Neck Pain Support Blog

The SCM Muscle in the Neck, it doesn’t Typically Cause Neck Pain, But can cause a Slew of Neck Related Problems!

2009-11-09T20:40:59-05:00

To start off, the SCM muscle is actually named the sternocleidomastoid muscle. This muscle is responsible for specific neck and head motions and is split into two parts. The interesting thing is that neither part sends pain to the neck, however, it can often cause jaw pain or pain that travels up into the head. Besides headache-like pain and pain in the cheek or jaw region, it has also been linked to eye disturbances, sinus problems, inner ear problems, and even dizziness.

One of the reasons for these various symptoms is because of the attachment to the mastoid process which is that bump like area behind the ear. Strain to that region is directly connected to the ear which attaches to the sinuses and eyes also.

The SCM specifically attaches from behind the ear on the skull (mastoid process) down to the clavicle and down to the top of the sternum. This is the two parts of the muscle I described.

A tip to help relieve pressure in the SCM are to grab the muscle and/or trigger points with a pincher-type grip along the muscle, holding for 7-10 seconds at different spots along the muscle. This will help break up any knots or trigger points and help relax the muscle. Remember, the sternocliedomastoid travels from behind the ear to the top of your chest essentially so you should be able to do this with either hand.

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When Lack of Sleep Can Be Deadly...

2009-11-07T09:40:51-05:00

At the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, David Dinge is studying how lack of sleep affects ones activities. He is studying how lack of sleep over time affects the brain and to find out how much sleep is really necessary to get back on track. In particular, some people are more affected than others when it comes to chronic sleep deprivation.

In Dinges study, volunteers are limited to 4 hours of sleep a night for 5 nights, and then allowed to sleep for up to 10 hours for 2 days.

In her article entitled “Dying to Sleep” published in Science News in October 2009 author Tina Hesman Saey discusses Dinges study.

A volunteer named Heather is behind the wheel in a driving simulator. She has electrodes taped to her head. In this study Heather has gotten only 4 hours of sleep every night for the last 4 nights. She is in a car simulator driving on make believe roads and highways, sharing the road with truckers, bright lights and zig zagging roads. She states “ My limbs feel heavy”. Saey reports that the electrodes on Healthers head are monitoring her brain waves and eye movements so that researches can detect even brief bouts of sleep. Heather has reported feeling light headed and dizzy- and yet she has’nt nodded off and tests show that her driving has not affected by lack of sleep.

Saey reports that the tests in Dinges lab have shown how severly most people’s performance of daily activities can deteriorate with sleep loss. Heather may be one of the few people whose brain is not adversely affected with chronic sleep loss. By looking at Heathers genes, researches can then develop drugs that affect those genes and help ordinary people resist making mistakes after chronic sleep deprivation.

Another volunteer, James who is an architecture student, studys all night especially at the end of the term. He is referred to as a "short sleeper". He functions normally on short amounts of sleep. When tested after sleep deprivation he smashes his vehicle into the back of a truck.

Dinges says that many short sleepers are convinced that they function well on less sleep. He has noticed in his study that most people do not predict how well they will perform after sleep deprivation. Dinges has also found that “some people fall apart after missing just a few hours of sleep”. Other shows a slow steady decline in their ability to remain awake and clear. Other people like Heather, is categorizes as “type 1s”- these people’s performance does not change with 5 days of restricted sleep. According to Dinges, “people are walking around with grossly different brain activity profiles”.

So whats the magic number of how many hours of sleep one should get every night? According to the author, Saey, her research has shown that the “normal” range includes 6 to 10 hours of sleep per night, depending on the person. In her research she further highlights that “sleeping about 7-8 hours carries the least risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses”.

The National Sleep Foundation conducts research on people’s sleep habits. Their research shows that overall, people are just getting less sleep in general. Here some interesting facts they have found:

In 2009, 20% of those surveyed said they slept less than 6 hours on weeknights, compared with an earlier study in 1998 which was 12%
In 2009, respondents reported sleeping 7.1 hours on weekends, down from an average of 7.8 hours in 1998>

So as this study shows even if you think you will be functioning at 100% with a lack of sleep, think again. Sleep is too important to be taken lightly. Sleep, along with food, water, and exercise must be a staple in your everyday life.

