Somewhere in America, someone wakes up in the morning with a stiff neck. What they do not realize is that the very pillow you sleep on can cause the neck pain. However, with all the pillows out there, how do you know which one to buy?

Finding the Right Height for Your Pillow -

Believe it or not, the height of a pillow needs to be correct for you. The pillow needs to support your head and keep your neck in line with your spine.

If the pillow is too tall, then your neck will bend forward.

Too short and your neck will pitch back. To get the correct height, you need to determine the height depending on if you sleep on your side, back or stomach. If you need more than one pillow to achieve the correct height, then buy two pillows. On the other hand, you do not want to buy a pillow that is too fluffy either. Take your time shopping for a pillow and get one that is perfect for you.

A Word on Contour Pillows -

By far, contour pillows are the best fit for your neck. If you are experiencing neck pain, then spend the extra money to get a good contour pillow. People who switch to contour pillows have significant reduction in neck pain after a few days of sleep.

If you cannot afford a contour pillow, then a cheap alternative is available. You can roll a towel up tightly making it 1.5 to 2.5 inches thick. Then place the towel under your neck when sleeping. This will give you similar support. If you find relief, then you will want to seriously consider the contour pillow.

Memory Foam Pillows -

Many people find they prefer memory foam pillows over all other types. You will have to test it out for yourself to find out how you like them. Personally, I cannot use a memory foam pillow because they get too hot for me. However, this is an uncommon experience.

When Pillows Are Not Enough -

If you have changed your pillow and you are still experiencing pain, then you will need to find out what is bothering your neck. Generally, it is due to poor posture. Since you have corrected your posture while sleeping, you will want to look at how you drive and how you work.

Some people unknowingly push their head forward while driving and while working on a computer. Pay close attention to your head position. It should remain directly in line with your neck and spine. When the head is consistently pushed forward, neck strain occurs.

If you have changed your pillow and looked at your posture, and you still cannot find the cause of your neck pain, then it is time to see a chiropractor. When posture is not the issue, the most common cause of neck pain is a misalignment in the vertebrae. A chiropractor can gently realign your neck and spine to relieve pressure placed on your neck.

HealthSource would like to present you with a limited time complimentary consultation, a $179.00 value. To Find the closest chiropractic office near you, go to http://www.HealthSourceOfMosesLake.com or call 1-888-977-6734 today.

Because back pain is one of the most common ailments among adults, there are countless natural remedies from every traditional health care system to help people find relief. Ayurveda, which is an ancient alternative medicine system, has a range of natural cures for back pain. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

What is Ayurveda? -

Ayurveda, which has been referred to as the oldest health care system in the world, dates back thousands of years in India but also quickly spread to influence Traditional Chinese Medicine and other ancient medical traditions. This may be why Ayurveda is often called the, “mother of all healing systems.” The word Ayurveda in Sanskrit means, “the science of lifespan.”

Ayurveda can be compared to energy healing because it is focused on finding and maintaining the balance of the energy of life within our bodies rather than looking at symptoms in isolation. Ayurvedic practitioners work to preserve the alliance of the mind-body-spirit connection and restore harmony in the body.

According to Ayurveda, man is a microcosm of nature, and the human body is composed of the five basic elements of space, air, water, fire and earth. There are three body types, or doshas, which are analogous to the thin, fat, or muscular body types and they are: vata, pitta and kapha. Space and air together make up the vata body type, fire and water comprise pitta, and water and earth make up kapha.

Ayurvedic Back Pain Remedies -

Ayurveda uses an integrated approach to managing back pain, which includes herbs, oils and yoga to rebalance the dosha deficiencies. These remedies are of course designed to treat back pain resulting from strains and over-use rather than acute injuries such as a slipped disc, which would require emergency attention. These remedies are for the common back pain that causes achiness, some discomfort and limited range of motion.

Internal Treatments for Back Pain -

Back pain, according to Ayurveda, can be the result of an excess of ‘apana’ in the body. So, taking castor oil three times a week for a month helps to detoxify the body.

Taking a medicated enema (Basti) to empty out the bowels helps to reduce back pain.

Ayurvedic medicines can be taken to relieve back pain including:
” Arthcare
” Yogaraj guggulu
” Kaishore guggulu
” Musta-Musta

Another external treatment is a hot, herbal oil massage. The administration of the massage varies with the body type of the patient. Vata and pitta need the oil to be rubbed gently on the skin’s surface, while kapha body types will require a deeper massage for a longer period of time.

Arthcare Massage Oil -

This anti-inflammatory herbal oil helps to relieve pain and strengthen your bones and connective tissues.

After a hot herbal oil rubdown, a hot herbal bath can also bring back pain relief. Adding some powdered ginger root and baking soda to the hot water will add to its effectiveness. Soak in the tub for 10 -15 minutes to relax the muscles and bring soothing relief.

