Medical Question for any Who might know

[kriadydragon]

I've been having a lot of neck problems for about two years now, although it's only been recently that it's gotten so bad that it keeps trying to impede on my day to day routine. What I'd like to know is, for anyone who may know, is it possible for your neck to go out of whack from using one side of your body more than the other side? In other words - lifting more with my right hand than my left, thus strengthening my right side more than my left? The reason I need to know is because, the way I figure it, if I can strengthen my left side equal to my right, it might help my neck issues.

And, yes, I've been to a doctor about it and their suggestion was to improve the way I've been sitting, which I've been doing. I've also been rolling my neck and doing other such stretches, and all around sucking up to my vertebra anyway I can. At first I thought my neck was starting to get better, but now it's acting up again (which I do blame on myself as I had it turned in one direction while watching a movie on my sister's laptop. Plus the weather likes to wreak havoc on my head, as well as amplify any other aches and pains I may be having, and it's been raining off and on for nearly the entire month, now). Being penniless and without insurance, it's not like I can go to a doctor or chiropactor willie-nillie and, in all truth, would rather not if this problem really can be rectified with a few lifestyle changes.

But first I need to know what to change. I've changed the way I sit, I'm no longer in charge of lugging the garbage bin to the street, and do neck excercises, so the only thing left I can think of to do that might help his strengthen my left side until it's equal with my right.

Comments

[abracah.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear about your neck problems. Have you taken a good look at your pillow and made sure it is still good? How about your purse? Is it a shoulder bag and if so, is it too heavy? Do you carry a backpack and if so, is it on both shoulders?

I don't have really bad neck problems. Every once in awhile it acts up. For me, I think it is the way I sleep and how my pillow is. My head tends to get bent at a weird angle.

I wish you could go to a chiropractor. My friend goes for her back and she said she is amazed at how different she feels. Her shoulders were off because of carrying a purse on one side for so long and a realignment helped her headaches and posture and some other things. She does a weekly chiro visit and massage. That is not for me, but she swears by it. I think her insurance pays for part of it because of the health issues she was having.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I went nuts with the pillow thing - trying various types of pillows (there was one that kept me up all night because it made me hear by heart beat. Seriously, it was wierd.) I'm still not sure if I got the right pillow or not.

I don't carry a purse often, but switching the side I carry it on is an idea. Thanks!

[kontiki.livejournal.com]

I don't have any medical background. My responses are based solely on my personal experiences. I have minor to moderate trouble with my back and neck; pain, stiffness, the occasional kink or cramp that lasts a day or three and is painful. 1. I had to give up my purse in favor of a backpack. The purse pulled on my left shoulder and gave me a kink my neck. The backpack distributes the weight evenly, on my shoulders. 2. Never tuck the telephone between your shoulder and ear, get a headset and use it. 3. Adjust how you sit when watching tv or using your computer so that your head is straight on your neck; no twisting side to side or kinking up and down. If you watch tv in a high back chair think about getting a neck pillow. Even a slight twist in my neck for the length of a movie can leave my neck tender for days. 4. Sleeping, be sure that your pillow is adequately supporting your neck and head so that they are supported with no kinking or stress on your neck or shoulders (this one bit me big and it was excruciating until I figured it out). 5.
Neck and shoulder exercises are essential...but...you have to work out which ones help you and which ones are bad for you. I find that I need to perform the exercises slowly and with complete control or they add to the problem.
Hope this helps...and good luck :-)

[kontiki.livejournal.com]

Wow! I didn't realize how snappish and giving orders my advice looks until I posted it. Please forgive how it sounds, my intention was to offer suggestions not snap off directives.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

That's cool. I didn't think it was snappish, but more listing off tha advice in an organized manner. And these are excellent suggestions, some I'm already doing.