Source: Science News, October 2009

The Cost of Not Getting A Good Nights Sleep

2009-11-04T14:23:54-05:00

I recently came across a very informative article in Science News by Tina Hesman Saey. At the Neck Pain Support Blog we focus on neck pain and how to get rid of it. We also focus on how to reduce neck pain so that you can sleep comfortably through the night. In her article entitled “Dying to Sleep”, Saey states that getting too little sleep can impair the body and the brain. She shows that recent research shows that not getting enough sleep can be deadly and very harmful to one’s health. Here are some of the consequences of not getting the right amount of sleep every night:

Some of the obvious consequences include being irritable and not being able to function as well. Studies have shown that students don’t learn or perform as well as their well-rested peers.
Obesity, Heart Disease, high blood pressure and diabetes and decreased life span
Saey states that new studies show that a new study links sleep loss to Alzheimer’s disease.
Not getting enough sleep night after night can cause changes in ones brain- predisposing people to mental disorders such as depression.
A lack of sleep can also increase levels of inflammatory chemicals in one’s blood and increase hunger promoting hormones.

The way I see it, sleep is one of those things that your body needs.. Just like water, rest, exercise, and nourishment. If it does not get it, the body and brain will pay the price in the future.

Stay tuned. In the next blog post I will be discussing how sleep deprivation affects our driving- and how some people are not as affected as others.

Source: Dying to Sleep by Tina Hesman Saey Science News

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The Most Common Disc Herniation in the Neck: C6

2009-11-03T19:52:41-05:00

For the C6 nerve root to be affected, there must be something going on in between C5 and C6 vertebrae (bones). AkA: a C5-C6 disc herniation or C5-C6 disc bulge

The C6 nerve root has a motor, sensory and reflex component. This means that they control your muscles, your sensations and your reflexes. If there is a herniation or a bulge at this level, it can result in weakness, numbness and tingling as well as pain. Lets look at these 3 components for the C6 nerve root, the most common location for a disc herniation.

What muscles are affected? If the C6 nerve root is affected it can affects mainly the biceps and wrist extensor muscles. You may have difficulty bending your arm at the elbow. Picking up a bag of groceries may be difficult. Activities that involve the shoulder joint would also be difficult. For example moving the arm away from the body at the shoulder jt (abduction) or toward the body (adduction). These may be the first muscles that come to mind, but you would be surprised at all the muscles that the C6 nerve root innervates.

This list includes the 4 muscles that make up the rotator cuff group and many muscles of the distal arm:

Teres Major
Brachioradialis
Deltoid (shoulder muscle)
Supinator
Subscapularis (a rotator cuff muscle)
Teres Minor(a rotator cuff muscle)
Infraspinatus (a rotator cuff muscle)
Supraspinatus (a rotator cuff muscle)
Coracobrachialis
Brachialis
Subclavius
Serratus Anterior
Pectoralis Major
Extensor Muscles (image the position of your arms and wrists when riding a motorcycle)- includes: Extensor carpi radialis brevis, Extensor carpi radialis longus, and Extensor pollicis brevis
Pronator Teres
Flexor carpi radialis
Latissimus dorsi

You can have pain along the lower arm into the thumb and index finger. This can be described as “pins and needles”, numbness and even a tingling sensation. Finally, the reflex that is affected is called the pronator reflex. When your Doctor checks it, it may be diminished or absent on that side. The C6 nerve is the most common nerve that is affected when someone has a disc herniation.

A herniated disc in the neck is often one cause for neck pain and arm pain. Often times, patients seek treatment from thier primay care physician, chiropractor, or osteopath. Studies have shown that it commonly develops in patients between ages 30 to 50. Where does a disc herniation come from, you may find yourself asking? . One common way may be a trauma or an injury. Symptoms often include neck pain, neck stiffness, numbness and tingling and arm/hand pain. As you can see from the list of muscles that are innervated by C6 nerve root- nerve roots play an all encompassing role in the function of your body and well being.

Image Source:
London Health Sciences Center

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Did You Know? Often Times Carpal Tunnel is Mistakenly Diagnosed...

