Back & Neck Pain

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Anne Asher
Back & Neck Pain Guide

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Meningitis Update

Thursday July 14, 2011

Stiff neck is a symptom of bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis can be deadly.

Illustration: Anne Asher

There's no doubt that vaccines have significantly reduced the incidence of bacterial meningitis. Researchers looked at data representing about 17 million people and found that between 1998 and 2007 there was a 31% decrease in this potentially deadly disease. But this good news does not change the fact that if you or your child contract it, you may lose your hearing or even your life.

Meningitis symptoms seems like the flu - stiff neck, dizziness and the like. There's really no distinguishing feature that can alert you that medical attention is necessary. So if you get "the flu", please get it checked. It may save your life.

_{Source:
Thigpen MC et al. Bacterial meningitis in the United States, 1998-2007. N Engl J Med 2011 May 26; 364:2016.}

Are You Meningitis Aware? | Back and Neck Pain | Rule Out Meningitis as Source of Stiff Neck |

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Back Saving Work Break Ideas

Wednesday July 13, 2011

The way you sit in your office chair can seriously affect your desk posture.

The body was designed to move. But our culture prides itself on its technology, and our economy is driven, to a great extent by those sitting behind computer screens for 8 and more hours per day. A static body is more prone to back pain and injury, as well as other musculoskeletal disorders. As the worker bee, how can you keep your body moving when you're paid to stay put?

Here are a few work break ideas. You might also need some instructions on sitting with good posture to help keep your back tuned up.

| Posture Exercises | Back Pain | Got a Crick In Your Neck? |

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Back Exercise of the Week - Back Stretch On All 4s

Monday July 11, 2011

A back stretch exercise may help reduce back pain

Photo: Maryna Velechko

The back xercise of the week is the Back Stretch On All Fours. It's similar to the yoga cat-cow pose.

All fours is a great position to exercise your back in because it's a very supported position: 4 posts - 2 knees and 2 hands. At the same time, it's a bit more challenging than lying down and doing the work. And because there's a lot of space between your body and the floor in the all 4s position, you are free to experiment with how far you can stretch and arch your back before the pain sets in. Please don't go so far as to cause yourself pain. This is not a contest; it's an exercise that can help you develop a flexible spine. Now that you know the basics, try the Back Stretch On All Fours.

| Core Strength | Back Pain | Posture Exercise |

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Tips For Falling Asleep When You Have Back Pain

Wednesday July 6, 2011

The majority of people with chronic back pain have sleep problems too.

Photo: Mary R. Vogt

About 15% of all people have sleep problems. If you live with chronic back pain, you may be one of the 2/3 of people with this condition who has trouble falling or staying asleep. On top of that, some of the very pain medications you may be taking to help you with your sleep issues may be disrupting it.

To try to address that, here are 10 tips for falling and staying asleep when you have chronic back pain.

| Chronic Pain and Depression | Back Pain | Learn More About Sleep and Pain |

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