Archive for the ‘neck’ Category

The Real Causes Of Neck Spasm Headache

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

Has you already know, a neck spasm headache also known as tension headache is caused by tension in muscles neck, creating pain at the top and the base of the head. But the real question to answer is what the causes of those tensions? Actually there are multiple possible causes for the spasm in your neck, all with different degree of severity.

Some of the most serious causes of muscle spasm in the neck are often related to car accident, like a rear end motor vehicle accident. Of course most of the cases are not that serious and are caused by less important factors such as:

- Bad posture
- Neck held in a bad position for to long
- Work at a computer
- Driving for long period
- Etc…

Available Treatment for a Neck Spasm Headache

There are of course multiple ways to treat a neck spasm headache. One of the most common or used method is “manipulative therapy”. The goal of the therapy is to reduce the muscle spasm allowing the spine to return to its normal position. This method is usually performed by quickly stretching the muscle. Other methods like “counter-strain” are also used to treat this type of headache. If you are the kind of person who doesn’t like to take medicine then manipulative therapy could be a good option for you to get rid of your neck spasm headache.

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Back Pain Tests and Diagnosis

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

Diagnostic tests aren’t usually necessary to confirm the cause of your back pain. However, if you do see your doctor for back pain, he or she will examine your back and assess your ability to sit, stand, walk and lift your legs. He or she may also test your reflexes with a rubber reflex hammer. These assessments help determine where the pain comes from, how much you can move before pain forces you to stop and whether you have muscle spasms. They will also help rule out more serious causes of back pain.

If there is reason to suspect that you have a tumor, fracture, infection or other specific condition that may be causing your back pain, your doctor may order one or more tests:

* X-ray. These images show the alignment of your bones and whether you have arthritis or broken bones. X-ray images won’t directly show problems with your spinal cord, muscles, nerves or disks.
* Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) scans. These scans can generate images that may reveal herniated disks or problems with bones, muscles, tissue, tendons, nerves, ligaments and blood vessels.
* Bone scan. In rare cases, your doctor may use a bone scan to look for bone tumors or compression fractures caused by osteoporosis. In this procedure, you’ll receive an injection of a small amount of a radioactive substance (tracer) into one of your veins. The substance collects in your bones and allows your doctor to detect bone problems using a special camera.
* Nerve studies (electromyography, or EMG). This test measures the electrical impulses produced by the nerves and the responses of your muscles. Studies of your nerve-conduction pathways can confirm nerve compression caused by herniated disks or narrowing of your spinal canal (spinal stenosis).

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Back Pain Causes

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

Your back is an intricate structure composed of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons and disks — the cartilage-like pads that act as cushions between the segments of your spine. Back pain can arise from problems with any of these component parts. In some people, no specific cause for their back pain can be found.

Back Pain Strains

Back pain most often occurs from strained muscles and ligaments, from improper or heavy lifting, or after a sudden awkward movement. Sometimes a muscle spasm can cause back pain.

Back Pain Structural problems

In some cases, back pain may be caused by structural problems, such as:

* Bulging or ruptured disks. Disks act as cushions between the vertebrae in your spine. Sometimes, the soft material inside a disk may bulge out of place or rupture and press on a nerve. But many people who have bulging or herniated disks experience no pain from the condition.
* Sciatica. If a bulging or herniated disk presses on the main nerve that travels down your leg, it can cause sciatica — sharp, shooting pain through the buttock and back of the leg.
* Arthritis. The joints most commonly affected by osteoarthritis are the hips, hands, knees and lower back. In some cases arthritis in the spine can lead to a narrowing of the space around the spinal cord, a condition called spinal stenosis.
* Skeletal irregularities. Back pain can occur if your spine curves in an abnormal way. If the natural curves in your spine become exaggerated, your upper back may look abnormally rounded or your lower back may arch excessively. Scoliosis, a condition in which your spine curves to the side, also may lead to back pain.
* Osteoporosis. Compression fractures of your spine’s vertebrae can occur if your bones become porous and brittle.

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Healthy Work Habits Reduce Back Pain

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

Whether at home or at work, back pains are indeed annoying and bothersome.

