Back Pain Articles

Neck pain is one pain that many people have to at least once in their life. Pain in the upper back and neck can be caused by a vehicle accident, a hit on the head, or just simply being stressed out. There are many treatments that can help with the pain and they should be discussed with a doctor before attempting to do them.

Be sure to discuss the painful condition to your doctor. Neck and jaw pain can often mean there is a more serious condition that needs to be diagnosed. For example, jaw and neck pressure and pain can often mean heart problems in some women. These pains are not necessary a sure sign of heart problems, but it is a significant sign that should be reported to a doctor immediately.

When the neck is injured in a vehicle accident, medical attention is required immediately. This can be a sign of the painful condition known as whip lash and is the most common injury to those that have been hit from behind. The violent and sudden jolt causing the neck muscles and bones to be jarred, causing them to become very sore for sometimes weeks on end.

In some accidents, the neck injuries are so severe; the patient may never recover from the spinal damage. This often leaves the patient paralyzed because of the damage to the spinal column or broken bones in the vertebrae in the neck area. Many that have severe damage may never be able to walk or talk again. Some are very aware of their surroundings but are unable to verbally communicate with others.

Arthritis causes the bones in the neck to rub against one another when the person moves their head. This is one of the most common causes of neck and other joint pains. The joints that are used the most, such as hands, neck and knees are an easy target for arthritis. For relief of pain, it is necessary to talk to a doctor.

Stress is often the main reason many people have pains in the neck and lower head area. Stress causes the muscles to tense, often causing pain in the neck that eventually causes a headache in most patients. A prescription can be written by your doctor for a medication that combines acetaminophen and a mild muscle relaxer to help with medical situations such as that.

To find more on how to find out the sources of neck pain and how to treat them, consult your doctor. For more information that can be found for yourself, do a little research on the internet.

Find a way to get rid of that neck pain nyc once and for all. Relief of neck pain relief nyc and many other pains can be accomplished by finding the right practitioner.

Rotator Cuff Injury Therapy can be done in the comfort of your own home, but I am sure that you have a lot of questions about your shoulder injury. One of the most important things that you can do is talk to your doctor and find a good physical therapist. Physical therapists and athletic trainers have the training and experience with shoulder pain and rotator cuff issues to help ease your pain.

Seeing a physical therapist for many types of injuries is very important, but it can be quite costly if it is not covered by your insurance. Health Insurance, now that’s a hot topic these days. So, rotator cuff injury therapy can be administered effectively by you. Yep, at home and you won’t have to buy expensive equipment or pay for costly visits to your physical therapist.

Learning where your shoulder pain is coming from is probably the most important you can do to understand rotator cuff injury therapy. Most all of the pain and suffering that you are experiencing is coming from the inflammation and swelling of tissues in your shoulder and upper arm.

This may be difficult to grasp at first, but there is a very important point to learn about what to do with this pain and inflammation. Don’t use heat or heating pads to treat your discomfort. I know that you can feel immediate results from heat treatment, but heat can increase the inflammation and potentially increase your pain.

Beginning rotator cuff injury therapy at home is very simple. All you need is a little time and a little ice. Go to your kitchen cabinet and get a zip top bag and fill it with ice. Place the bag in a t-shirt or thin towel and place it in your shoulder. This is a very simple and easy thing to, but this therapy can go a long way.

For the best results, do this rotator cuff injury therapy immediately after you have pain or shortly after your workout routine.

Visit Rotator Cuff Injury Therapy and find out how to ease your shoulder pain and discomfort. Rotator Cuff Injury Treatment can ease the pain and discomfort that you experience from a rotator cuff injury.

Today I made a conscious decision to get out of my comfort zone and REALLY mix things up! Normally I train at an overcrowded, low-energy 24 hour fitness. It is just a gym to me and nothing special beyond that.

Golds Gym Venice is a 45 minute drive from my home so I decided to forgo the usual cardio at 24 Hour and take advantage of living so close to the Mecca. I could feel the difference the moment I walked in. The energy was so tangible you could slice it with a knife. The gym is frequented by bodybuilders, actors/actresses, athletes and normal folks who want to train at the most notable gym on the planet.

