side and on your back. The Pillo-Pedic pillows are great for patients who suffer from:

Tension headaches
Arthritis and degeneration in the cervical spine
Neck Pain
Shoulder Pain
Whiplash type accidents

Check out the new pillo-pedic pillows at the Neck Pain Relief Shop !

Additional Reading resources

To get Maximum Antioxidants, Brew your own Tea at Home

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Tue, 24 May 2011 18:57:00 +0000

Brewing Your Own Tea At Home is Healthier

It may seem like extra work at home, but brewing your own tea at home is far better than buying bottled ice tea. According to the American Chemical Society, bottled teas can have as little as 3 mg of polyphenols, which are antioxidants that help prevent cancer and diabetes. Don’t forget about the added preservatives and crazy amounts of sugar too! On the plus side, if you brew your own tea at home (let the tea leaves steep for 6-10 minutes) you get a whopping 150 mg of polyphenols. That’s 50 times more than you are getting in that expensive bottle of ice tea! As a side note, you need 125 mg per day to reap the most health benefits from tea.

So get that tea pot out that you have been hiding in your kitchen cabinet and start steeping!

Source: Women’s Health, February 2011

Additional Reading Resources:

Your Body Often Knows When It Needs Aligning …

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:10:00 +0000

What really is neck pain or back pain? It’s your body telling you something is wrong. It’s like your car engine light going on saying it’s time to check your engine. A pain response is similar. That warning is going off saying it’s time to get checked.

The whole reason I thought of my title and the subject I’m writing about is from an episode of Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice. A couple of episodes back John Rich was having a headache. I noticed he was often twisting his head to the side- self adjusting it or “cracking” it, or at least trying.

Why might he have been doing this?

The answer is simple- your body often knows what it needs! Doing this may give some relief. He was no doubt under a lot of stress from his current task at hand, not to mention dealing with delegating to others, plus probably lack of sleep, maybe food too …

All of these things contribute to neck strain and discomfort. Also, knowing that over 90% of headaches come from the neck (cervicogenic in nature), it’s a normal body response to try and fix the problem.

Hopefully he slept on a good neck pillow to help fix his neck that night. There’s no doubt the stress relief from the task being over helped as well. Good luck to John and his opponent- Marlee Matlin for the finale coming up.

Additional Reading

Air Neck Stretcher: the Trac Collar for Effective Neck Pain Relief

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Thu, 19 May 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Using the TracCollar is an easy effective tool for neck pain relief

I recently had a customer inquire about the TracCollar Neck Collar that Arc4Life carries. She stated that she suffered from a herniated disc on the right at C4/C5 and was doing research for a traction device. One of the traction units she came across was similar to the TracCollar, but it had three bulbs on the neck collar area. I recommended that she buy the Trac-Collar for a number of reasons:

The TracCollar comes in 2 sizes; regular and large
The TracCollar is comfortable to use- you can use it at work or laying down.
The TracCollar has 2 inflatable bulbs- one for the left and one for the right. This patient may have wanted a little extra traction on the right side because of the herniated disc. The other traction collars do not offer this function.
The TracCollar is easy to carry, lightweight, does not require any batteries or electricity, and it is easy to clean.

Additinal Reading Resources

Having Solid Core Muscles can have Multiple Health Benefits

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:46:00 +0000

Your core muscles include your abdominals, back muscles, and pelvis muscles. Keeping them strong and toned can have multiple health benefits including:

Improves strength
Improves your posture
Improves your range of motion and flexibility
Makes it easier to perform activities of daily living such as taking out the garbage, loading the dishwasher, and lifting your laundry basket.
Makes you less susceptible to neck and back injuries.
Builds abdominal muscles- maybe even a “6-pack”
Builds stronger back muscles.
LOSE EXCESS STOMACH WEIGHT

When doing core exercises, make sure to keep proper form. Begin with just a few repetitions and slowly increase that number. It is also very important to breathe during exercise: slow and steady breathing is vital.

Here is an example of a core exercise designed to tighten and tone your abdominals:

Fist, sitting on a chair, tighten your abdominal muscles and bring your belly button to your spine and hold for 6 seconds.
As you do this, place your hand below your belly button to feel the stomach muscles.
Relax and repeat 10-12 times.

Source: Arthritis Today, 2011.

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

Wrist Pain Relief: Natural Solutions for Pain Relief

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 13:52:00 +0000

At Arc4Life we have had a number of readers email us about having a painful wrist: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Often times they have been told that they are a candidate for wrist surgery, but they want to wait as long as possible before opting for the surgery route. CTS, or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, occurs from chronic nerve compression due to overuse activity, thyroid disease, diabetes and for some no reason at all. Wearing a wrist brace is one way to relieve wrist pain.

Keeping the wrist in a neutral position with slight flexion is the key. You can do that easily at night and for part of the day. Also, icing your wrist can decrease swelling and inflammation. Most importantly, changing your activities of daily living, such as tweaking your work station, can make a big difference over time. Simply sitting in a position where your computer and keyboard are placed in an ergonomically correct way can be the key to a wrist-pain free life.

Whether you have been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or have ever experienced pain in your wrist, you know how debilitating it can be. Find out what you can do to not only ease the pain you are currently feeling, but also to help prevent it from returning in the future without having to go to the Operating Room.

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

Heal Neck Injuries with the Tri Core Family of Support Neck Pillows

noreply@blogger.com (Arc4life) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:38:00 +0000

Arc4life.com specializes in neck pillows. Support pillows made out of fiber, made out of foam, even ones that use water as the support system. One of our top selling neck pillows is the tri core family of neck pillows. The tri core neck pillow is designed to correctly align the neck spine, thus providing support in the most natural position.

What is so special about the design of the tri core family of neck pillows? These neck pillows have a trapezoid center with two neck lobes. The Trapezoid center allows the head to be cradled comfortably. Because the cervical curve is supported in its neutral position, using the Tri-Core pillows helps correct nerve malfunction and promotes healing of injuries. There are also Two neck rolls that one can choose to get the support that they need in the cervical spine. One Larger lobe for more neck support, one smaller neck support for less support. The wings of the neck pillow allow for comfortable side sleeper. Another benefit of the tricore: it is great for side and back sleepers.

Check out the Tri Core Family Of Neck Pillows

Do these neck pillows come in different sizes? Yes, another reason why this is a great pillow for the whole family. Choosing the right neck pillow is going to different for the parents, and completely different for a youngster or a teen. Height and weight also make a difference in what type of neck pillow is right for you. This family of neck pillows has three different sizes:

Tri Core Support Neck Pillow- Standard | Dimensions: 24”x16” | Comes in Gentle or Standard
Tri Core Support Neck Pillow- MidCore | Dimensions: 22”x15” | Comes in Gentle or Standard
Tri Core Support Neck Pillow- Petite | Dimensions: 19”x12”

Can I Wash My neck Pillow? Believe it or, a lot of people like to have this option. The Tri Core Family of Neck Pillows is hypoallergenic and machine washable. The down-like feel of Tri-Core pillows helps provide a sense of long-lasting freshness and superior pillow life. Furthermore, the pillows are resistant to bacterial growth as well as mold and other harmful irritants.

Additional Reading Resources

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15% Coupon on Arc4life until December 19th 2007
Good for the cervical traction neck pillow, pronex pneumatic traction neck unit, lumbar back supports, posture pump 1000, lumbar belts and other orthopedic products for chronic pain relief

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Amazon.com: Cervical Linear Traction Neck Pillow: Health & Personal Care
great product for neck pain relief. Great results and wonderful customer service from arc4life.com. This neck pillow is the bomb!!!!