[kontiki.livejournal.com]

*headdesk* *headdesk*
Try icing your neck with a baggie of peas or corn (my physical therapist had me buy a bunch of frozen vegie bags and mark a big back X on them so I know not to eat them because when they loose their cool you put them back in the freezer and reuse) or heat. If heat is your thing then here is a way to make an easy neck warmer http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Rice-Sock or a site that makes flannel or fleece ones http://www.maryellinscottage.com/Shoulder_Warmer.html some people resond better to cold and some respond better to warm and some change off, you just have to experiment and see what works best for you. Hope you feel better soon :)

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I've never considered trying cold. I have done the heat thing, which helps temporarily.

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

I get neck problems from the computer. I see a physiotherapist and get massage as often as I can. (which at the moment is not that often.) It's not just posture because if you are stressed then your muscles will tense up and blah.
Oh and the other old chestnut is to exercise.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sometimes I think I'm tense and don't know it. It also doesn't help that I get headaches when storms start brewing, which in turn causes me to tense up and aggrivate my neck more. It's a no-win situation during the stormy season :(

[flingslass.livejournal.com]

I'm learning to drive a car and my anxieties make my neck lock up. Blah! (But I'm going to defeat them *Grrr*)

[alipeeps.livejournal.com]

It can definitely be a problem - a colleague at work (who is very fit and does martial arts) has been having realy problems with his neck/shoulder/back and has been told it is preciselty because of this - in his training he's done something not quite right and developed the muscles on one side more than the other. He's now been given exercises to build up and improve the muscles on the weaker side. My brother also had problems with upper back pain and was told it was due to similar problems with poor posture (and hence uneven distrubution of effort etc). That said, I am not a doctor or medically trained and I don't have any advice to give - just that you see a specialist who can help you look at such causes and possible solutions. What happened to someone else/works for someone else, may not be at all right for you.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

That's all I can figure is that one side being strengthened has put me out of whack. I will admit, my posture sucks :S

I think ti's going to be a long time before I'm able to see a specialist, especially since I'll have to pay for it myself. I've yet to hear of an insurance company that'll pay for pre-existing conditions.

[sarievenea.livejournal.com]

I would suggest core-strengthening exercises, crunches (and obliques, but be SURE your neck is properly supported, ie - link your fingers behind your neck or head instead of crossing your arms over your chest. relax into them while tightening your stomach.), girlie pushups (keeping your body in a straight line), leg lifts (sideways), and if you are in the gym-going mood, find a machine (torture contraption) that works your back, both upper and lower. (There is one with a rolling pad you push back against, and ones that work your trapezius and latisimus dorsi. If your torso is strengthened, your body will sit, stand, walk straighter and you will find that surprisingly, it will help your neck. Many people work their legs and arms, but forget the torso, especially the back, and the back muscles directly affect the neck. If you're up to it, strengthening your arms by lifting light, even amounts of weight can help, but find a trainer at the Y or somewhere to be sure you are doing it right the first time, and ask for shoulder strengthening exercises, like these: http://www.nismat.org/orthocor/programs/upper/upperex.html
that will help keep both sides of your upper arms and shoulders strong. And RICE - rest, ice, compression, elevation... well, you can't do the last two...but rest and ice!! Hope something helps. ;)

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's a loooot of exercise :O. I do a little walking on a treadmill with some weight lifting (light weights) but that's more for cardiovascular health than strength training. But it's something to consider (I've been wanting to expand beyond walking).

[chocolatebeer.livejournal.com]

I've been in 2 wrecks where I was rear ended and suffering from neck and back pain. I was like you, without medical insurance and money at the time. Both times I took the treatment that was funded through the auto insurance.

The first time I saw a chiropractor and got twisted and snapped and zapped. It felt nice but took a long time and I don't know if it helped or if I just healed up with time. The doctor gave me a special pillow that had no cushion in the middle. I was supposed to sleep with my head in the little hole so that my neck was straight and I was flat on my back. I usually started out like that but had to roll over on my side because I have falling nightmares if I sleep on my back.

I have to say that sleeping that way even a little while each night helped. Everything that I've read on the subject indicates that a large part of a restful night of sleep is allowing your spine to relax and fall back into its intended shape.

After the second wreck I saw a physical therapist. She zapped me with the same machine that the chiropractor used. Again, it felt nice. She also had me do exercises to strengthen my back muscles to better support my stressed out neck muscles. Specifically it was two of the exercises on the link that sarievenea posted. I did #3 but my therapist never said anything about weights. I also did #16 with a length of rubber ribbon that the therapist provided.

