Try Acupuncture for Troublesome Neck Pain

You’ve heard the expression “pain in the neck” used to describe something that a person finds annoying. However, neck pain can be much more than an annoyance. Sometimes it can be severe enough that a person’s quality of life is unfavourably affected.

The neck has a very important job – it supports your head. In the run of a typical day, your neck and head probably move many more times than other areas of the body. If during a particular day you’ve walked more than usual, you might very well complain of pain in your feet and legs.

Or if you’ve been lifting and carrying heavier objects than those to which you’re accustomed, you may notice discomfort in your arms, shoulders and back. You probably don’t even think about the fact that your head and neck are in virtually constant movement along with these other muscle groups. Even if you’re sitting still, you can cause fatigue in your neck muscles if your head is awkwardly positioned. Is it any wonder that neck pain is an overwhelmingly common condition?

Acupuncture Today, an MPA Media publication, identifies certain sectors that may be predisposed toward neck pain. Manual labourers are obviously at risk, with workers who have to twist or bend suffering the most. People who perform tasks that are repetitive (as an example, assembly line workers or people who sit at a desk keyboarding all day) also report more intense neck pain.

Up to this point, we’ve only talked about the everyday activities that can result in neck pain. Extraordinary occurrences, like the abrupt force incurred in a car accident, or medical conditions like tumours, bleeding or inflammation, can also result in moderate to severe neck pain. Sometimes the pain can be bad enough that you require medical treatment.

How Can Acupuncture Help My Neck Pain?

If your neck pain has become bothersome to the point where you require professional help, you need to know that acupuncture has proven effective for patients who were not helped by conventional treatments like medication, cortisone shots, and massage.

Acupuncture is formulated on the Chinese traditional teaching that the Qi (pronounced chee) travels the body by way of meridians, or channels. It is believed that one becomes ill or develops pain when the blow is blocked or otherwise disrupted. Inserting needles into specific points releases the Qi, or energy, speeding up endorphin flow and releasing other chemicals that work to reduce pain and enhance healing.

That’s All Very Interesting, But How Does It Work?

It might seem counter-intuitive to accept that inserting a needle into, say, an arm or leg could result in reduced pain in one’s neck. However, it’s worth pointing out that according to Women’s Health Magazine, clinical studies have indisputably shown that acupuncture’s effects on the body are measurable and quantifiable. Acupuncture increases endorphin production and reduces blood pressure, and has been approved by the National Institutes of Health for a number of conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome, nausea, various types of pain, asthma, menstrual cramps and even some addictions. It is also effective in treating depression, Parkinson’s disease, and yes, neck pain.

Simply stated, acupuncture works. The person whose neck pain has been relieved likely cares a good deal more about the fact that it does work than they do about how it works.

If you live in York & you’d like help relieving and managing pain, contact Tiziana today to schedule an acupuncture appointment.