Category: Neck Pain

Could the way you breathe be causing your neck pain?

29/9/2014

Neck pain is a very common complaint that I see in practice. The causes of this discomfort can vary dramatically. Some new research suggests that poor breathing patterns may affect how the neck functions and therefore could be a contributing factor for neck pain.

Continue reading to find out what the research revealed and why your breathing technique can affect your neck function.

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Why exercise is important as you age!

7/9/2014

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It is often said that muscle and strength decline as a function of aging alone. Put simply, this means that as you get older you are naturally going to lose strength and muscle mass and there is not much you can do about it.

A new study by Dr Vonda Wright and her colleagues that can be found at the The Physician and Sports medicine, may counteract this belief. They took detailed measurements of 40 masters athletes between the ages of 40 and 81, and found a surprising lack of age related muscle loss. They suggested that these declines that are usually seen, may signal the effect of chronic disuse rather than muscle aging. Continue reading to see a sample image of their results. It is very interesting.

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What is the best way to help neck pain?

30/7/2014

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A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and funded by the National Institute of Health suggests that medication is not the best option when dealing with neck pain.

In the study, they tracked 272 patients for 12 weeks. What they found was that those who used a chiropractor, or those that used exercise, were more than twice as likely to be pain free than those who took medication.

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How heavy should a schoolbag be?

22/7/2014

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With all the kids heading back to school this week after the school holidays, I got thinking about schoolbags and the effect they can have on growing children. I see children walking to or from school hunched over due to the weight of the heavy bags or bags that are almost the size of the child carrying it. So what effects can carrying heavy bags have and what is the ideal weight for a school bag or backpack?

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Injured yourself? Use ice.....but not for too long

30/6/2014

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Our last post looked at why and when to use heat therapy, but what about ice you may ask? It is common knowledge that if you hurt yourself playing sport, at the gym, or out in the garden, you apply ice to the area to stop swelling and inflammation. Many people spend 20-30 minutes continuously icing an aching joint or sore muscle. Research has shown that this can actually be counterproductive. Dr Romain Meeusen, a cryotherapy expert of the Free University of Brussels says that icing an area for too long can actually make the injury worse and if you are icing an injured area, it should be used with caution.

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Heat Therapy.... How to get the best results

23/6/2014

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The ice and heat debate is a never ending discussion. Depending on what book you read or who you talk to, you will get different answers as to what is best and how to use them effectively. Here is my take on heat therapy.

Heat therapy can have numerous benefits and has long been associated with comfort and relaxation. However, it can provide both pain relief and healing benefits for injuries. Heat is best used for sub-acute and chronic or long term conditions.

So how does it work?
Heat therapy can help provide relief through several mechanisms:

Heat therapy dilates the blood vessels in the area. This process increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and washes away the toxin build up, helping to heal the tissue and reduce pain.
Short term heat application will only penetrate a few mm's. Deeper tissue reactions are due to local reflexes and require more than 15 minutes of heat.
If mild heat is used it can decrease sensation of sensory nerve endings. This means that applying heat to the area will decrease the transmission of pain signals to the brain and help relieve the discomfort.
Heat application also facilitates stretching the soft tissues around the spine, including muscles, connective tissues and adhesions. As a result of this, there will be a decrease in stiffness as well as pain, with an increase in flexibility and overall feeling of comfort.

How to use heat therapy effectively
My suggestion for using heat therapy is to have a good heat source like a wheat bag, hot pack or a heat lamp.
My favourite thing to use is a wheat bag for its ease of use and safety (if you follow the instructions and heat it correctly). If you are using a microwave to heat a wheat bag, make sure you put a cup of water in the microwave to avoid overheating the wheat.

When applying the heat I have found short bursts tend to work more effectively from a physiological perspective. Apply the heat for 20min (to make sure it penetrates deeper tissues) them remove the heat for approximately 40 min before re-applying for a further 20min. These short bursts will help bring two big rushes of fresh oxygenated and nutrient rich blood to the area to help speed up the healing process. You can leave the heat on for longer, but applying it in shorter bursts will give you the best physiological response.

We stock a range of wheatbags made locally in Whenuapai. They are great value and great quality. If you come to my practice, make sure you check them out. If you would like some more information about this article please contact us. Stay posted for the next blog on the reasons for using ice and how to use it effectively.

Could the way you breathe be causing your neck pain?

Why exercise is important as you age!

What is the best way to help neck pain?

How heavy should a schoolbag be?

Injured yourself? Use ice.....but not for too long

Heat Therapy.... How to get the best results

December 31st, 1969

Health Insights & Tips

Dr Craig Buscomb

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Could the way you breathe be causing your neck pain?

Why exercise is important as you age!

What is the best way to help neck pain?

How heavy should a schoolbag be?

Injured yourself? Use ice.....but not for too long

Heat Therapy.... How to get the best results

December 31st, 1969

Health Insights & Tips

Dr Craig Buscomb

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Categories

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