Can Neck Pain Be Related To Sinus Headache?

September 3, 2013

Can Neck Pain Be Related To Sinus Headache?First,Let us learn what is sinus headache.The nasal passages develop special air spaces called sinuses, which are responsible for mucus secretion and air humidification. If the sinuses are inflamed, the mucus partially loses its ability to drain effectively, so the pressure in the sinus increases and leads to the so-called sinus headache. Usually the causes for this condition are colds and allergies. Often, sinus headache causes neck pain too that should be treated starting from the main inflammation located in sinuses.

In order to learn more about relation between sinus headache and neck pain, let’s first examine the structure and functioning of the sinuses themselves. These are cavities located within the bones that help with the process of air filtration. Their additional role is to make the skull stronger, so that it could resist traumas. The voice’s resonance is also possible due to the sinuses. Sinuses are located at the nose’s back that is why they are also known as paranasal sinuses. There are different types of sinuses based on their location:

Sinuses located in the sphenoid bone are called sphenoid sinuses. They are at the base of the skull. Those that separate the nose from the eyes are called Ethmoid sinuses. Maxillary sinuses on the other hand are located just under the cheekbones beneath the eyes, while frontal sinuses are located above the eyes.
The sinuses’ ability to drain significantly decreases when the back of the nose gets inflammation. The sinuses are blocked and the pressure builds up. The increased fluid and mucus secretion causes headache. The inflammation of the sinus itself is called sinusitis.

The pain in the neck and back directly relate to the headaches a person experiences. If this pain is very intense, our brain simply registers it as a headache. Although most people believe that a headache is connected with something that occurs in the brain that is not actually true. The brain is a kind of an information center that gathers all the data sent to it. The brain cannot cause pains; it can only receive information about pain and reproduce this information.

Some people who suffer from severe headaches report that they find relief in relaxing and releasing their muscles, which approach is more effective than taking pills. According to some researchers, the tension accumulated in the muscles should be released to get rid of the pain.

If you suffer from a neck pain, the following exercises can help you release the neck muscles:

  • Push with your thumb the place located just under your ear, by placing your hand alongside the head.
  • Next, place your fingers on the back of the neck and hold and press the muscles, located there.
  • Take a deep breath and relax for some time while your muscles start to get rid of the pressure.
  • Continue the procedure with holding up the muscle until it is gone limp completely.

What kind of exercises to do if you have back pain?

  • First, place your left hand on the left knee and the right hand over your left shoulder.
  • Then find the muscle located next to your spine with your fingertips.
  • Hold it and relax, taking a deep breath. Ensure that there is no tension in any other body part.
  • It usually takes about 30 seconds for a release to happen. When you feel that it occurs, slowly lower your entire body toward your right leg. It will help even more, if you lean over your right legs’ outside edge.
  • Hold this position for a minute and release for a minute.
  • Then repeat the same procedure with the right side.

One more useful exercise that you can try is as follows:

  • Put your hands behind the head and reach the neck muscles with your fingers.
  • Use a moderate pressure to press and hold them and then relax, taking a deep breath and exhaling.
  • Half a minute later lower your head slowly and extend fully your neck. Then just release the pressure for a minute.

Lower Back Pain Exercises at Home

Low Back Pain Relief is available using these back pain exercises

All these exercises are effective in treatment of neck pain that is connected with the sinusitis. The inflammation within the sinuses itself should also be treated by drinking a lot of fluids and using some salt water nasal spray. There are other medications offered over-the-counter that can help you decrease the inflammation, but the best option is to contact your doctor, who will prescribe you the most appropriate one for you.


Causes of Pain in Left Side of Neck

April 10, 2013

Experiencing pain in left side of neck can give a person great discomfort. It becomes hard to do a lot of activities because as we know you will often have to turn your head. Sleeping at night will no longer be relaxing because one cannot find a comfortable spot to lay the head and not feel pain. For this reason, most people wonder what causes them this neck pain.

Causes of pain in left side of neck

Well, there are many causes of this condition. Some are just normal reasons but in specific cases it could be because of a more serious medical condition.

Neck pain

Muscle strain
This is one of the major reasons why one may suffer from neck pains on the left side. If you constantly spend a lot of hours sitting in a strained position, the muscles on your neck may get strained and in the end ache. The strained positions may include driving for long distances without taking breaks, working on your computer while sitting in the wrong position and sleeping with your head in a wrong angle.

Poor posture
Thousands of people ignore the benefits of adopting a good posture  as a matter of fact some do not even understand what a good posture should be. This is why many people sit with their spines bent. Such a position will eventually damage the spine which is the core support of the human body. If the spine is not aligned as expected, then the other body parts are also not in good position, especially the head. This is yet another cause of left neck pains because the head may be stressing the left side of your neck.

Compressed nerves
Nerves are the conveyors of messages to the brain. If in any case the bones surrounding your neck are destroyed, the result will always be nerves which are compressed. When this happens, a lot of discomfort will be experienced since the neck houses a number of nerves which move out of the spinal cord.

Different Injuries
There are minor neck injuries which people experience. If it resulted to your neck jerking suddenly or if you experienced whiplash during the injury, chances are that your neck tissues became strained. Neck tissue is very delicate and hence it will always be damaged if moved with a lot of force. It is the damage which may lead to pain just as it aches when other body tissues are damaged.

There are certain diseases which may actually be causing your neck pains. Conditions such as meningitis, cancer or even rheumatoid arthritis may put some pressure on the neck. When the neck is subjected to pressure, the result is often neck pains.

Treatment for this situation usually varies depending on the cause of pain in left side of neck. Anti inflammatory drugs are prescribed to patients who are experiencing pain as a result of swellings in the neck. Exercising the neck with the help of a physical therapist may also be advised so that the neck is returned to its normal ways. Switching to good posture in general may actually help reduce your neck pains if the reason causing it is not serious but is related to poor posture.