External Treatments for Back Pain -

Yoga poses such as the cat and cow series, child’s pose, and the seated forward bend can both bring relief from back pain and strengthen the back muscles and the supporting ligaments to help prevent back pain from strain and overuse.

HealthSource would like to present you with a limited time complimentary consultation, a $179.00 value. To Find the closest chiropractic office near you, go to http://HealthSourceofFargoMoorhead.com or call 1-888-977-6734 today.

Headaches are a common complaint. Usually, when someone says they have a headache, it’s not considered that serious-maybe they’re tired or stressed out; even dehydration can cause headaches. Take an aspirin with a glass of water, and you’ll feel better. Strangely, sometimes it’s the water more than the aspirin that alleviates the headache, because in our modern world we’ve become so accustomed to neglecting the basics of what our bodies need.

Sinus Headaches -

I myself have in the past been susceptible to chronic sinus headaches. Those usually weren’t what would be thought of as severe, as far as the degree of pain was concerned-more an annoyance. A persistent, throbbing pain around and behind my eyes that was manageable, but still interfered with daily activities because it made me less inclined to want to do anything, and it made things like staring at a computer screen not so much fun.

I found out not long ago that migraines are frequently misdiagnosed as sinus headaches, and I wonder, now, if I had some mild form of migraine rather than what I always assumed was just a manifestation of the allergies that had plagued me my whole life.

Migraines -

That’s another layer of the headache discussion: migraines. While I’ve never suffered from migraines in the accepted sense-whatever my chronic sinus headaches really might have been, they were not debilitating the way true migraines seem to be-I have an alarming number of friends who are prone to them.

Typically, the friends of mine who are afflicted with these horrible day-ending, skull-splitting headaches are young, or youngish, women. One friend actually had a number of tests done because she was experiencing numbness in various body parts along with the migraines. Many life-threatening conditions were possible and even suspected, including brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, and aneurysm.

Vitamin Deficiency -

I had suggested before the symptoms ever got that severe that perhaps she had a vitamin D deficiency. In the end, after hundreds of dollars, test upon test, and a lot of false alarms, that ended up being exactly what it was: vitamin D deficiency and really bad migraines-possibly vitamin D deficiency somehow causing the really bad migraines.

Stress on Body and Mind -

Ten or fifteen years ago, my uncle, in his late forties now and a real estate agent, would have to turn off the lights in his office and lay on the floor, because that was the only thing that helped ease the migraines from which he suffered. The diagnosis? Stress.

Why are so many people, and so many fairly young people at that, tormented by these life-halting headaches? Whatever the doctors say, I will maintain that it’s what we eat and how we live. We need to give our bodies water, vitamins and nutrients, and the rest we need.

We need to seek out the types of healthcare that will put our bodies back on track naturally, without drugs: chiropractic care, physical therapy, acupuncture, herbs. Since I’ve adopted that type of lifestyle, I rarely get headaches anymore, and I think there’s something to be said for that.

HealthSource would like to present you with a limited time complimentary consultation, a $179.00 value. To Find the closest chiropractic office near you, go to http://www.HealthSourceOfJunctionCity.com or call 1-888-977-6734 today.

Few things are as intensely painful as cluster headaches. Cluster headaches are defined by their sudden onset, intense pain and frequent recurrence over a short period of time. The burst of headache activity is usually followed by a period of calm before the next attack ensues.

“Suicide Headaches” -

Cluster headaches are so painful that they are recognized as one of the most painful conditions in the world. Women have reported that they are more intense than labor. Accompanied by sharp pain around and in the eye, the top of the head or down the neck, people have described the pain as similar to having a spike or red-hot poker jabbed into their bodies.

Believed to be caused by an abnormality in the hypothalamus, cluster headaches usually strike at about the same time each day. Brain imaging techniques show that specific areas in the brain are only activated during a cluster headache attack, and while the attack itself is benign, in that it doesn’t actually do any physical harm to the individual, when a severe incident occurs it should be treated as a medical emergency.

Oxygen Treatment isn’t New -

The best way to treat the onset of a cluster headache is to “cut it off at the pass.” Abortive treatments vary, but the use of pure oxygen has been demonstrated to end the attack within 1 to 10 minutes. If the headache reaches its peak, no amount of oxygen will help and other options are more effective.

The use of oxygen to treat cluster headaches was first noted in 1939 at the Mayo Clinic. It was noted that people with “severe migraines” often recovered quickly when given 100% oxygen to breathe. Studies showed that up to 80% of patients with cluster headaches received significant results from oxygen therapy, slightly higher than the rate of success with ergotamine medications. The effects were also felt more quickly.