2009-11-02T20:48:35-05:00

The hidden cause of your hand or wrist pain may be your neck! Yes, that’s right. Your neck may be causing your hand or wrist pain. Nerves in the lower neck innervate your hands and arms. Basically the nerves in the lower neck come together to form the brachial plexus which in turn communicate to different regions of the hands and arms.

Do you ever notice your hand fall asleep when sleeping with your neck or arm are in awkward position? Of course. It’s because of the nerve pathway I described. Remember, nerves communicate to blood vessels as well.

So if this happens to you often or you might have carpal tunnel, have your neck spine checked as well. Too often we have wrist or hand pain and automatically think its CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) and sometimes so does your doctor.

Even if you are just not sure but just want to correct the problem do some things at home that may help both the neck and the wrists. Try a contoured neck pillow to correct neck alignment and remove nerve pressure as well as home wrist therapy.

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New Study Finds that Poor Air Quality can Be A Cause for Migraine & other Headaches

2009-10-21T21:35:45-04:00

I think that one of the worst headaches a person can experience is a Migraine- it can be very painful and debilitating. There are many known trigger of migraine headaches:

Smells
Spicy Food
MSG’s
Menstruation cycle for women
Red Wine
Cured Cheeses and Meats
Loud noises
Bright Lights
Alcohol
Stress
Fatigue
Change in Weather

What about headaches from sitting in bumper to bumper traffic? Well bad driving and bad drivers may not be the only reason for your headache. A new study shows that air quality can cause headaches.

The study found increases in air pollution were associated with increases in numbers of hospital admissions for headache. The study was reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology this month by Dr. Sabit Cakmak’s team of Health Canada.

The study took place in the Santiago province of Chile where the Dr.Cakmak’s team analyzed ozone and air pollution levels at 7 monitoring stations between the years 2001 and 2005. The scientists measured air pollutants such as nitrogen and sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter associated with the combustion of gasoline, natural gas and other fossil fuels.

The Santiago province of Chile is an area that is highly populated. It is surrounded by the Andes mountains and therefore a target for air pollution. At the same time, the investigators collected information on the number of hospitalizations for headache symptoms. When the investigators analyzed the data about air pollution in all areas, they found that air pollution was a risk factor for all types of headaches. These headaches included migraines, tension headaches, cluster headaches and other types. **There were significant associations between migraine and ozone in all regions. The age and sex of the participants did not make a difference. The season of the year also did not matter significantly.

Dr. Cakmak noted that further study should be completed based on the findings. The researchers estimated that poor air quality can cause many different symptoms and illnesses. Headaches should be included in these symptoms, as they are likely to arise in areas of poor air quality.

So if you are prone to migraine headaches, keep in mind that the air quality around you may be a major factor. Doing your best to surround yourself with clean air may help prevent your next attack.

Source:
Air Pollution and Hospitalization for Headache in Chile; October 2009

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Matt Roloff Spinal Surgery? Is This His Last Option For Pain Relief?

2009-10-20T20:50:49-04:00

I am a fan of Little People Big World. I am always amazed and impressed with what the Roloff family has accomplished. On a recent episode Matt (father) and Jeremy (older son) went on a skiing trip, much to their mother Amy’s dismay. Matt has recently been experiencing a lot of neck pain, shoulder pain and numbness into his left arm.

Matt Roloff is a little person or dwarf and has had some spinal and spine related issues in the past. Matt's type of dwarfism is called diastrophic dysplasia.

Over the years, I am sure he has built up a certain amount of degeneration in his spine. According to a cervical mri that he had recently, his Doctor mentioned that he has disc degeneration between two levels: C2-C3 and C3-C4. There was also multiple levels of degeneration in the cervical spine (aka spondylosis). Matt has also been experiencing neurological symptoms associated with this degeneration in his spine: numbness and tingling into his left arm, shoulder pain, neck pain, weakness in his upper extremity.

The Doctor also mentioned that he will need spinal surgery in about 6 months. In the mean time Matt is using some home traction- specifically overhead neck traction which he demonstrated during the episode. A medieval looking device that stretches out the neck longitudinally creating a space between the bones, thus taking pressure off of nerves. This type of traction unit can help, but for some patients, it places a lot of pressure on one’s jaw. There are other types of neck traction that are more effective and much more comfortable such as the pronex pneumatic cervical traction system. Traction systems help improve the neck curvature which takes pressure off off of the nerves.