Today was just a cardio day. I warmed up for a few minutes on the treadmill and to my left was actor Ray Liotta! Cool! After warming up, I decided to do elliptical instead of treadmill and moved across the room, giving me a different vantage point. Right in front of me there is well known Bodybuilder Dennis James with legendary trainer Charles Glass pumping away. Then Stone Cold Steve Austin goes walking by! Is this place for real? I’m not star struck. It did feel strange though to be surrounded by so many well known folk’s all inside the same room. An old friend from college, and pro-bowler, Brendan Ayanbadejo came up and chatted for a few minutes. I hadn’t seen him in 5 years. The trip to Gold’s was worth it already! On the way out, I see Tito Raymond training a client and Shawn Ray and Lonnie Teper coming in to do a shoot for Ironman magazine’s preview of the upcoming Arnold Classic. What a start to the day!

The point of the story is not to name drop all my celebrity sitings. It was to show that when we do things out of the “ordinary,” “unordinary” things start happening to us! More on this topic in a second…

I walked to the famous Firehouse grill after leaving Golds Gym. The diner is famous for its bodybuilder friendly menu and great food. I kept the diet clean with egg whites and oatmeal. Before returning to my truck for the next adventure of the day, I stopped off at Max Muscle, owned by Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, to purchase meal replacements and ensure that I wouldn’t miss a single one of my six meals for the day.

I headed for Hollywood next. Driving up sunset I pass Mel’s Diner, Saddleranch, the Standard and a host of other well-known Hollywood hotspots. Continuing up into the foothills, I arrived at the trail head for Hollywood sign. This is considered Hollywoods best-known landmark and certainly most photographed. I had never been!

I set out on an hour long hike to get up close and personal with the sign, carrying only a camera and bottle of water. I have only hiked a few times in my life and not for many years. I certainly do not claim to be a hiker. Wow did those hills feel amazing on my legs though. The weather was sunny and the sky was crisp and blue. The incredible weather seemed to warm me from the inside out. How thrilling it was to be up there! I even took my shirt off and worked on my tan since the weather was so nice. Keep in mind that this is February. How many places on earth can you feel warm enough to jog without a shirt at this time of the year?

After making it as close as legally possible to the sign, I snapped some pictures and turned back. I jogged all the way back to the bottom. Talk about tough. Trail running is no joke. It is not the treadmill. My legs are sore now!

I was reminded of an important lesson today. A seminar speaker once said, the habits that enabled him to become a multi-millionaire speaker worldwide, are the same habits holding him back from becoming a billionaire. I hope you guys caught that. He has a lot of “financial” success admittedly, but even he knows that his actions and behaviors which have brought him tremendous gain are holding him back from the next level! How is that for a re-frame!

I have never been a hiker nor would I have ever been interested in hiking in the past. What if the difference between an ultra-fit person and the average Joe was only one hike per month? I never would have known because it wasn’t my habit. The concept is lets look at all areas of our lives and see how we can shake them up even more.

Billionaire Bill Gates even goes through periods where he lacks creativity. One story tells of how he drove home a different route from work every day for a year! He never took the same route twice! All of this new activity literally created new synapses in his brain and sparked change in his life.

For you, this might mean a different running route, new foods or spices. Perhaps a new workout partner, new gym or fresh pair of running shoes. Refrain from eating the same food twice in a week. Force yourself to develop a taste for new and healthy foods deepen your menu of meal choices. This is a surefire way to guarantee ultimate transformation and long-term fitness success.

As the saying goes, a mind once expanded can never contract to its original size. The behaviors that got us where we are today are likely holding us back from what we really want. Successful entrepreneur and mega millionaire, Bill Phillips, spoke of his vision 10 years ago in Body of Work, when he explained how he materialized his dream of owning a red Lamborghini. At that point in time, Bill defined exactly what he wanted and went about changing his actions and behaviors in order to get the car and attain “success.” He has since far surpassed the red sports.

