Muscle stiffness can occur in your back, shoulders and neck following a variety of activities, including lifting weights, playing sports, sitting or standing with poor posture, or twisting your back or neck forcefully. Stiffness is bound to set in...
Hand, foot and mouth ulcers are generally attributed to hand, foot and mouth disease, a common but mild condition that typically affects young children in summer, reports DermNet NZ. Symptoms of HFMD usually begin with throat soreness followed by...
Often recommended by physicians and trainers, recumbent bikes supply riders with numerous benefits. A recumbent bike offers a low-impact workout for all fitness levels, including sedentary individuals who are new to fitness. Recumbent bikes...
It may seem counterintuitive to move around when your back hurts, but strong back muscles help speed recovery and prevent further injury. FamilyDoctor.org recommends no more than a day or two of rest if your back is hurt. Stretching exercises can...
Shingles results when the varicella-zoster virus---the same virus that causes chicken pox---awakens within clusters of sensory nerve roots called "dorsal root ganglia." According to the American Academy of Dermatology, about 20 percent of people...
Polio is a contagious virus that causes paralysis, difficulty breathing, and possibly death. Medline Plus, of the National Institutes of Health, states that the virus spreads by direct person-to-person contact, contact with infected mucus or...
Hand, foot and mouth disease (sometimes mistakenly known as Hoof and Mouth Disease, a disease of certain farm animals and not contagious to humans) is a common fever and blister-causing disease found mostly in infants and children. However, adults...
Chickenpox is often thought of as just a benign children's disease, but chickenpox in children and adults, including pregnant women, can have devastating consequences. Chickenpox, a blistering rash, is caused by the varicella zoster virus and is...
A headache and a stiff neck may indicate a serious condition, especially when accompanied by fever. The individual may simply have a routine headache and the flu, as well as arthritis in the neck. But the person could also have Lyme disease,...
MayoClinic.com reports that most people will experience lower back pain at some point. Common causes include strained muscles, sudden awkward movements or lifting heavy weights, but back pain also can be caused by arthritis, osteoporosis, a...
The trapezius is a large, broad muscle in your back that extends from the base of your skull to your lower thoracic spine, one on each side of your body. It also extends from your cervical and thoracic spine and into your posterior shoulders. It...
In Chinese medicine, the hands contain important acupressure points that can be massaged or held for self-healing or healing another person. Also called acupoints, these points are believed to be located along invisible energy lines that connect...
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain. In general, meningitis causes a stiff neck, stiff back, severe headache, body aches, sleepiness or an inability to wake up. It is an emergency situation that can rapidly lead to...
The poliovirus refers to a contagious virus that lives only in humans, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is easily passed among people if they encounter infected mucus, sputum (mucus) or feces. Medline Plus states that this virus can enter the nose...
Range of motion exercises are effective ways to promote circulation and reduce stiffness, particularly in the back and neck. Typically gentle, these exercises are often recommended after an injury or surgery to gently regain mobility and strength....
Lower back pain and is a potential complication following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery. While recovering, avoid aggravating your pain by bending your head backward or forward, sitting for prolonged periods of time, performing...
The polio virus is an extremely contagious microorganism known to cause paralysis and oftentimes death. Polio is an abbreviated term for the disease poliomyelitis. Three different strains of the polio virus exist, but not all forms of the virus...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while 5 to 10 percent of persons in the United States become affected with the flu annually, more than 200,000 are hospitalized for complications and 3600 die from complications. The CDC...
Many people spend most of their time in a seated position, whether it's due to office work or home computer use. The effects of poor seated posture can cause a range of physical problems. In fact, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational...
The spinal cord is a thick, ropy mass of nerve cells that extends down from the brain through a central canal in the vertebral column. Nerve impulses travel from the brain through the spinal cord to reach the organs, muscles and blood vessels...
The benefits of deep tissue massage go far beyond the luxurious sensations and relief of tired and sore muscles. In addition to soothing your stiff neck or aching back, deep tissue massage may improve postural alignment issues, increase blood flow...
Sitting in a chair often leads to slouching and slumping, which in turn creates bad posture and stiff or painful neck, shoulders and back. An ergonomically designed chair that helps support the back, or an alternative chair that encourages active...
Stiff neck, chest and upper back muscles and tissues can cause headaches by pulling the tissues and muscles at your temples and the back of your head. Stretching your neck and shoulders in different directions can help alleviate headaches and...
According to the Sports Injury Clinic website, muscle pain in the back and neck is common, can be insidious or sudden in onset and can result from numerous factors. Muscle pain in the back and neck can range in severity from mild to marked, and it...
Your splenius capitis muscle is comprised of several muscular fibers that insert themselves into the skull and are responsible for proper neck extension. Strengthening this muscle can help you keep a stable spine while preventing unwanted upper...
Breaststroke looks graceful above water, but the real story happens underwater. You kick forcefully under the water in breaststroke, and must time your arm pull so as not to interfere with the kick. Though freestyle supplanted breaststroke as the...
Sitting at a desk all day at work can leave you feeling stiff and sluggish, with rounded shoulders and hunched-over posture. A series of stretching exercises can soothe and relax your tight neck, back and shoulder muscles, and will leave you...
People with Parkinson's disease experience a variety of symptoms, including tremors, a slowing of movement called bradykinesia, muscle rigidity, constipation and trouble swallowing. Medications prescribed for Parkinson's patients can help manage...
Beer barrels and hospital bedsprings inspired Joseph Pilates, who created and developed the Pilates technique. He designed his equipment as a means of enhancing posture, strength and flexibility, and activating the "powerhouse," or deep core...