Side Effects are Few -

There are few side effects associated with oxygen therapy. The primary concern is that a majority of those who suffer from cluster headaches are smokers. Oxygen and cigarettes are an explosive mix. The risk of a patient lighting up while attached to oxygen is small, but should be considered.

Another noted side effect is that of a rebound headache. About 25% of patients experience some degree of headache rebound after treatment. Still, when compared with the side effects normally attributed to ergotamine, this is relatively benign.

Migraines can also be Treated with Oxygen -

While the research isn’t as conclusive regarding the treatment of migraine headaches with oxygen, it is known to be helpful as well. About 50% of all sufferers will experience relief through the use of oxygen. If, however, there is no improvement after 30 minutes, none can be expected.

For those who suffer from cluster headaches, the use of oxygen can be a real boon. The concept of eliminating the headache within a matter of minutes, for someone suffering from excruciating pain, can only be imagined. With few side effects and a long record of successful treatment, oxygen therapy should be made more available to those with cluster headaches.

HealthSource would like to present you with a limited time complimentary consultation, a $179.00 value. To Find the closest chiropractic office near you, go to http://www.HealthSourceOfHoustonMemorial.com or call 1-888-977-6734 today.

Back pain is not something people want to endure willingly. It can cause crippling pain and interfere with your ability to do simple tasks. There are several causes for back pain, but there is no need to suffer from any of them needlessly; the methods available to treat these conditions are plentiful.

Common Causes for Pain in the Back

Some of the most common reasons for back pain include:

” Osteoarthritis
” Herniated disc
” Strains
” Sprains
” Fibromyalgia
” Weak midsection muscles
” Poor postural alignment
” Sciatica

Common back problems can be caused or exacerbated by slouching, sleeping on a poor quality mattress, age, improper lifting, repetitive bending and twisting motions, falls, and a diet that is deficient in bone-strengthening nutrients.

Natural Treatments for Back Pain

There are several drug-free methods used to treat pain in the back. Massage therapy relaxes muscle spasms and improves blood circulation. Applying heat and ice packs simultaneously to the offending area will ease pain in the back. Heat relaxes the muscles, and ice reduces inflammation.

Heat can worsen inflammation in the back, so wait at least two days after the initial injury to apply heat to the area.

Acupuncture is another method commonly used to treat painful conditions. During acupuncture, thin needles are inserted along pathways in the body to improve energy flow and relieve pain. With the exception of tenderness at the injection sites, there are typically no side effects associated with acupuncture.

Chiropractic care is another option for treating back pain naturally. Chiropractors can offer massage and acupuncture services as well as a number of other treatment methods for pain in the back. Some of them include decompression therapy to relieve pressure on the nerves and restore nutrients to the discs. There is also spinal manipulation, in which chiropractors use specialized techniques and gentle, painless equipment to realign the spine.

Over the Counter and Prescription Drug Treatments for Back Pain

Over the counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen, and aspirin are the most commonly used drugs to treat mild to moderate pain in the back.

If over the counter pain relievers are taken as directed, they can usually be used by healthy individuals without serious side effects. If you have health conditions or are taking other medications, talk to a doctor before taking over the counter meds for back pain.

If pain in the back is too intense, stronger pain relievers are available via prescription. If prescription pain killers are not taken properly they can have severe side effects, and become addictive as well.

If back pain is caused by a herniated disc and is persistent, steroid injections can be injected directly at the site of the pain. These injections reduce inflammation, and relieve pain.

Most back pain will go away over time, but in rare instances surgery may be required to remedy the cause of back problems.

Back pain can make simple everyday tasks difficult to carry out. But being proactive with treatment can get rid of your back pain and help you get back to doing the things you enjoy everyday.

HealthSource would like to present you with a limited time complimentary consultation, a $179.00 value. To Find the closest chiropractic office near you, go to http://HealthSourceChiro.com or call 1-888-977-6734 today.

In order to succeed at weight loss there are certain strategies you must employ. Unfortunately a haphazard approach just won’t work in the long term. As anyone who has lost weight only to regain it a short while later can tell you, there is more to this battle than it seems on the surface.

Tracking and Counting -

It may just be the most boring thing in the world, but tracking your food and counting calories actually works. People generally underestimate their calorie consumption by 20% if they are thin, but 40% if they are overweight. Clearly, this is a significant factor in weight control.

It may not be glamorous but the cheapest and easiest way to track your eating is to use a pad and pencil. If you have a liking for gadgets there are certainly many options as well. For the truly high tech there are Apps that can be downloaded to smart phones. These Apps often contain more than 200,000 food items making tracking remarkably portable and easy.