Regardless, this neck traction that Matt is doing should help give some relief. He also goes skiing with his son Jeremy, which I wouldn’t recommend someone with his neck condition do too much of. On the other hand they looked like they had a lot of fun and sometimes things like this help take your mind off the pain.

WikiPedia on Little People Big World

Source: TLC’s Little People Big World Episode

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Visit the Arc 4 Life: Your pain relief Source for Cervical traction Systems

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The Pain Associated with a Whiplash Neck Injury

2009-10-16T20:56:04-04:00

I have examined many patients who have been involved in motor vehicle accidents and have sustained a whiplash type injury. They often come in with symptoms such as headaches, neck pain, stiff neck, facial pain, loss of range of motion in their neck and difficulty finding a comfortable position at night. The pain intensity is often mild to severe. Some patients experience the pain right away, for some it can take, even weeks to develop. Every patients’ tolerance to pain is different.

Immediately after a car accident you may feel fine. No pain response is normal right after the accident because your adrenaline is pumping and cortisol is being released into the body. You may be in slight shock and maybe even a little dazed. You may start to experience pain in a few hours, a few days or maybe in a few weeks. Studies have shown that 62% to 98% of people complain of neck pain, which usually begins 2 hours or even two days following the accident.

During a whiplash type of injury your neck can be thrown forward and backward a few times in a few seconds. This can cause injury to ligaments and muscles. Your ability to turn your head up, down, to the side, and to turn your head may be limited. Neck pain and neck stiffness can result because the neck and upper back musculature is tight and is reacting to tears in the muscle or too much movement (hyperextension or hyperflexion) in the joints from ligament damage. The muscles response is often one of tightness in order to support the head limiting too much movement. This soft tissue injury can allow Inflammation in these regions to take a few days to accumulate, putting more pressure on nerves in the neck. One’s daily routine and even the way that they sleep- which didn’t cause pain in the past, may now trigger pain as a result of the recent trauma.

So the best thing to do after a trauma is to get your neck evaluated because pain and problems can occur later on down the road. X-rays are important to make sure there are no broken bones. Advanced imaging studies such as MRI’s or CT Scans can show soft tissue injury.

There are many treatments for whiplash type injuries. Some patients wear neck collars right after the accident, although these should only be worn temporarily in the acute phase. Often times, patients are prescribed muscle relaxers and pain medications to help with the pain. Chiropractic adjustments, hot and cold therapy, soft tissue work, muscle massage, using a good supportive pillow, and electrotherapy (tens or ultrasound) also play a helpful role in treating this type of injury.

Additional Reading Resources

Visit the Arc 4 Life Store for your online selection of neck pillows, neck supports and cervical traction products for relief of stiff neck, and neck pain.

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Dodgers Kuroda Not Pitching Because of Disk Herniation in Neck

2009-10-12T21:22:10-04:00

Los Angeles, California -Dodgers Baseball player Hiroki Kuroda will not be pitching in the National League division series according to his manager Joe Torre. Kuroda was diagnosed with a small disk herniation in his cervical spine. The diagnosis was confirmed with a cervical MRI on Thursday by his Doctor, Dr. Roberts Watkins.

Kuroda said he's felt "tightness and discomfort" in the left side of his neck and upper back since taking the line drive off the right side of his head Aug. 15, but it wasn't until Tuesday while running in the outfield at PETCO Park in San Diego that he noticed pain. He said he tried to play catch and "felt pain I've never felt before and I stopped right away."

His trainer Stan Conte stated "He has like everybody -- especially people who have pitched -- he has some wear and tear on his neck, just like most of these guys do," trainer Stan Conte said. "He must have made a movement that irritated this. And created this small little tear in the disk and that's probably what happened. It's just serendipity.

"If he tried to pitch through this -- and Kuroda asked the doctor and asked us if we can do something so that he could pitch in spite of this -- he would have a chance of making this from a small herniation into a large herniation which in fact could require surgery. So that's the reason we are pretty much adamant that he will not be able to pitch until he has full pain free range of motion. Even though this is the playoffs, this is not something that you would inject and numb so he could pitch. You would not ever do that. That puts him at real significant risk."

