151 Beauty Secrets

151 Beauty Secrets

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Health Bodycare Skincare

Neck Pain

Introduction Over many years, our necks are subjected to repeated stress and minor injury. These injuries may not cause pain at the time of injury. However, repeated injuries add up, and can eventually result in degeneration of the cervical spine, causing neck pain. Most neck pain is due to degenerative changes that occur in the neck. The overall condition of the cervical spine usually determines how fast you recover from an injury, and whether your neck pain will become a chronic problem. For chronic neck pain, there may not be a quick fix or complete cure. You will need to work with your health care team to try to improve the problem causing neck pain and to slow down the degenerative process. The physician's role in the treatment of neck pain is to find the main causes that need treatment right away. He or she will also try to keep your neck pain from becoming a chronic condition by teaching you how to slow down the degenerative process and prevent further injury.

Try our Neck traction device / Cervical Traction Devices NOW!

The purpose of this information is to help you understand:

• The causes of neck pain • The normal anatomy of the spine and neck • The signs and symptoms of degenerative changes in the neck • The treatments available to you now and later • What you can expect from those treatments • What you can expect long-term if you have a problem with neck pain

In order to understand your symptoms and treatment choices, you must start with some understanding of the general anatomy of your spine and neck. This includes becoming familiar with the various parts that make up the neck. You should have a general understanding of the function of these parts, that is, how they work together. The more you know, the more you will be able to talk with your doctors and health care team in words that will help them better understand your specific problem. It will also help you understand what they are telling you about your particular problem. The purpose of this information is to help you understand your neck pain problem, so you can make the decisions that will best help you to prevent injury, make the best treatment choices, and speed up the healing process.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Anatomy

The Parts of the Cervical Spine and How They Work In general, the neck includes the cervical spine (the upper most part of the spine) and the soft tissues that surround the cervical spine. These soft tissues include: nerves, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels. The cervical spine is made up of the first seven vertebrae in the spine. Your doctor will usually refer to these bones as C1 through C7. The cervical spine starts just below the skull and ends just above the thoracic spine. The spine has two main functions: • To protect and support the spinal cord • To give structure and support to our body allowing us to stand up straight The vertebrae are the 24 bones that are linked together to make up the spinal column. Just as the bones of the skull protect our brain, the bones of the spine protect the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the large collection of nerves that connects the brain to the rest of the body. In the center of each vertebra is a large hole. Because the vertebrae are all linked together, these holes line up to form a "bony tube", called the spinal canal, through which the spinal cord passes. This bony tube makes up the spinal canal, which provides protection and support for the spinal cord. As the spinal cord leaves the brain, it travels down the spinal canal to the tailbone. Along the way, it gives off smaller nerves that leave the spine between each vertebra through an opening called the foramen. The nerves that leave the spine in the upper area, or the cervical spine, travel into the arms to the hands. The nerves that leave the spine in the chest area, or thoracic spine, mostly go into the chest and belly area. The nerves that leave the spinal canal in the lower spine, or the lumbar spine, travel into the legs and feet.

To better understand how the parts of the spine work together, let's look at a spinal segment. A spinal segment is made up of: two vertebrae, the intervertebral disc between the vertebrae, and the two nerve roots, one from each side that "branch off of " the spine. The cervical vertebrae are the smallest vertebrae in the spine because they do not have the weight-bearing function of the vertebrae in the back. One pair of spinal nerves exits through the gap between the vertebrae in each segment. One common cause of pain comes from pressure on the nerve roots, sometimes causing pain and numbness in the neck or in the lower body. The space between two vertebrae contains a large round disc of connective tissue, called an intervertebral disc. By looking at the intervertebraldisc from above, we can see an outer ring, called the annulus, and a soft spongy center, called the nucleus pulposus. The annulus is the best part of the disc and helps keep the spongy center inside the disc. The nucleus pulposus acts as a shock absorber to cushion the bones from pressure during twisting, jumping, and weight bearing. A joint is formed where two or more bones meet. Bony knobs, called facets, extend from each vertebra and overlap each other to form a facet joint. Facet joints link the vertebrae together like a chain, and provide a mobile connection between each vertebra. The facet joints are important because they allow the neck to bend and turn. Each vertebra can move only a little, but the chain of small movements combined makes the spine very flexible.

Try our Neck Traction device / Cervical Traction device NOW!

