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How does acupuncture treat Neck Pain?
Does acupuncture work?
Neck pain can become debilitating. While there are conventional treatment methods, most treat the symptoms and not the root cause of the problem. Working with an experienced practitioner, like those at the EBOM clinic, will help you get to the root of the problem.
How is Neck Pain typically treated?
Acupuncture has been proven to decrease inflammation and relieve pain. TCM practitioners use acupuncture as a first line of treatment instead of the medications frequently prescribed in Western medicine. These medications can have harmful effects on the body and become addicting. Many studies, like the ones below, have been completed proving the efficacy of acupuncture treatments for neck pain, decreasing the need for medications.
Acupuncture for managing chronic neck pain – 517 patients with neck pain longer than three months were treated with 12 acupuncture sessions. After twelve months, there was significant pain reduction and disability.
Abdominal Acupuncture for Neck Pain – 154 patients were broken into two groups to assess the efficacy of acupuncture treatment for neck pain. The first group of 77 patients was treated with six sessions of abdominal acupuncture. The second group was given sham or fake acupuncture. After six sessions, the group treated with acupuncture showed improvement in the neck disability score and a decrease in pain.
What is Neck Pain?
When someone is experiencing pain in their neck, even the slightest movement may make them cringe. While pain may be described differently by each person enduring it, the basic definition is suffering from physical discomfort. Pain in the neck area may cause you to have some form of discomfort when moving in any direction. It may also cause headaches and a feeling of frustration.
Have you ever heard someone use the saying, “What a pain in the neck?” People experience pain in many areas of the body, but neck pain inconveniences us so much that it has become commonly used to describe challenging tasks in our lives. This is likely because our neck is used for so many things. The most important one is the movement of our head to see around us. When you have neck pain, you can quickly connect to the reasoning behind this common saying.
In some instances, the best way to treat neck pain is to practice prevention as much as possible. Correcting issues with your posture and taking frequent breaks will go a long way in making sure you do not experience neck pain. If you have developed neck pain, practitioners use several treatment options to relieve your pain.
Medications – The majority of practitioners’ first line of treatment for neck pain is medications. You may be prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines like Ibuprofen or Motrin. Naproxen Sodium (Aleve) is also commonly used to decrease inflammation in the area. Tylenol may reduce pain, and muscle relaxers could be used to allow the muscle tension to decrease.
Steroid Injections – Some practitioners may recommend a steroid injection to the area if prescribed medications do not provide relief from the pain. This procedure will inject a steroid medication and a numbing agent into the muscles or cervical joints.
Physical Therapy – Proper movement of the neck area could drastically relieve muscle tension. The therapist will instruct you on the best movements and help you with correcting any posture problems.
Practitioners who focus on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) work with their patients to balance the entire body. This balance happens through the energy or QI flowing through the body. When an area becomes stagnant, this flow is blocked and could lead to disorders and cause pain. Treating a patient with acupuncture and herbal supplements supports the body and works to solve the cause of problems and not only the symptoms.
Evidence Based Oriental Medicine
How does TCM view Neck Pain?
Acupuncture works by opening the flow of energy within the body. When this happens, inflammation decreases, blood flow is improved, nerves are stimulated, and your body becomes balanced. The root of the problem is addressed and not simply masked by medications.
Your treatment with acupuncture may not actually occur in the neck. Often the abdomen area is associated with neck pain, so you may find your practitioner focuses there or other areas of your body that could be causing the pain.
Several things could cause neck pain. Poor posture is becoming common as people spend more time on their screens. Hunched shoulders and holding the head in one place cause tension in the muscles and nerves. This could lead to neck pain. Injuries and accidents could cause the muscles, bones, and nerves in the neck area to have physical problems leading to neck pain. Certain diseases like arthritis or nerve disorders may also be the root cause of pain in the neck area.