Why the Pain All Over Your Body Gets Worse with Depression
Have you noticed that depression makes the pains in your body worse? This is especially true if your body often hurts all over.
How Long Can Your Zero Calcium Score Last Before It Goes Up?
You’ve just learned your calcium score is zero, so now it’s time to learn how to keep it at zero. How long can it last before it might go up?
MUST You Have General Anesthesia for Herniated Disc Surgery?
Are you facing surgery for a herniated disc and are fearful of general anesthesia? Can this procedure be done under regional or even local?
Physical Therapy for Disc Herniation Causing Pain? Solutions
Physical therapy for a herniated disc can hurt like mad, so here is what you should do if you dread the PT.
People at Gyms Wiping Down Barbells but not the Plates?
Have you noticed that when someone wipes down a barbell they just used, they never wipe down the plates? (more…)
Can Sore Neck Muscles Cause a Bad Headache?
Are you hoping that your unexplained headaches are caused by sore neck muscles rather than something more serious like a pinched nerve or brain tumor?
Headaches can be caused by a vast number of conditions including:
• Aneurysm
• Brain tumor: benign and malignant
• Migraine disorder
• Nasal polyp
• Pinched nerve in the neck
• Sinus infection: acute and chronic
• Tension from mental stress
But what about simply sore muscles in the neck?
A headache can be caused by sore neck muscles, says Dr. Moshe Lewis, MD, board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
The headache in this case is actually pain that’s radiating from a problem originating in the neck musculature. These muscles can become overworked from exercise.
Or, they can become strained by spending too much time in one position, such as a sleep position that has the head turned one way while the body is turned the other way, or some other sleep position that can strain the cervical area.
Jutting the head forward while spending large amounts of time at the computer can also aggravate these muscles, leading to a headache.
Dr. Lewis says, “Some of the muscles and nerves in the neck travel to the back of the head, i.e., the greater occipital nerve.
“When muscles go into spasm and nerves become impinged, people can develop cervicogenic headaches.”
Cervicogenic means originating from the cervical area (neck).
These headaches also don’t necessarily occur at the moment of insult.
For example, perhaps you worked out hard at the gym, but only several hours later do you begin getting a headache.
Reducing Headaches from Neck Muscle Strain
A way to reduce these is to make sure you’re well-hydrated. Sip water during your workouts and after, whether you are thirsty or not.
Another tactic is to use proper posture at the computer.
This means don’t jut your head forward; instead move the computer screen closer or get used to viewing the screen from a little further away by not craning forward.
You should also do neck exercises such as rotations in both directions; and massage this area as well.
A self-massage may very well be enough to relieve a headache caused by sore neck muscles.
Dr. Lewis is the founder and CEO of Golden Gate Institute for Physical Medicine in CA, which provides education and clinical management of pain.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/FineShine
How Martial Arts Tournaments Can Help Kids Face Bullies
Here’s how martial arts tournaments can help your child stand up to bullies and also prevent being targeted by bullies.
As with any type of school, parents should do their homework to find the most suitable, professionally-run martial arts school, and then sign their child up.
This can be for any number of martial arts styles, such as karate, taekwondo and kenpo.
I’ve spent years in the martial arts and have competed in tournaments as an adult.
However, tournaments are for all ages, and I’ve taken classes that were for both kids and adults.
Thus, I know exactly what goes on at martial arts tournaments and how children and teens are instructed to prepare for them.
Bullying Isn’t Always About Physical Fights
Not all kids who are afraid to stand up to a bully fear getting beaten up. Bullying can take non-physical forms.
With that said, some kids attract the bullies or “mean girls” more than others.
It seems as though bullies have some kind of homing device that leads them straight to the victim.
Martial arts teaches confident vocal skills and posturing in kids who come across as being skittish or meek, lacking in confidence and easily bossed around.
Shutterstock, Ravil Sayfullin
Martial Arts Tournaments: the Bully Weapon
Martial arts tournaments include “forms” or “kata.” These are choreographed sequences of lower and upper body movements to fight off imaginary opponents.
Prior to starting the form, the participant must first face a panel of adult judges who are all sitting in a straight line.
Most may be wearing all black. All have black belts. They are all staring at the child — with a stern look.
This is wildly intimidating to the novice meek or “nerdy” child. It can even be intimidating to novice adults.
However…it doesn’t stay that way. Over time, children develop confident body language and speech skills.
Imagine what kind of self-confidence a 7-year-old must have, to be able to finally face the panel of stern-looking judges without a flinch, introduce himself with an authoritative voice, and in that same strong voice, identify the form he or she is about to perform — getting within several feet of the judges during certain points of the form.
Any child who can learn to pull this off without a quiver can face any school bully, including several bullies at once.
And that’s assuming such a situation even occurs. Remember, bullies are good at spotting the kids who easily quiver and tremor.
They will NOT be drawn to a child who can easily face that panel of judges and holler out an introduction while making stern eye contact back!
But if they mistake this child for an easily-controlled one, they’ll be in for a surprise when the tiger comes out of that sheepy looking child. And I don’t mean a karate kick to the bully’s head.
In fact, bullies are often afraid of a fistfight, which is why they pick on kids whom they think will never strike back in any shape, way or form.
Even the most timid child or teen can learn how to face a panel of judges and assertively announce their position.
This is rehearsed over and over during martial arts classes. Over and over. It becomes second nature. Practice makes perfect.
As a child — who’s already being bullied — develops this skill, the bullies will pick up that something is changing in their victim. They’ll start backing off.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
My Friend’s Newborn Has Down Syndrome: What Do I Say?
What do you say when your friend just had a baby with Down syndrome? Do you congratulate her? IS there a clever response?
Can Imagining Stressful Events Before They Happen Toughen You?