Amid speculations that these are “part of daily life”, so many simple yet effective ways have been tried and tested to prevent the pain. Health experts advise, “understand what causes them and focus on prevention”.

Basically, researchers have established four work-related factors associated with increased risk of back pain and injury: force, repetition, posture and stress.
Exerting too much force on your back like frequently lifting or moving heavy objects may cause injury.

Repetitious tasks can lead to muscle fatigue and injury especially if they involve stretching to the end of your range of motion or awkward body positioning.

Position while sitting, standing or performing a task is important. Try to avoid one position for a long period of time. On average, your body can tolerate being in one position for about 20 minutes before you feel the need to adjust.

Pressures at work or at home can increase stress level and lead to muscle tension and tightness, which may in turn lead to back pain.

Prevention tips

“An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” holds true in almost all medical conditions, doctors advise. Preventing back pain only requires a few “not-so-dramatic” changes and with regular practice, it will form part of your way of life.

If back pain continue to pester you, taking a muscle relaxant like Soma will be of great help. Soma, sold online through drugstoretm.com., can be helpful when severe muscle spasms follow the start of low back pain.

On top of the list of prevention is being fit. A regular exercise maintains a healthy and sturdy back. Pay attention to posture, avoid slouching or standing with a swayback. A good posture relaxes the muscles and requires minimal effort to balance the body.

In lifting objects, keep the object close to the body and get some help if load is too heavy. Adjust your work space and adopt healthy working habits. Eliminate high-risk and repetitive movements. Change sitting or standing position every so often.

For women, try as much as possible to avoid using high-heeled shoes, these strains the lower back. And lastly, learn to manage stress. Stress has been a known culprit for a number of diseases including back pain. Relax and live a healthy life.

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Neck Pain Relief

Friday, July 4th, 2008

Reasons why we have neck pain and how to find relief of this excruciating pain.

What is neck pain and how does one find relief after experiencing this type of pain? Neck pain is usually a result of a strain or spasm in the muscles of the neck, which also includes pain in the shoulder area. The pain can also be caused by inflammation in the joints of the neck, arthritis, or damaged disks.

Muscle strain occurs when one sleeps on a pillow that doesn’t support the neck properly, such as, sleeping with a twisted neck (happens when sleeping on stomach), lying down reading or watching TV with the neck in an awkward position, improper positioning of the computer monitor, working too long in front of the computer without a break, sitting hunchback while working at one’s desk, stress, and injuries to the neck.

Knowing this, how can one prevent neck pains in the future?

· Using good posture while walking, sitting, and sleeping.
· Avoid slouching.
· Avoid keeping your head bent forward for long periods of time.
· Exercise the neck muscles by using stretching exercises geared towards the neck.
· Avoid sitting for long periods of time without getting up or changing positions.
· Adjust the computer monitor so that the top of the computer screen is at eye level.
· Use a document holder that attaches to the side of the computer screen, instead of looking down at the paper, which increases neck strain.
· Learning to type without having to look at the keyboard will also decrease neck strains.
· Getting a headpiece, or a speakerphone, will also decrease neck pain for those who spend more than a half hour at time on the phone.
· When driving in one’s car, consider sitting the seat straight up and down.
· Purchase a hard mattress instead of a one with a lot of cushions.
· Purchase a neck support.
· If stress is the cause for the pain, consider relaxation exercises.

Home remedies that may help ease some of the pains associated with neck pain are:

· Place an ice pack, such as a bag of frozen peas, on the neck for fifteen minutes.
· Never use heat to sooth neck pain.
· Sitting in a lukewarm tub of water, or a Jacuzzi, with jet streams hitting the soar muscles will also help to decrease the swelling of the neck muscles.

Neck pain should never be masked with pain relief medications, such as aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If your neck pain is severe and constant, seek the help of your doctor or chiropractor.

When home remedies do not seem to relieve the neck pains, chiropractic care may be needed. Sometimes, the nerves in one’s neck may become pinched, causing inflammation in the muscles. To relieve the pain, one has to un-pinch the pinched nerves.