Everything begins in thought, for every single one of you. If you want a better body, more health, a partner in life, younger looks, you must define exactly what it is. With the information and strategies shared here, doesn’t the process seem all the more practical when you do things differently?

I wish you a life of abundance! Have an AWESOME DAY!

Dr. Shaun Stuto is a Missoula neck pain specialist and the founder of Transormation Chiropractic in Missoula, MT. Call TODAY and Schedule an appointment (406) 728-1250

The shoulders are designed to carry the arms with little support. There are ligaments, tendons and muscles holding the area in a ball and socket fashion. Unlike the hips and femurs, the shoulder is easier moved in all ranges of motion. This puts great physical stress on the joint which can cause shoulder issues.

The muscles which cradle the shoulder are fairly thin and distended in comparison to other joints, therefore they can be more susceptible to injury and causing a subluxation. This is the reason the shoulder is one of the most oft injured bodyparts.

Delve deeper into shoulder pain and patients may not even remember the trauma which caused the pain. It could be a very specific trauma such as a car accident or sports injury. Sometimes it is bad ergonomics or repetitive microtrauma.

A chiropractor can examine and look for signs in mobility of the shoulder region to find the problem. Although the arms are used so many times per day, the shoulder can stiffen or cause problems with just a slight trauma. A common problem is the rotator cuff, as this can cause increased pain and needs to be appropriately addressed.

As the shoulders are in close relation to the neck, which in turn is part of the spinal column, shoulder pain may be a secondary problem of spinal alignment. Using one of our chiropractic methods, we can assess, align and maintain a common balance for your well being. If the vertebrae or alignment is out of kilter, then this can have the knock on effect which can cause neck and shoulder pains. Headaches are also common with patients who are out of alignment.

Many GP’s and physicians refer patients towards medicine or surgery. Unless there is a tear, this invasive practice or putting unnatural tablets into your body can further upset the balance. There are so many risks with surgery, which occasionally go wrong and medication only masks the pain. Chiropractors use experience and specific equipment to find the root cause of the problem and create a thorough plan to help the body mend.

At The Spinal Correction & Wellness Center, we have many trained massage therapists and chiropractors who can help not only with the pain but create a balance for the body. Correct spinal alignment can control a myriad of problems ranging from joint pain, muscular pain and internal function problems. Our patients are advised on correct dietary needs and are given a stepping stone to wellness.

Shoulder pain is often overlooked and untreated. If left for extended periods of time, muscle or cartilage can tear and cause even larger problems. Using medication to mask the pain, is only effective for a few hours before the next dose is needed. A chiropractor can assess the damage, help correct the alignment of a patient and massage the area back in to good health. Shoulder pain is generally a secondary effect of a different problem. It could turn out the neck or spine are at fault but the pain is felt more in the shoulder itself. It is important to find out what damage has been done and use a chiropractor to help fix it.

Bethesda Chiropractor Dr. Steve Wander and his staff including massage therapists have help reduce your shoulder painwith over 25 years experience. Call 301 770 1818 to see if you are a candidate or click the blue words for more information.

There are many people that deal with neck pain, if not once, then many times in their life. The pain can be caused by a variety of reasons. Anything from sleeping in the wrong position which can cramp the neck muscles, to a serious car accident can trigger the constant pain in the neck and upper back, sometimes including the shoulders.

Pains in the neck and jaws can often mean a serious medical condition. Neck, jaw and upper back pain and pressure can often be signs of heart problems in woman. This needs to be taken seriously by both the doctor and patient. Further tests should be performed to rule out any potentially deadly condition in the heart or blood vessels that surround the heart.

When the neck is injured in a vehicle accident, medical attention is required immediately. This can be a sign of the painful condition known as whip lash and is the most common injury to those that have been hit from behind. The violent and sudden jolt causing the neck muscles and bones to be jarred, causing them to become very sore for sometimes weeks on end.

Some accidents are even more tragic that others, causing severe injuries to the spinal column and often breaking bones in the neck. This requires even more time to recover from, if recovery is even possible. Many patients that have sustained such devastating injuries can be fully aware of what is going on around them, but unable to speak or move because of the severity of the injuries.