Make Time for Exercise but not for Weight Loss -

The newest research indicates that exercise, in and of itself, does not lead to weight loss. The findings also demonstrate that those who exercise regularly, as defined by at least 60-90 minutes a day, five days a week, are at less risk for obesity related illnesses. Exercise has many benefits even if increased weight loss isn’t one of them; in fact people who exercise more often tend to eat more in general.

While it isn’t necessary to set aside over an hour to exercise daily, frequent bouts of moderate intensity activities seem to decrease the odds of developing Type II Diabetes, heart disease and cognitive impairments as you age. Exercise also releases endorphins that make you feel better; people who feel good don’t tend to overeat as much.

Talk to Your Doctor -

This may seem cliche, but your doctor can be your best ally in the fight against a spreading waistline. Not only can your doctor provide encouragement and the name of a good nutritionist, if needed they can prescribe medications that help control appetite. Knowing that someone will hold you accountable for your efforts is remarkably helpful when trying to maintain focus on something as difficult as weight loss.

Set Realistic Goals and Reward Yourself -

Perhaps the most difficult thing to do is to set realistic goals. It is tempting to say “I am going to lose 100 pounds before summer.” The reality is that such a goal is unattainable. It is better to set the goal of 10 pounds and reach it than choosing your final destination as your only target.

As you reach each small goal reward yourself with something you enjoy. Purchase a new CD, try a new class or perhaps plan a night out with friends. Celebrate your success and then set a new goal, you will find a segmented approach is more manageable.

Weight loss is incredibly difficult to achieve. There is no part of the process that is glamorous. The end result, however, is a healthier you, and that is well worth the effort.

HealthSource would like to present you with a limited time complimentary consultation, a $179.00 value. To Find the closest chiropractic office near you, go to http://www.HealthSourceOfSpringfield.com or call 1-888-977-6734 today.

In the dangerous world we live in, and even in the small domestic activities of daily life, occasional injuries are inevitable. The good news is that while we can’t always prevent them, we can safeguard our bodies against them with exercise and nutrition so they won’t be so bad when they do occur. Also, in addition to physical therapy, there are nutritional aids we can give our bodies to help them heal when they do get hurt.

Nutrients Necessary to Properly Heal Fractures -

I’ll go ahead and hazard a guess that some type of fracture or another is going to be among the most common of injuries. So for now, I’m going to focus on using nutrition to help fractured bones heal. This would be in addition to the care provided by your physician, of course.

First, you should see about getting a microcrystalline hydroxyapatite concentrate (MCHC) that contains the organic protein-calcium matrix of raw bones. This is available only through healthcare professionals. Three milligrams of boron daily-no more!-is important for bone health and healing; it can increase calcium uptake by up to 30 percent.

Calcium, obviously, is a big one-essential in repairing broken bones. You should take 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams daily in divided doses, after meals and before you go to bed. 1,000 milligrams of magnesium is necessary to balance with the calcium, and 99 milligrams of potassium is important for maintaining strong muscle and heart function. Strong muscles, clearly, support strong bones, and the heart supports everything.

Glucosamine and chondroitin build cartilage and thus aid the body in maintaining joint flexibility. Methylsulfonyl-methane (MSM) makes the cell walls permeable, which allows water and nutrients to flow into the cells and, conversely, wastes and toxins to flow out. 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of kelp a day are rich in calcium and minerals in a natural balance.

Proteolytic enzymes, taken as directed on the label, reduce inflammation when taken between meals and aid digestion of protein when taken with meals. Children under 16 should not take this one, though.

Silica, or horsetail, supplies silicon, which is important for calcium uptake and connective tissue repair. Vitamin C with bioflavonoids-3,000 to 6,000 milligrams daily in divided doses-is essential to repairing bones, connective tissue, and muscles. Vitamin D3, 400 to 1,000 IU daily, is required for calcium absorption and connective tissue repair. Finally, zinc, in the form of gluconate lozenges or methionate for best absorption, plays a significant part in tissue repair.

Nutrients Helpful in Healing Fractures -

A free-form amino acid complex will speed healing. Octacosonal improves tissue oxygenation. Raw liver extract supplies balanced B vitamins. Vitamin A with mixed carotenoids helps with the utilization of protein.

Physical and Mental Health Go Hand in Hand -

While healing, it’s important to keep your spirits up; this will impact how quickly and how well you heal. S-Adenosylmmethionine is a natural alternative to prescription antidepressants and, taken in a lower dose, is useful as an anti-inflammatory agent for joint stiffness – but don’t use it if you’re bipolar or already are taking prescription antidepressants. A vitamin B complex will help maintain healthy muscle tone and proper brain function and is especially important for older adults.

HealthSource would like to present you with a limited time complimentary consultation, a $179.00 value. To Find the closest chiropractic office near you, go to http://www.healthsourcetomsriver.com or call 1-888-977-6734 today.