Caution: Meningitis can cause neck pain. If you experience neck pain along with headaches, fever, sleepiness, vomiting, and/or loss of consciousness, get to your doctor right away. While viral meningitis is not usually life threatening, bacterial meningitis can be life threatening if left untreated.

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Neck and Back Pain Symptoms and Remedies

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

What is it?

Most everyone at one time or another develops pain in the neck or in the back. Usually, an activity brings on the pain, and the pain typically improves with rest. There are simple ways to bring relief and a few important signs that indicate when pain is more than a simple strain. Chronic pain usually gets worse despite bed rest, wakes you in the middle of the night, progresses despite medication and interferes with daily activity.

How bad is it?

Pain is a very good messenger. It tells us that something is wrong. The more mysterious it is, the more likely it is to be significant, either by itself or as an indicator of some other condition. Back and neck pain come in all degrees; from a brief, mild ache after a day of painting the ceiling to a crippling years-long misery that defies potent pain-relievers, intense physical therapy and even surgery.

What causes it?

Most back and neck pain is easily recognized as the result of overdoing some activity. It is amazing what the human body can be trained to do, but it is equally amazing how incapable it is of doing something it is not accustomed to.

There are two categories of strain that cause nearly identical pain - acute and cumulative. We all know what weekend warriors feel like on Monday morning, whether they just dug up the garden or began the tennis season. But there is a more insidious type of strain that takes many days or even months to notice. Cumulative stress injuries (CSI) in the workplace are now being recognized as major causes of disability and work loss. The human body is not used to the many activities required of us today. Probably the first CSI to be recognized was the pitcher’s elbow in baseball. Little leagues won’t let children pitch more than a few innings because of the strain it puts on their arm.

Another more common CSI is carpal tunnel syndrome, often the result of hours a day at a keyboard. The back and the neck can suffer similar strains by remaining in certain positions for long periods. The whole science of ergonomics has been developed to prevent these repetitive stress injuries by designing furniture and appliances that place body parts in the optimum position for working.

Not knowing immediately what brought on your current discomfort is the first warning sign to take a pain seriously. Some pains that seem to be coming from the spine are actually referred there from elsewhere inside the body. For instance, a sick gall bladder can masquerade as a strain of the mid-back and usually hurts just beneath the right shoulder blade. Heart attacks can mimic neck pains that pinch nerves going into the left arm.

Other symptoms that accompany the pain are more clues. Some of the most important are related to all nerves that pass through your spine on their way between the brain and the rest of your body. These nerves send feelings in one direction and movement commands in the other. If either of these functions - feeling or movement - is disturbed, something serious is happening. Numbness is the most common failure of feeling, and weakness is the most common disturbance of movement. Certain changes in feeling such as tingling, burning or extreme sensitivity are also signs of nerve problems. Paralysis is the extreme form of weakness. The urinary bladder can also be affected by nerve damage related to back pain. So if your back pain comes with inability to control urinating, there is likely to be a significant relationship between the two.

How do I know I have it?

The important question is: How do you know what is causing it? If your pain is clearly related to what you are doing and has no peculiarities like numbness or weakness associated with it, chances are it’s just mechanical strain. But you should see a doctor for any pain that lasts more than a few days without improving, that has no obvious cause, that gets worse without provocation or that has associated symptoms.

What can I do about it?

If you decide to seek professional care for unusual spinal pain, first get a competent diagnosis from a doctor. This may require X-rays or special scans (CT or MRI) to identify unusual and serious causes such as tumors or bone and joint disease. When nothing beyond mechanical strain can be found, the first and foremost intervention is a good posture and exercise program. Secondly, for the more serious mechanical spinal pains, such as whiplash neck injuries and chronic low back pain that is crippling, a variety of helpful and sometimes controversial treatments are available. Osteopathic/chiropractic manipulations and acupuncture have helped some patients but have also failed in others. The foundation for treatment remains an accurate diagnosis.

Starting new activities

Your body is able to do extraordinary things but not all at once. Remember two things about any physical activity:

* If you are in generally good shape, new activities will be better tolerated.
* Begin any activity gradually.

The first point doesn’t require more than common sense - 15 to 30 minutes a day of anything that tires you out is good. Swimming is close to ideal because you use everything at once, without being able to overuse or abuse anything. Water provides resistance without being as hard on the joints like pavement.