Five Main Causes of Neck and Back Pain

Introduction Research indicates that, on any given day, approximately 10% of adults must cope with neck pain. When young adults develop acute neck pain it is usually the result of turning awkwardly during the night, or playing a sport which requires quick neck movement such as squash. Lifting things improperly can also cause neck pain. Middle aged people are more likely to develop neck pain as a result of the normal degenerative changes of the discs and facet joints of the cervical spine. There are five main causes of neck & back pain:
1. Strains and/or sprains account for the majority of neck & back problems.
If you are suffering from a strain and/or sprain you will likely have reduced mobility in one or more directions. Positions that demand extreme ranges of motion - particularly rotation - will increase your pain. So will any kind of jarring move. Usually, there are no neurological signs which means no nerves are damaged. The majority of back pain is caused by strains and/or sprains of the back's muscles, ligaments and tendons. Because so many of us lead inactive lives, our muscles become lax and lose their ability to support the spine properly. After time, the ligaments and tendons can also lose their ability to function properly. If you've ever doubted how much pain muscle strain can cause, try holding a very heavy dictionary in your outstretched arm for five minutes! Poor posture over many years, especially for those of us who spend a lot of time sitting, puts enormous strain on the spine. In some cases, a person bends over to pick something up and the sudden exertion sends the muscles into spasm. But just as often, back pain creeps up slowly. You may suffer from backache after strenuous activity. Or in the morning. Or after sitting, or standing in one position for an hour or more. In these cases, poor posture is generally as much to blame as an inactive lifestyle.
2. Disc problems are most common in Neck & Back pain patients under the age of 40.
If you have a disc problem, flexion, and rotation toward the side on which the disc is bulging, or herniated, most often causes the most pain. On rare occasions, however, a disc will bulge, or herniate, centrally rather than to one side; in this case, rotation will not increase the pain. In extreme cases, a centrally herniated disc may effect bowel or bladder function. This is a medical emergency, which may require immediate surgery. The discs between the vertebrae can also be involved in back pain. Two things can happen. Most commonly, the disc's outer casing, called the annulus, weakens. When this happens, the disc bulges, irritating a nearby nerve. Less often, the centre portion of the disc actually bursts, or herniates, through a tear in the annulus and pinches a nearby nerve. This may cause severe leg pain if the herniation occurs in the lower portion of the spine. This is often called sciatica. In fact, patients with herniated discs are far more likely to complain of leg pain than back pain. Most people who suffer from a herniated disc are under the age of 40.
3. Patients suffering from spinal stenosis are most often over the age of 45.
Spinal stenosis patients generally find that extension - prolonged extension in particular - aggravates their back problem. In general, spinal stenosis causes chronic rather than acute pain. Many people find it difficult to walk any distance unless they learn how to adjust their posture so that they do not walk with their low back extended. This can be done by assuming the pelvic tilt position as a normal walking posture. As we age, the discs begin to dry out slightly and become thinner. This natural process is sometimes called disc degeneration. When this occurs, other problems sometimes arise: the space in the vertebrae through which the nerves exit can become narrow, causing the nerves to be irritated. This condition is called spinal stenosis. Most people with spinal stenosis are over the age of 40. 4. Facet joint problems are more difficult to categorize in terms of age but most often, these patients are over the age of 40. Prolonged extension tends to increase facet joint problems. Most people tend to suffer from chronic rather than acute pain. If they do experience an acute flare-up, however, rotation usually increases the pain dramatically. The onset can often help distinguish facet joint syndrome from stenosis although further diagnostic testing may be required. As we age, our facet joints may also become slightly misaligned, especially if our posture has been poor for many years. When this happens, they can eventually become worn. This condition is known as facet joint syndrome. Osteoarthritis patients are generally over the age of 45. If your problem fits into the category of osteoarthritis, itís likely that extreme ranges of motion will increase your pain. So will vibration and compression - for example, jumping up and down. The onset is often different, however. For example, strains and sprains usually hurt immediately after an injury occurs. The pain caused by osteoarthritis generally develops more slowly. Sometimes, it is not felt until the next day. As the wearing process described above continues, our bodies try to compensate to make our spines more stable once again. For instance, where a disc is attached to the vertebra above and below it, osteophytes - little growths of bone - begin to form. Similarly, osteophytes often appear around the facets joints. When this happens, the condition is called osteoarthritis, which is very different from other, more severe types of arthritis that sometimes leave people crippled. In fact, by the time we reach middle age, most of us have mild osteoarthritis that causes some backache from time to time. Eventually, however, osteophytes make the spine more stable, although less flexible, and the pain tends to subside. Chi Soft Neck Traction Neck Traction Soft (Chi Soft Neck Traction) - Seasonal Offer - Check it Out Best Seller Tell me More • Anatomically corrects traction safely • Comfortably supports head and neck • Supports normal curvature of cervical spine • Gentle traction release • Exerts force evenly and gently • Material: 3 Layers Soft Textile Covering