Arthritis is often a cause for some pain that radiates in the neck area. Those that are diagnosed with this condition often have a lot of pain in the hips and neck area. The patient’s doctor can often recommend special medications to help with most of the pain.

Stress is often the main reason many people have pains in the neck and lower head area. Stress causes the muscles to tense, often causing pain in the neck that eventually causes a headache in most patients. A prescription can be written by your doctor for a medication that combines acetaminophen and a mild muscle relaxer to help with medical situations such as that.

To find more on how to find out the sources of neck pain and how to treat them, consult your doctor. For more information that can be found for yourself, do a little research on the internet.

Find a way to get rid of that neck pain once and for all. Relief of shoulder pain and many other pains can be accomplished by finding the right sources online.

In the state of California, you will not have trouble finding an Irvine Massage Therapy . Those who have ever booked an appointment to enjoy this ancient form of therapy will recall the sense of relaxation that it instilled. If not, then it is highly recommend that you do. There are many varied massage therapies available to enjoy and relax with today.

It takes little more than a brief skim through local listings to reveal the plethora of available services and clinics for massage therapy located in Irvine. Each clinic will specialize in a certain type of massage so it’s important to find the one that offers exactly what you’re after.

Many forms of massage have evolved over the centuries and each is beneficial to your health and well-being. Relaxation massage is a flowing style, incorporating smooth, even movements and pressure to promote muscle relaxation and to ease tension. It will also improve circulation. Remedial massage uses a variety of techniques to aid in the healing of injured soft tissue and may require you to do exercises at home that will aid in a faster recovery.

Massages can also be used for athletes who become injured or who simply need assistance in loosening their muscles and making their bodies more fluid and malleable. Whether the massage is to facilitate a quick rehabilitation and return to sports or to simply ready a star athlete for an upcoming game, the powerful effects of massage are undeniable.

Many people enjoy the potent techniques employed by massage therapists on a regular basis to reap continued benefits. In daily life, Irvine Massage Therapist|Irvine Massage Therapists can stimulate enhanced energy and endurance from hour to hour and can relieve stress and diminish the impacts of daily frustrations, which can lead to more enjoyable, and relaxing free time.

Irvine Massage therapy can do more for you than facilitate healing and relieve stress! Many massage patients report feeling consistently in a better mood and with a more optimistic perspective for days after receiving a quality massage. Truly skilled massage therapy can promote increased focus and stimulate the mind as much as the body.

Any option that you choose will not only assist in the release of muscle tension, but an Irvine massage treatment will increase blood circulation, will reduce stress, will stave off fatigue, will assist with lymph drainage and will leave you feeling relaxed and energised. It is an important stress management tool for any business professional, sports enthusiast or just as a relaxing treatment.

Irvine Massage Therapy is world-class and with a wealth of clinics available, it’s easy to see why so many are flocking to massage therapy and discovering its power. From enhancing your mind to helping heal, the capabilities of massage therapy are not worth passing up. Discover what massage therapy can do for your health – today.

If you suffer from back pain, you are not alone. As many as not 8 out 10 people suffer from some sort of back pain. You may suffer from a dull, constant ache to a sudden sharp pain. Although there is a wide spectrum of back pains, in general there are two groups: acute back pain and chronic back pain. Acute back pain is typically is a temporary condition and you may recover within a few days or even a few weeks. On the other hand, chronic back pain, lasts for longer periods of time. Unfortunately, with chronic back pain the expected healing time for the identified cause may persist even after the cause has been treated. In time you either become more accustomed to the pain or you can seek relief from the pain.

How can one find relief from back pain? There are many remedies for back pain ranging from taking drugs, to acupuncture to inversion therapy to massage. It is interesting to note that the most common relief of back pain is taking pharmaceutical drugs. There are other alternatives out there that are natural remedies. The secondmost common relief of back pain is massage therapy. More and more studies show that massage is effective fin relieving both acute and chronic pain. However, unlike drugs, massage is a completely natural remedy. Most of the time, the misalignment of bone, ligament, muscle, and tissue causes back pain. You can choose to just dull the pain with drugs, but that just avoids the problem. Seeking massage therapy, on the otherhand, can get to the root of the problem. Massage helps to stretch and soothe aching, tired muscles and ligaments in a natural way.