When starting new activities, you should start slowly and briefly. But each beginning should be preceded with a warm-up. Jog in place. Stretch the muscles you will be using. Plan your time.

Points to remember

* Nearly all back and neck pains are because of unwise over-activity.
* If you pay attention, your pain will tell you how serious it is.
* Seek medical advice if there is anything unusual about your pain.
* Stay in good shape and use common sense when beginning new activities.

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Neck Pain Relief

Sunday, June 15th, 2008

Reasons why we have neck pain and how to find relief of this excruciating pain.

What is neck pain and how does one find relief after experiencing this type of pain? Neck pain is usually a result of a strain or spasm in the muscles of the neck, which also includes pain in the shoulder area. The pain can also be caused by inflammation in the joints of the neck, arthritis, or damaged disks.

Muscle strain occurs when one sleeps on a pillow that doesn’t support the neck properly, such as, sleeping with a twisted neck (happens when sleeping on stomach), lying down reading or watching TV with the neck in an awkward position, improper positioning of the computer monitor, working too long in front of the computer without a break, sitting hunchback while working at one’s desk, stress, and injuries to the neck.

Knowing this, how can one prevent neck pains in the future?

· Using good posture while walking, sitting, and sleeping.
· Avoid slouching.
· Avoid keeping your head bent forward for long periods of time.
· Exercise the neck muscles by using stretching exercises geared towards the neck.
· Avoid sitting for long periods of time without getting up or changing positions.
· Adjust the computer monitor so that the top of the computer screen is at eye level.
· Use a document holder that attaches to the side of the computer screen, instead of looking down at the paper, which increases neck strain.
· Learning to type without having to look at the keyboard will also decrease neck strains.
· Getting a headpiece, or a speakerphone, will also decrease neck pain for those who spend more than a half hour at time on the phone.
· When driving in one’s car, consider sitting the seat straight up and down.
· Purchase a hard mattress instead of a one with a lot of cushions.
· Purchase a neck support.
· If stress is the cause for the pain, consider relaxation exercises.

Home remedies that may help ease some of the pains associated with neck pain are:

· Place an ice pack, such as a bag of frozen peas, on the neck for fifteen minutes.
· Never use heat to sooth neck pain.
· Sitting in a lukewarm tub of water, or a Jacuzzi, with jet streams hitting the soar muscles will also help to decrease the swelling of the neck muscles.

Neck pain should never be masked with pain relief medications, such as aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If your neck pain is severe and constant, seek the help of your doctor or chiropractor.

When home remedies do not seem to relieve the neck pains, chiropractic care may be needed. Sometimes, the nerves in one’s neck may become pinched, causing inflammation in the muscles. To relieve the pain, one has to un-pinch the pinched nerves.

Caution: Meningitis can cause neck pain. If you experience neck pain along with headaches, fever, sleepiness, vomiting, and/or loss of consciousness, get to your doctor right away. While viral meningitis is not usually life threatening, bacterial meningitis can be life threatening if left untreated.

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Topical Muscle Relaxant for Stiff Neck

Friday, June 13th, 2008

Neck pain may begin in any of the structures in the neck. These include muscles and nerves as well as spinal vertebrae and the cushioning disks in between. Neck pain may also come from regions near the neck, like the shoulder, jaw, head, and upper arms.

When your neck is sore, you may have difficulty moving it, especially to one side. Many people describe this as having a stiff neck.

If neck pain involves nerves (for example, significant muscle spasm pinching on a nerve or a slipped disk pressing on a nerve), you may feel numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arm, hand, or elsewhere.

If the pain is due to muscle spasm or a pinched nerve, your doctor may prescribe a muscle relaxant like Soma or Tramadol, and possibly a more powerful pain reliever. Prescription drugs are not necessarily better than over-the-counter medications. The doctor may prescribe a neck collar or, if there is nerve damage, refer you to a neurologist or neurosurgeon for consultation.

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Back Chronic Lower Pain Relief

Friday, June 6th, 2008

A lower back pain which persists for more than 3 months is known as ‘chronic lower back pain.’ And the pain gradually increases in these months.

