Back & Neck Pain Relief, Treatments, Tips, Exercises, and Resources » Spine

Learning more about Inversion Therapy

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:07:46 +0000

There are almost as many treatments for back pain as there are causes. There are pills, exercises, massages and even machines that all try to help in alleviating the pain that you feel in your back.

One thing that is gaining popularity is inversion therapy. Inversion therapy involves hanging a person upside down or at an inverted angle with the intention of bringing about therapeutic benefits all over the body, especially your back.

One of the best things about inversion therapy is that you can do it yourself at home, safely and privately with an Inversion Therapy Table.

While the idea may seem farfetched, there are plenty of people who swear by this method. They say that by doing inversion therapy they feel much better and live pain free lives. So before you throw out this seemingly crazy idea, it would be best to learn more about it.

How Do You Perform Inversion Therapy?

To do this form of therapy, you would usually need either a table, or the inversion boots. The equipment is used so that you would be able to hang upside down and apply gentle traction to your spine.

The inversion boots are an older style in which you wear them on your feet and hang upside down on a bar. There is now more advanced machinery that enables you to just lie on a table that turns to different angles.

After being strapped on the table (or on the inversion boots), inversion therapy happens by either being tilted for a set amount of time, or by performing some form of exercise while tilted.

What are the supposed benefits of Inversion Therapy?

People say that the main benefit that they get from inversion therapy is that they feel relief from their back and neck pains. But many are saying that there are plenty of other advantages from using this form of therapy.

Inversion therapy can improve blood circulation, maintain your height, relieve stress, heighten mental alertness, make you more flexible, improve your posture, and even realign your spine after doing strenuous physical activities.

Is it safe?

If you use a good and sturdy inversion therapy table then you have nothing to worry about.

However, there are some conditions where inversion therapy is not advised. You should not do this form of therapy if you are pregnant, are suffering from a hernia, retinal detachment, a recent stroke, or heart disorders.

As with all forms of therapy, you should check with your doctors first if doing so would be safe for you.

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Frequent Headaches? Neck Strain Could Be the Culprit!

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:59:50 +0000

Do you find yourself reaching for a bottle of aspirin day after day? Headaches are one of the most common aches of people everywhere. They can be caused by a plethora of things. Having headaches might mean eyestrain from prolonged computer use, astigmatism, fever, or even an injury.

However, there is one commonly overlooked reason for headaches- neck strain. You should know that an aching neck can contribute to headaches.

If you fall into one of the following categories, you should know you’re at risk for neck strain:

1. You Spend a Long Time Staring at a Computer Monitor

People who work with computers are prone to neck strain. This is because of the position of the monitor in relation to your head. Many offices set up their computer monitors either too high or too low, which puts strain on your neck.

If you find yourself having to tilt your head back or forward to be able to see the monitor clearly, then you may be placing additional pressure on your neck muscles which can lead to the headaches.

The Back Joy Core can help prevent this by keeping your spine properly aligned while you sit at your desk, reducing any strain on your neck or back. And, the Back Joy Core is small and light, so you can bring it with you no matter where you go.

2. You Participate in Athletic Events or Do Strenuous Exercise

Another group of people who suffer from neck and muscle strain are the people who enjoy playing sports or working out strenuously. Either of these activities presents the potential for a tweaked neck.

3. You Sleep In an Awkward Position

If you wake up to find that you suddenly have a headache, try remembering what position you slept in. A common cause of neck pain is a prolonged awkward head position.

To combat this, I suggest using the Backsaver Dream Pillow, or another ergonomic pillow.

If you fall into any of the previous categories, you could be suffering from headaches due to neck strain. These types of headaches are typically referred to as tension headaches.

Tension headaches are usually caused by muscle discomforts. Because of that, treating just the headache isn’t sufficient, as you’re only treating the symptom and not the cause. You should search for remedies to your muscle strain if you want to avoid these headaches. Fortunately, there are plenty of options available for people who suffer from neck strain.

If you don’t think neck strain is the culprit, you should try Dr. Wiley’s Mastering Migraines, which promises to have you migraine free in 21 days or less.

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Is Chiropractic Care Effective for Pain Relief?

