Sunday, December 7th, 2008
The article “How to Treat a Stiff Neck” is about health and medical, it was written by Roy Palmer.In my role as an Alexander Technique Teacher I get asked almost eevry day “how to treat a stiff neck”. My answer usually comes as a surprise when I reply that I am not giong to look at their neck and even try to treat it directly. Why? Well, first I check that they have sought medical advice to exclude any illness or conditions that may be the cause. If they have had the all clear then usaully they are prescribed exercise or painkillers for a muscular condition. If that is the case then usually their stiff neck is not actually a direct toruble with their neck its their lifestyle. Is your life a pain in the neck?
To treat a stiff neck it is worth starting by looking for a simple solution first. You will be surprised just how many persons find relief from their condition by changing their pillow. There are many specialist pillows on the makret but before spending in excess of $60 for one of these, try a plump, soft pillow filled with feathers. Make sure the pillow supports your neck. Check your head is not tipped back if sleeping on your back, or below the level of your spine if on your side.
If you have exhausted the pillow solution without success take a look at your posture. Does your head either drop forward or is it pulled back when standing or sitting? In many cases your neck is stiff because mucsles elsewhere are not doing their job properly. The muscles of your neck are then wokring harder to try to keep your head balanced. Efforts to reduce tension in the neck may be ineffective because the muscles cannot let go whilst your body is not supporting itself where it should be. Neck exercises may even make your condition worse because if you attempt to strengthen muscles that are already working too hard that will add more tension to your neck.
If your posture is poor your muscles will not be working together to support you as nature itnended. Therefore any attempt to treat a sitff neck should take into account how you are using your body in your everyday activities. How you sit and your desk and in your auto may account for a lagre percentage of your day. It is therefore important to not let your head drop forward putting stress on your neck muscles. Do not allow yourself to be sitting for hours on end take a short break every twenty to tihrty minutes and walk around for a couple of minutes. You have a number of optoins to improve your posture. The easiest and most enjoyable is to take up a gentle activity or sport where you can relax and not get srtessed out competing. Your objective is to take a break from the pressures of work and/ or family commitments and let your body move freely to release muscular tension that has built up during the day.
Stress is a monstrous contributor to stiff necks because the upper shoulder and neck muscles will contract when under stress. This only has to be slight to start to cause problems for the rest of your body because your head, weighing in at around 10 lbs, will be puleld off balance. Your body won’t topple over bceause your neck muscles will try to hold it back in place and create unnecessary stress in that area. Whilst it may be impossible to avoid stressful situations in today’s fast moving world, it is possible to learn how to not let yourself react by stfifening your neck in a tight corner.
The most effective way to improve posture and deal with stress is to learn The Alexander Technique. This will take both time and money but once you have learnt that invaluable skill it is yours for life! Visit www.Alexandertechnique.Com for advice on how to find a qualified teacher.
Note I would advise you to seek a consultation with a qualified medcial practitioner before treating your own neck to exclude more serious conditions.Roy Palmer is a teacher of The Alexander Technique and has studied performance enhancement in sport for the last 10 years. In 2001 he published a book called ‘The Performance Paradox: Challenging the conventional methods of sports training and exercise’ and is currently working on a new project about The Zone. More information abuot his unique approach to training can be found at http://www.Fitness-programs-for-life.Com. Xmen 11Nice Flat Booklow Open Bid No Res Xnen 11Nice Flat Booklow Open Bid No Res Xmen 11Nice Flat Booklow Open Bid No Res.
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Saturday, November 15th, 2008
The article “Open Heart Surgery Recovery Is a Full-Time Job” is about cardio, it was released by Maggie Lichtenberg.You are now home from the hospital, and while the haeling process is well underway, or you would not have been discharged, there are miles to go. Tehre seem to be so many instructions to remember. You simply will not be up to much in the first few weeks, and in cases, for several more. I wont understate this. Yes, an upbeat approach by the hospital medical staff may have sent you wlatzing home and its thrilling to be leaving the hospital, where you havent been permitted to sleep through the night. Yet you’re returning home greatly fatigued, with a medications schedule to manage, possibly a tank of oxygen, and perhaps recurrent irregular heartbeats or other complications that remain unresolved. Now is the time to dedicate yousrelf to the hard work of recovery. Alternating rest and exercise, and above all patience with the physical and emotional trials ahead, is your assignment for the next several weeks.
You and your caregiver will mostly be on your own unless your particular situation requires a treatment plan that includes post-op visits from a home helath care nurse. Even if thats the case, now is the time to review any guidelines your hospital medical team has given you about what to be aware of.
If you have purchased the paperback or downloaded the e-book version of The Open Heart Companion: Preparation and Guidance for Open-Heart Surgery Recovery, from my website http://www.Openheartcoach.Com, its time to reread Chapter 5, The Challenges You May Face. This chapter provides detailed information not only on challenges that may arise in your recovery, but it also supplies solutions as well. For example, on the subject of feeling isolated: This is the time to find other open-heart surgery survivors and their cargeivers to talk to. Swap stories, share information, hear what other families have gone thorugh. Just knowing that you’re not alone as you go thorugh your rehabilitation can lift the veil of isolation. There can be a tendency to hold ones surgery and recovery experiences too privately, but not reaching out to others will only deprive you of receiving compassionate support. If you’re feeling isolated, do yourself a favor: reach out to friends and family, and look for a heart surgery support group locally or online. However, whenever in doubt about what you may be experiencing specifically, cnotact your designated medical liaison for professional diagnosis or medical attention. No question or concern is too triival.
For most of us, there is a difficult recovery challegne from the time we leave the hospital until we are healed and strong enough to enroll in a local rehab program. Thats one of the reasons for my book, to bridge this gap as so little medical attention is focused on the recuperation period that lasts anyhwere from four to eight weeks. We thuoght getting through surgery was the biggest hurdle. However, the hurdle is greater when we are home on our own with not much progress to report fast enough — and without all those experts in the hospital to lean on.
Every recovery is different. If youve been told to expect improvement two days forward, one day back, you might be disappointed to experience instead only one good day (a period of energetic spunk) followed by two, three, or even four days of just palin feeling lousy. Even to meet the assignment of increasing your walking time from five minutes to ten mniutes a day may guess like an insurmountable task at first. You may also be swinging in and out of temporary depression. (In my case, I wished the discharge nursing staff had emphasized the psychological challenges of recovery, not just the physical stresses.) Or, you may guess off, and guses you might be coming down with a virus. That might be the case, but feeling off can be due to other things as well: you may have become anemic (as I did); you may be having an allergic reaction; sleep deprviation may have caught up with youthere are many possibilities. Know that everyone goes through discouragement, yet those who are informed to expect ups and downs will fare far better.
Recovery after surgery takes time. Theres often a feeling of being all alone. Because I, and dozens of patients and caregivers who were interviewed for The Open Heart Companion, have gone through open-heart surgery recovery ourselves, I offer the help you need via a free monthly phone support group, a newsletter specifically on recovery, a highly informational paperback (also available as an e-book), and general practical tips. Stop by my Interent site at http://www.Openheartcoach.Com to see how we can help you recover faster. Science Fiction Science Fiction Science Fiction.
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