Moreover, chronic back pain is not a simple back problem but is a symptom of a serious medical condition like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, degeneration of the discs, osteoporosis or some infection. It needs to be immediately brought to the attention of a physician. The treatment would usually include medicines together with exercises and certain accessories or therapies.

Treatment is generally towards curing the problems which causes it. In case of obesity it would mean reduction of weight. Again in the case of a slipped disc, or a back injury, treatment is basically a set of exercises under a physiotherapist, and making a habit of certain posture. These exercises are aimed at increasing the endurance and flexibility of the muscles. They also include certain changes in lifestyle such giving up smoking, changing conditions of work and maintaining an active outdoor life if the patient is too much home-bound.

Many a times, chronic pain can also be caused by an emotional trauma and anxiety and in that case moral and emotional support can be of great help. Some psychotherapies are also available for deep and complicated depression.

Surgery may be necessary to cure intolerable pain which is generally when the pain is caused by some serious injury like a fracture of the ligament or dislocation owing to the outgrowth of a certain tissue. But an operation will only be after various physical and pathological examination and therapies.

Many patients also obtain relief from certain techniques of managing the pain such as acupuncture and acupressure. These are very helpful but one should always be careful of the source of the treatment and the practitioners. Therefore a chronic lower back pain should not undermine one’s confidence of life. With proper care and regulation it can be successfully healed.

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Back and Neck Pain Remedy

Thursday, June 5th, 2008

Alternative Medicine: The National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine (NCCAM) cites back pain as the No. 1 reason why people seek alternative medicine care. Neck pain is No. 3, still a major reason. Reasons for trying CAM include:

* it may work well in conjunction with more traditional type treatment
* other traditional treatments have been tried, with unsatisfactory results
* CAM is less expensive than traditional treatment
* conventional medical professionals suggest it.

Exercise: Consumer Reports Medical Guide rates exercise as the best of all the options for treatment of long-term back pain. Often your doctor or physical therapist will prescribe a set of exercises for your back or neck condition. There are several very popular forms of exercise that appear to help control back pain, among them yoga, Pilates, and the Egoscue Method. Ergonomic experts suggest taking frequent work mini-breaks to do back exercises, as well.

Back surgery: Back surgery is usually tried after conservative treatment methods such as physical therapy, home exercise programs, injections, and other methods have failed after six months or longer of use. While most people don’t need back surgery, the number of surgeries is on the rise. Not all back surgeries are successful. A back surgery that fails to remove the pain, or causes pain or problems not present prior to surgery is a condition known as failed back surgery syndrome.

Implanted Neurostimulation: Implanted neurostimulation, also known as spinal cord stimulation, helps to modulate chronic back pain. This treatment is not for everyone. For one thing, surgery is required to put the device in, take it out, and sometimes to maintain it. It can be inconvenient, as well.

Injections: Injections are an invasive technique that can diagnose the cause of pain, and can treat the pain itself. The great thing about injections for back pain is that they deliver medicine directly to the site of the pain. There are several types of injections. Recent advances in medicine have introduced two new types of injections:

* Botox injections for chronic neck and back pain
* Prolotherapy

Medication: According to the American Chronic Pain Association, analgesics and other medications are the most common chronic pain treatment. While short-term use of drugs from chronic back or neck pain probably won’t get you into trouble, prolonged use may increase the risk for serious side effects. For example, in 2004, Vioxx, a COX-2 inhibitor, was removed from the market after it became evident that prolonged use of these drugs could result in fatal heart problems.

Medications get the best results when used in conjunction with other treatments such as physical therapy, behavioral therapy and more.

Pain Management: The branch of medicine that helps patients manage their pain is called pain medicine or pain management. Pain medicine is a multi-disciplinary approach to managing the presence of pain in your life. Pain management treatment considers physical, social, and psycological lifestyle factors.

Types of Doctors for Back and Neck Pain: Many doctors specialize in one or two areas. Sometimes doctors’ specialty areas overlap with one another. The most important thing to remember when choosing a doctor who specializes is to find one with excellent skills in diagnosing and treating your condition.

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