For cheap or free treatment I definitely recommend the exercises. If you can't get the rubber ribbon try to find any stretchy kind of string or swatch of fabric. It doesn't have to be very strong. Also don't forget to spend some time flat on your back with your neck supported each night.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I do try to spend time on my back in the mornings before getting up. I tried to sleep on my back at night but I wasn't able to fall asleep when I did. I have a very sensitive head and, after a while of sleeping on my back, I start to get a headache.

I'm still looking for a good pillow. I know they have one that supports your neck, but all they have at the store is that foam thing that wreaked havoc on my over-sensitized head. Plus, for some odd reason, I could hear my heart beat through the thing - I'm not kidding! - and that kept me up at night. It was freaky.

[coolbreeze1.livejournal.com]

I have no official medical training either, just know what's worked for me. If you can swing it, I'd recommend a chiropractor, but they can get expensive. They always want to do an X-ray the first time, which adds to the cost, and then they'll try to get you to come in three times a week, which also adds up fast. I've yet to have insurance that covers chiropractor care, so I've paid out of pocket for most of it. I think the chiropractor is good if your neck is out of alignment -- it really does make me feel better when I've gone. They can set you straight (sorry for the pun) after one or two visits and then you can do the rest on your own (that has been my experience anyway). Good luck!

[ninja007.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear you're having problems, DRagon. Stress can have A LOT to do with neck problems. I have this from experience. It went from my neck to underneath the shoulder blades, which made moving and breathing painful.

Check your pillow out. Are you a side sleeper? They have pillows specifically for how you sleep. This helped me alot. It wasn't expensive. I got my pillow from Walmart. I've seen them at Target and Costco too!

It sounds as if everyone has given you some great advice. Start experimenting. Even adjust your car seat. Keep your problem in the front of your mind, so you can look at everything you do and ask: is this causing me problems?

Good Luck! Prayers are with you...

Neck Pain

[(Anonymous)]

I know how you feel. My neck has been bothering me for a long time. What I do is just before I go to bed I heat a water bottle in the microwave till it's just right and when I go to bed I stick it under my neck. It provides support and heat. It may not help you but I thought I'd suggest it.

[ranlynn.livejournal.com]

Okay, I've had this problem.

The lack of insurance kinda sucks but if you can swing it I would suggest consulting a physical therapist. They can give you some simple but effective exercises/stretches that will help loosen & strengthen your neck & shoulders.

Until then here's some a link to look at: http://www.des.umd.edu/os/erg/neck.html

This link has the first exercises my P.T. ever gave me.

My P.T. also had me sleep on my back with a pillow under my knees to raise them & just a rolled up bath towel under my neck instead of a pillow. And practicing correct posture will help a lot.

This is another good site with exercises for the neck, back & shoulders. Many of them are ones my P.T. gave me to do. They're not hard to do & don't take up a lot of time. You just have to do them consistently. And be patient, getting better won't happen over night.

http://www.thephysiotherapysite.co.uk/exercise/simple_exercises.html

http://www.thephysiotherapysite.co.uk/simple-exercises/low-level-exercise-works

http://www.thephysiotherapysite.co.uk/simple-exercises/risks-of-exercising

http://www.thephysiotherapysite.co.uk/exercise/simple_back_exercise.html

http://www.thephysiotherapysite.co.uk/exercise/simple_neck_exercise.html

http://www.thephysiotherapysite.co.uk/exercise/simple_shoulder_exercise.html

http://www.thephysiotherapysite.co.uk/exercise/simple_knee_exercise.html

Much of what I see here matches what my various P.T.'s have had me do.

BTW: Don't be discouraged by my use of "various" PTs. I've had to re-visit a PT only after I've gotten lazy & stopped doing my exercises. As long as I kept them up I kept improving.

[wedjatqi.livejournal.com]

Have you thought of trying acupuncture? Can work wonders, but make sure they are properly qualified with recognised training.