"I'm definitely disappointed," said Kuroda. "They said recovery time varies depending on the person. I'm hopeful to come back and play in the playoffs."

Source: Neck injury sidelines Kuroda for NLDS

Additional Resources:

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical supports and cervical traction products for relief of stiff neck, and neck pain

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DID YOU KNOW… “Hand And Arm Pain can be coming from your neck!”

2009-10-11T16:09:14-04:00

Often times carpal tunnel is mistakenly diagnosed and the hidden cause of hand or wrist pain may be your neck.

Yes, that’s right, your neck may be causing your hand or wrist pain. Nerves in the lower neck innervate the arm and hand. Basically nerves in the lower neck come together to form the Brachial Plexus and nerves from the Brachial Plexus communicate to different regions of the hands and arms.

Do you ever notice your hand falls asleep after sleeping with your neck or arm in a funny position? Of course, because of the nerve pathway I described. Remember, nerves communicate to blood vessels and muscles as well.

So if this happens to you often or you think you might have carpal tunnel, have your neck spine checked as well. Too often we hear wrist pain and automatically think CTS and sometimes so does your doctor.

And if you’re not sure and just want to do some things at home to try to correct the problem, use a contoured pillow for correcting and supporting neck alignment as well as working on your wrists! Strengthening exercises using a putty or playdough can be beneficial for building up strength in the wrists, forearms, and hands.

Additional Resources:

Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical supports and cervical traction products for relief of stiff neck, and neck pain

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Links for 2009-02-18 [del.icio.us]

2009-02-19T00:00:00-08:00

Understanding a Disc Lesion like a Jelly Donut....
What is the difference between a slipped disc vs a herniated disc. There is no difference
The Causes of A Cervical Radiculopathy
Depending on the cervical nerve root that is affected in a radiculopathy, a patient will notice neck pain that radiates into a certain area, weakness in certain muscles, or other neurological deficits. What causes irritation or compression to the cervical nerve roots in the first place?
Relief from tight muscles, stiff neck and other neck pains
Dr. Bellinger's Neck Pain Relief Kit- to help with neck pain once and for all
Cervical Traction Neck Pillow I Buy neck pillows online I Neck Pillow ...
Information about the cervical linear traction neck pillow
Neck Pillow for Neck Pain and Stiff Neck I Proper cervical support to stop neck pain and improve posture
features the cervical traction neck pillow- great for disc herniation in the neck, neck arthritis, neck pain and stiff neck
Neck Pillow and Cervical Traction for Neck Pain Relief I Dr recommended neck pillows & neck pain support
best neck pillow for sleeping
Neck Pillow and Cervical Traction for Neck Pain Relief I Dr recommended neck pillows & neck pain support
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Neck Pillow and Cervical Traction for Neck Pain Relief I Dr recommended neck pillows & neck pain support
best pillow for degeneration in the c spine
Neck Pain Support Blog: Stop Arthritis Neck Pain Dead In its Tracks
blog post about neck arthritis
Neck Pain Support Blog: The Powers of Vitamin D: Better Sleep and a Better Mind
information about vitamin d

Links for 2009-02-11 [del.icio.us]

2009-02-12T00:00:00-08:00

Why Posture Is a Window to Your Health
Wouldn’t it be eye opening if we could peek inside our bodies to see what is going on? To have the ability to look around, assess our joints, our muscles, and see if everything is working right. Well, today technology is getting pretty close- MRI’s, CT Scans, ultrasounds- all give us a “picture” in black and white of what is going on with regards to structure.

Links for 2009-02-10 [del.icio.us]

2009-02-11T00:00:00-08:00

Neck Pain Support Blog
Natural Neck Pain Treatment, Neck Pain Articles and More- Your stop for Neck Pain Relief

Links for 2007-12-15 [del.icio.us]

2007-12-16T00:00:00-08:00

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

Links for 2007-12-14 [del.icio.us]

2007-12-15T00:00:00-08:00

html code tester
great website for testing html code for website design
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!!!!