Technology to the rescue! Massage chairs are a great way for relieving back pain. Many of the premier massage chairs are very advanced and have extraordinary capabilities. These massage chair recliners can perform a variety of therapies including Shiatsu, Swedish massage, Sports and Deep Tissue massage and many others. Many shiatsu massage chairs start by performing a body scan. The body scan detects your acupressure points prior to a Shiatsu massage. The chair will then customizes its program to give you an individual massage based on your acupressure points. An acupressure massage increases your circulation and blood flow allowing the body to heal itself naturally.

A Deep Tissue massage gives you a penetrating, soothing relief. The massage cair program will start more superficially and then begin to permeate layer by layer. This layer by layer approach helps to relieve sore, aching muscles. There are some massage chair recliners that use the Swedish massage technique. This technique uses long, flowing strokes to elongate tight and stressed muscles. Relief is just a push of a button away with a shiatsu massage chair.

The application of heat helps relax tight and sore muscles and reduce pain. Heat is recommended over cold for chronic pain. For example, treating arthritis or for muscle relaxation. The premier massage chairs utilitze heat therapy. The best massage recliners have heating elements in the chair back, the seat and the footrest. These therapeutic massage chairs provide significant relief from back pain.

Music therapy is a complimentary relief and natural remedy to reduce the disability, anxiety, and depression associated with chronic pain. Many shiatsu massage chairs have a built in MP3 player. Music therapy induces relaxation, helping you to let your stress and anxiety go.

Why not use technology to really reduce the pain and anxiety associated with your back pain. Technology is being incorporated at a faster rate into massage chairs. If you are looking to relieve your acute or chronic back pain, massage therapy is the natural answer. You can find a masseuse or a massage chair. A massage therapist is great, but you are limited to a particular time and place. On the other hand, a massage chair is ready and waiting for you. You can find a broad range of of massage therapies built into the massage chairs of today. With the touch of a button you can find relief within the comfort and privacy of your own home. If you got back pain, your best friend is a shiatsu massage chair.

Physical Therapy helps to fully recover. Suppliment your physical therapy with massage therapy. Try more frequent massage therapy with the best massage chairs from the top brands including: Omega, Panasonic, Sanyo and Human Touch massage chair recliners.

With any sort of sport, injuries are not unusual. You can frequently avoid getting injured in a certain sport by discovering what injury is likely to happen, and then do what it takes to prevent it. Unfortunately, sports injuries can’t always be avoided. Consequently, it’s advantageous to be physically fit to make injury less probable, or less traumatic. Before beginning a sport, such as golf, the most important thing you can do is to be confident that you have the proper fitness level. By cultivating a healthy lifestyle, making sure your joints are mobile and your muscles are limber, warming and stretching your body prior to activity, using proper form and good postures while actively playing, and giving yourself plenty of cool down and relaxation time, you just might keep your body safe from injury.

Golf injuries can happen to anyone, amateur or pro. It has been estimated that over thirty percent of pro golfers playing concurrently are playing with injury. On the positive side, general good health and fitness can decrease the number of injuries a person may incur and may possibly prevent them.

It is crucial for you to have good body strength in the muscle regions most utilized when golfing. But, before you make an effort to build muscle strength, it’s important to determine that your spine is aligned and has good mobility. A reliable golf swing depends on your spine’s capacity to effectually rotate effectually. Back injuries are the most common sort of injuries suffered by golfers. Your chiropractor will take care that your spine is in healthy alignment and that there is effectual movement of the vertebrae. Chiropractic treatment can go a long way in helping you to prevent back injury.

