Preventing That Pain in the Neck

As a busy mom I always have a pain in the neck. At first I thought it was the kids driving me crazy. Then I realized there were many possible causes including poor posture, arthritis and muscle strain from doing things like picking up my kids in a clumsy way.

Sometimes neck ain can be serious especially if there is a severe headache, loss of balance, blurred vision, trouble swallowing, numbness in arms or a severe headache accompanying it. It can mean you have actually had a stroke so pay attention.

To prevent neck pain you should always warm up before and after sports, gardening or doing anything strenuous at all. I have started doing that just before I do housework as even that can be quite strenuous.

While at the computer I now remember to get up and stretch every now and then. I also work on my posture both seated and standing to keep my spine aligned naturally. A happy spine equals a happy neck. I have also invested in a designer ergonomic keyboard and desk and chair to help myself.

Another tip is to drink water to keep the disks of your spine hydrated. A lack of water can actually cause the disks to compress. This can get you in trouble and make you feel very crippled. Back pain in the lower back is related to neck pain in this way.

You can also prevent discomfort by avoiding cradling a phone in the crook of your shoulder, falling asleep on the arm of the sofa and sleeping on thin pillows that provide no neck support.

Of course the worst is picking up that screaming, kid in the crook of your hip and cradling the phone in the crook of your neck. That is hideous for your posture. You should also avoid NOT bending your knees when picking something up as this can strain your neck as well as your arms and spine!

Just one more tip – try to avoid wearing flip flops. They can hurt your back even more! I know that summer is over but some of us still wear them around the house. Apparently they can cause spinal alignments that can really hurt your neck.

If you do end up being in a lot of pain you might want to try an over the counter muscle relaxant, taking some yoga classes or just simply try rubbing a mentholated rub like Tiger Balm. Just be sure that you do not get it into your eyes!

Parenting Tips
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Surefire Ways to Keep Kids Healthy

If you love your kids you want them to operating at their optimum health levels so they can be as creative and productive as possible.

First of all you should check your child's weight once a month to ensure that he or she hasn't dropped any weight as a result of insufficient calorie intake. Active kids can require 500 to 1,000 more calories a day than their inactive peers because they burn more energy while engaged in sports. It is essential for you to make sure that they have enough to eat so they can thrive in life.

If you do discover that your child has lost weight, consider seeing a registered dietitian to help plan a diet that will meet his increased energy needs. You can find a dietitian at by talking to your family doctor or pediatrician. You can also find them listed online. Sometimes even your school will have a dietician you can talk to.

Ideally you should give an active kid three meals each day, as well as three or four healthy snacks. Kids have small tummies and cannot eat enough at a meal to sustain them for many hours, so snacks are vital to keeping their energy levels up. Feeding children like this also makes sure they never feel hungry and if you feed them several tinier meals a day they never get stomach aches either.

To keep kids healthy meals should be high in complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain breads, pasta, rice, cereal and potatoes. They should also contain protein (chicken, fish) and healthy fats (oil-based salad dressing, soft margarine, or any vegetable oil, such as olive, canola, sunflower or flax). The key is balance! I have found that a kid that eats too much is unable to do hi s or her homework.

It is also crucial that you serve a variety of foods to ensure your kid's entire vitamin and mineral needs are met. If your kid eats the same thing every day he or she may get sick because there is not enough variety in the diet.

When it comes to feeding the kids it also helps to plan ahead. Busy schedules that include early-morning or night-time practices interfere with meal times. Be sure to carry healthy snacks and think ahead to the next meal so that healthy options can be available.

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