Neck pain

Personalized Treatments for Each Patient

My approach centers on personalized treatments for each person. We will target the pain and stiffness by addressing imbalances within the muscles, connective tissues, and acupuncture channels of the neck and shoulders. The neck and shoulders are thoroughly integrated- neck pain often comes from trigger points on your shoulders-this is why we treat them together.

My treatment combines many different therapies including acupuncture, electroacupuncture, acupressure and tui na, cupping, and in some cases gua sha.

The therapies are personalized to each patient based upon the presence of trigger points, causes of the pain, and overall health of the Qi, the body’s energy. 

How to Personalize Acupuncture Treatment

In acupuncture we consider the onset and triggers of the pain. This will dictate the amount of stimulation and type of stimulation I will use in an acupuncture treatment.

If the neck pain is from an injury then likely there will be stagnation in the body and acupuncture channels. This is considered to be an excessive condition. That is there is too stuff much stuck there and disrupting the normal function.

The acupuncture treatment will address the stagnation relaxing the muscles and relieve.

If fatigue, posture, sitting all day triggers the neck pain then it is possible that there is a lack of Qi in the body. The approach will be to nourish the body’s energy and gently relax the muscles. The treatment approach will avoid much soreness after the acupuncture. 

Causes of Neck and Shoulder Pain

Overwork, stress, and strain are the some of the most frequent causes of chronic neck pain. This is one of the most common areas to store stress- as soon as one feels stress the pain begins. Acupuncture is great at cutting off this cycle of stress and pain.

My method to acupuncture considers both your constitutional state of health as well as muscle tension and development of trigger points in the areas.

In acupuncture, Qi, the energy of the body, needs to be strong to support healthy relaxed muscles. If you do not have enough energy to support the muscles, they tense up as a result.  Another cause of pain is Qi stagnation, a slowing of the circulation of the energy.  Normally, the energy of the body flows smoothly.  Stagnation may develop from an injury, wear and tear, or chronic stress. This is why it is easy to develop pain during periods of high stress. 

Acupuncture Treatment for Neck Pain

Acupuncture treatment for neck and shoulder pain may include a combination of acupuncture with electric stimulation, tui na (Chinese medical massage), and cupping. The therapy is tailored to each patient, and will depend on the root cause, location and quality of the pain, and the state of health of the patient.

If the imbalance is stagnation without weakness, then I used more acupuncture points at the location of pain. These people will often have more active trigger points which are areas of tenderness and stress in the muscle.

I will also select acupuncture points along the affected acupuncture channel that are farther away from the pain. This technique increases circulation in the acupuncture channels, which will reduce pain and speed healing.

When the root cause of the shoulder pain is an underlying weakness in the body’s energy, then less acupuncture points on the neck and shoulder will be used. These acupuncture points will focus on increasing the amount of energy in the body. 

Tui Na for Neck Pain

Tui Na, or Chinese medical massage, is wonderful for the treatment of shoulder pain. One of the most powerful techniques in Tui Na is the rolling technique. This technique uses the back of the hand to roll over the muscles. Rolling technique is both soft and strong, allowing it to get deep into the muscle and help with relaxation. Because it is smooth, the rolling technique allows the use of strength while avoiding resistance within the muscle.

Treating the Whole Person

One of the great things about acupuncture is that it addresses the whole person, relaxing both the mind and body. Disrupting the cycle of stress is important to reduce reoccurring pain. The muscles are interconnected with fascia and other connective tissue. Tension from one area can create problems in other muscles. Often, trying to target and treat only the location of the pain does not relieve the tension in the surrounding muscle groups.

There is an old adage in acupuncture that tension even in the toes can affect the whole body. This is particularly true when treating pain in the neck and shoulders. So we have to be mindful of not just the area at issue but the whole person. 

A Wooden Hinge Gets No Worms: Exercises

In order to maintain the improvements it is important to stretch and exercise.

An old Chinese saying states “A Wooden Hinge Gets No Worms. ” This means that we if we move our joints healthily we will stay more relaxed and pain free.

There are a number of very easy exercises for relaxing the neck.

Diaphragmatic breathing also is a powerful tool to reduce neck pain.

And remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of a cure. 

Acupuncture Success Stories

Here are some acupuncture success stories to paint a picture of the acupuncture treatment.

• Two Acupuncture Treatments for Shoulder Pain Two Moms with Neck and Shoulder Pain
• Two Moms with Neck and Shoulder Pain

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