A day on the golf course that remains injury-free depends on how prepared you are for the game, so once you’re “straightened,” you’ll need to strengthen and gain more flexibility. Warming up your muscles by doing golf-specific stretching and flexibility exercises, is a must in order to make muscle strain less likely. Full body flexibility can be gained fairly quickly through range of motion (ROM) exercises, and elastic band condition can provide targeted golf range of motion advantages and increase needed strengthening of shoulders, hips, and the deep muscles of the core. Your chiropractor and other sports professionals are adding elastic band training to their golf conditioning programs because they supply the dynamic resistance that ordinary weight lifting does not.

Quite a few golfers suffer from “Golfer’s Elbow” along with back injuries. Despite the fact that golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow are nearly the same injuries, there is a minute difference between them. Tennis elbow impinges the outside of the upper arm whereas golfer’s elbow impinges the inner arm. Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, can result from a single intense action, such as (in golf) hitting the mat at the driving range or striking a hard fairway surface. Although, it generally is produced by repetitive stress from smaller shocks. Moreover, it can happen to those who all at once start playing too much golf. As a case in point, if those that usually play golf once or twice a month elect to play in a tournament, they are conceivably at risk for developing the injury.

Why so many golf injuries compared to other sports? Golf makes unique physical demands. Just for starters, he game is ordinarily longer than many other sports and can fatigue the body. Fatigue can result in poor posture and lack of coordination. These two factors combined can produce an assortment of injuries. Additionally, the shoulder muscles are susceptible to injury as a result of the repetitive swinging of the golf clubs. That is why to avoid injuries it is essential for you to stretch and warm up before you start your golf game and to rest your body between games.

An unexpected injury sometimes related to golf is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But, as it a problem that occurs as the result of repetitive stress, a numerous amount of games of golf played over several months continuously may produce this injury. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be a severe injury creating incapacitation and sometimes needing surgery. However, chiropractic management and, sometimes the use of a brace will relieve the problem if a health professional, such as your chiropractor, discovers it at an early stage.

Injuries are assumed to be an inescapable part of life for many golfers. Nonetheless, an aligned and flexible spine, appropriate exercise and muscle conditioning, attaining and sustaining a a good fitness level, good preparation and prudent rest and recuperation after your game is over, can help to lower the risk of injuries during your golfing experience.

Dr. Yong Kim has a chiropractic practice in Sacramento California. He has over thirteen years of experience helping thousands of patients get out of pain and get their lives back. His office is located at 1707 Professional Drive, Sacramento, CA 95825. He has special training and interest in the area of sports injuries. For more information go to his websitewww.sacramentochiropractor.org

The medical model of injury and illness is the dominant way of thinking about medical problems. When we are hurt we and the doctor search for the faulty structure, diagnose the type of fault present and aim treatment at rectifying this fault and return the area to normal. If we have a broken bone, a chest infection, a heart attack or an arthritic knee we expect the treatment to either cure the problem completely or to minimise the symptoms. Overall this approach works extremely well but it falls down when presented with a series of pain conditions which do not fit the model and are resistant to normal treatment.

Normal tissue injury pain occurs when the injured area transmits a volley of pain impulses up towards the spinal cord nerves in the back, which take the signals and carry them on towards the brain. The volleys of incoming pain excite the spinal cord nerves strongly and they react by amplifying their reactions to them, giving us higher levels of pain. We then protect the area, it settles and heals and the system settles down to its normal state. However, some conditions do not fit this picture, do not have a precipitating injury or event and do not settle down with time, fitting poorly into the normal picture. These pain syndromes are not well understood or diagnosed.

Typical pain syndromes are complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), chronic widespread pain (CWP) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). CRPS occurs after minor or moderate injury to a limb such as the ankle or wrist and the underlying reasons are not well understood. In the wrist the person may be in plaster for a few weeks for a minor fracture or sprain but complains of high levels of pain and has difficulty keeping the fingers moving. The fingers are stiff and swollen and moving them elicits significant pain, at which stage immobilisation is removed if possible to allow rehabilitation.