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:38:38 +0000

When people feel pain in their backs or their necks, one of the things that immediately come to mind is to visit a chiropractor. Nowadays, there seems to be quite a boom in the number of clinics that offer chiropractic care to patients.

Although a trip to the chiropractor is beneficial, most people can’t afford the amount of trips necessary to keep their backs feeling good. Luckily, there are now products you can use at home to get great results, for way less than what you’ll pay for a couple chiropractic visits.

These products include things like Inversion Therapy Tables, which eliminate stress on the spine, and Trigger Point Therapy Systems, which give the benefits of a deep tissue massage at home.

However, not everyone is familiar with what chiropractic care is. Here then is a quick primer on some of the things about this practice:

What does it do?

Basically, the main goal of chiropractic healing is to correct the misalignments of your spine. This is because the central nervous system (the brain and your spinal cord) is the center of all the functions of your body, including healing and regeneration.

Having misalignments in your spine can lead to interference in the nervous system. These misalignments are the ones hindering your body’s recovery. If they’re straightened out your aches and pains will eventually go away and you’ll feel better.

How do they do it?

There are plenty of ways that a chiropractor provides you with care. The first of which, and the most well-known, is direct pressure using the hands. Most people know this as “cracking your back”.

Aside from this, the chiropractor can also use ultrasound, x-rays, electrical stimulation, hot and cold packs, and a variety of hand held mechanical devices to do the job.

Is it Safe?

Many people are skeptical about chiropractors because they think that messing with your spinal column is too risky. While there is some truth to that, you should remember that people who are licensed chiropractors have undergone tons of training before being allowed to practice.

Actually, most states require chiropractors to be board before they are allowed to do their work.

Is it effective?

The answer to this depends on the skill of the chiropractor or the level of chiropractic care that you are receiving. When people think of chiropractic care, they think that it would only deal with the bones. This kind of thinking is reinforced by chiropractors who are not that skilled. As such, they will simply pop your back, and let you go on your way.

However, skilled chiropractors know that aside from your bones, your muscles also need to be fixed in order to correct these misalignments. They will provide you with additional treatment methods that not only do wonders for your bones, but your muscles as well.

As you can see, the value of chiropractic care is dependent on the skill of the clinic that you are visiting.

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Inversion Therapy: The Basics

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:39:50 +0000

There are almost as many treatments for back pain as there are causes. There are pills, exercises, massages and even machines that all try to help in alleviating the pain that you feel in your back.

One of the best things about inversion therapy is that you can do it yourself at home, safely and privately with an Inversion Therapy Table.

How Do You Perform Inversion Therapy?

To do this form of therapy, you would usually need either a table, or the inversion boots. The equipment is used so that you would be able to hang upside down and apply gentle traction to your spine.

After being strapped on the table (or on the inversion boots), inversion therapy happens by either being tilted for a set amount of time, or by performing some form of exercise while tilted.

What are the supposed benefits of Inversion Therapy?

Is it safe?

If you use a good and sturdy inversion therapy table then you have nothing to worry about.

As with all forms of therapy, you should check with your doctors first if doing so would be safe for you.

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Reasons Your Back Pain Exercises Don’t Work and What You Can Do About It

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:55:43 +0000

If you suffer from chronic back pain, chances are you have a long list of cookie-cutter exercises that are supposed to provide pain relief, strengthen your back, and build the muscles that support the spine.

If you’re sticking to these exercises, you may very well see some pain relief, BUT if you’re not getting results from your back exercise routine, there’s a good explanation.

Here’s the deal, cookie-cutter back pain exercises fall short because they aren’t geared to your specific cause. In order to get rid of your chronic back problem, you need to focus on back pain exercises that target your unique circumstance. For example, If you’re suffering from sciatica, and you have pain shooting down your legs, a back pain exercise that is targeted toward the upper back may be futile for you.

You may find it difficult to pinpoint your specific back pain exercise needs. Your best bet is to first examine the balance of your body.

Believe it or not, most back pain and tension is caused by living with a body that is ‘out of balance’.

It only makes sense that the load bearing integrity of your body will be compromised if the foundation of your body is out of balance.

Your spine has a natural curve, and consists of a series of consecutive discs. If the natural curve of your spine extends beyond a certain point, or just one of those discs slips out of alignment, the strength of your spine becomes significantly weaker. Imagine your spine as a spring, as long as the coils are aligned as they should, the spring will flex and bend with ease. But, if just one coil is kinked or pulled, suddenly the spring becomes useless. The same goes for your skeletal structure.

Your skeletal structure isdesigned to work smoothly in a specific manner.

Typically, when we’re born our spine is flawlessly curved, our joints work smoothly, and the balance of our skeletal structure is perfect. But, as time goes by we spend more and more time sitting, we develop poor posture, we suffer trauma, we develop poor stress management habits, and the list goes on.

As a result of these developments, our once balanced physique becomes contorted, and when the pain starts, as it inevitably will, we neglect to take steps toward correcting our balance issues, and instead we be begin doing cookie-cutter back pain exercises.

For this reason alone, it is imperative that you practice back pain exercises that are designed to eliminate your specific issue. In many cases, this will mean addressing your posture, your alignment, and your overall physical stature.

So, where do you begin?

Start by examining your current needs. Where is your pain, do you slouch when you stand, what about when you sit, is one shoulder higher than the other, are your legs at even length, etc.?

Once you’ve assessed your specific problems, be they upper back pain, middle back tension, or sciatica associated with the lower back, with the right instruction (guided by a uniquely qualified practitioner or therapist) you CAN pinpoint the exact exercise and pain relief techniques that will eliminate your pain and heal your back.

If your current back pain exercises are bearing no fruit, consider exploring other, more successful and beneficial options. You have nothing to lose but pain, and there’s no time like the present.

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Improve Your Posture for Neck and Back Pain Relief

Back & Neck Pain Resources — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:11:52 +0000

Although it’s common knowledge that correct posture is a good way to avoid pains and aches in the back and neck, most people don’t realize how important the connection really is. In fact, improving posture doesn’t just correct minor problems in the back and neck but often drastically reduces or even provides complete neck and back pain relief.

Poor posture can cause many problems.

It strains muscles, puts too much stress on the spine, and over time can change the anatomical structure of the spine leading to constricted blood vessels and nerves, as well as muscle problems and issues with the discs and joints. All these factors have the potential to contribute to neck and back pain, which is why establishing correct posture is so important.

What is correct posture?

Correct posture involves keeping each part of the body in alignment with all its parts, so that everything is properly balanced and supported. If you have good posture you should be able to draw a straight line from the earlobe through the shoulder, hip, knee, and middle of the ankle (while standing).

In addition, it’s a good idea to ensure good posture in all positions, including sitting, bending, and lying down.

How to improve posture…

The first step in correcting bad posture is to identify what aspects of your posture need improvement. Examine your posture at various times of day – sitting in a chair, carrying items, and standing. This will help you figure out when and where your posture is at its worst.

You can also ask someone else to pay attention for you. Some common signs of bad posture include:

Slouching with shoulders hunched forward
Lordosis or “swayback,” which involves a large inward curve in the lower back
Head held either too high or too low
Slumping forward (this is most common when sitting in an office chair)
Sliding forward on an office chair

Once you’ve identified that you have poor posture, it’s time to change daily habits and implement certain exercises for posture improvement. This will take time and effort, but if you want back pain relief and neck pain relief it will be necessary to make some changes.

Poor posture can be a result of bad habits, depression, muscle tension, illness/disease or muscle atrophy due to a sedentary lifestyle.

For posture related to bad habits, muscle tension and muscle atrophy due to a sedentary lifestyle – neck and back pain exercises are a viable solution.

Most exercise can be an effective way to improve posture and help you achieve back pain relief and neck pain relief. Forms of meditation and mental relaxation can help relieve tense muscles and make it easier to undertake the posture-correcting exercises. Yoga and Pilates work for some people as a way to relax, stretch, and strengthen the muscles in better positions.

That said, it’s important to note that the most effective neck and back pain exercises are those that are custom designed to work with your own postural deficiencies due to the uniqueness of every person and cause.

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