Chronic widespread pain occurs, as the title implies, all over the body, with multiple trigger points in muscle bellies. Trigger points are areas of acute sensitivity to pressure which occur in specific places in muscles and can refer pain away from those sites causing a persistent pain condition. Osteopaths treat trigger point pain with acupuncture, acupressure, stretches and positional advice. Fibromyalgia syndrome occurs mostly in women, and consists of widespread pain, fatigue, hypersensitivity to pressure, poor sleep, feeling unrestored in the morning, brain fog, IBS, reduced physical ability and pain unpredictability.

Psychological interviewing of these patients is vital as having a long-term pain problem is very likely to produce low mood, depression and anxiety which in turn lead to poor coping and difficulties engaging with therapy. The clinical psychologist may find that the patient discloses a significant history of abuse, either in childhood and/or in adult relationships. This will have lead to important difficulties in dealing with other people, negative thinking, passive communication, anger and problems sticking to a treatment once agreed. The clinical psychologist will have an important role in supporting these patients through a course of treatment.

It is vital that the clinical psychologist teaches FMS sufferers psychological strategies to help them manage the condition and make their wishes clear. Pain management programmes address developing realistic thinking, positive coping strategies, assertive communication, acceptance of the condition, mindfulness, pacing activity and meeting others in the same boat to reduce the feeling of isolation. Sufferers typically communicate with their relatives and others in very passive ways, leading to conflict, anger and resentment as they do not make their needs clear. Realistic thinking addresses the understandable bias towards thinking negatively due to a longstanding pain condition.

Doctors are unable to treat pain syndromes with any degree of success but some medication, such as amitriptyline, can be of benefit, reducing pain and helping sleep. Morphine related drugs may increase confusion, fatigue and lack of mental sharpness. Osteopaths prescribe a graded exercise programme, for which there is reasonable scientific support, and monitor it closely to improve fitness, strength and ability. Stretching can also be taught and is useful where the pain prevents exercise. A multidisciplinary approach and a graded, structured treatment plan are essential for these patients.

Andrew Mitchell, clinical editor at the Osteopath Network, writes papers about musculo-skeletal conditions, drug-free treatment, pain management and how to find a physiotherapists in Kent. He is interested in the treatment of back pain, neck pain and injury and pain management.

Many of us experience pain in the neck and shoulder muscles. Tight muscles, caused by stress, poor posture, insufficient movement and exercise, need to be stretched on a daily basis.

Your shoulder joint has the largest range of movement of all your body’s joints. Think of what your arms can do-swing in a full circle, move up to the side of your body,backwards and forwards etc. All of the motions involved in sports like throwing, swimming, punching, swinging a racket and so on use the shoulder muscles. This tremendous range of motion does, however, mean that the shoulder is prone to instability and injury. So you need to stretch to ensure that the muscles maintain their natural flexibilty and range of motion.

Briefly, the deltoid muscles, attached to the upper arm and the shoulder blade, are the strongest shoulder muscles. They allow you to move your arm up and to the side of your body. The 4 muscles called the rotator cuff muscles, so called because they form a cuff around the joint, rotate the arm and bring it down to the side of your body

Other muscles attached to the scapula include the trapezius, the big triangular muscle at the top the back, and the rhomboid muscles.

Shoulder stretch. Place the right hand at the back of your neck and try to touch the space between the shoulder blades. The right elbow should point upwards,to the ceiling. Hold the right elbow with the left hand. Pull gently. You will feel a stretch in the shoulder muscles.

Simple Stretching Guidelines 1.Deep breathing. If you hold your breath, you can raise your blood pressure, if you do suffer from high blood pressure. It also makes you tense. If you breathe deeply, you will relax more and be able to stretch more deeply. 2. You should never feel sharp or sudden pain. If you do, stop – you are forcing yourself beyond your current safe range of movement. 3. Stretch daily. Consistent stretching for a few minutes each day will, over time, build your range of movement and flexibility. This is hard to do if you only stretch once a week. 4.Time yourself and try to increase your time in each stretch by a few seconds each week. Start with 10-15 seconds and extend this by 5 seconds each week until you can hold a stretch for at least 30 seconds.