Chronic neck pain is a challenging condition to treat in clinical practice and has a considerable impact on quality of life and disability.Chronic neck pain can be caused by dysfunction of various structures in the neck, and it can manifest as episodic pain and/or stiffness. Neck pain can also radiate from areas close to the neck, such as the shoulder, jaw, head and arm.
What causes neck pain?
Common causes of neck pain are usually due to daily activities such as:
- sitting in front of a computer for hours
- poor posture
- uncomfortable sleeping position or
- trauma during exercise
Accidents or falls can also cause serious neck injuries, such as vertebral fractures, vascular injuries and even paralysis.
Acupuncture for Neck Pain.
How Acupuncture works in the treatment of neck pain:
Acupuncture is strongly recommended for musculoskeletal diseases and pain, including neck pain. Acupuncture alleviates pain in a multifaceted way:
- Causes the release of endorphins, both locally, at the site of pain, and remotely into the central nervous system
- Disables trigger points
- Inhibits pain stimulus transmission through the spinal cord
- Activates the endogenous analgesic system in the hypothalamus.
Acupuncture therapy is the best choice for the treatment of both chronic and acute pain, as it effectively to the reduces pain, inflammation and stiffness.
References
- Berger AA, Liu Y, Mosel L, Champagne KA, Ruoff MT, Cornett EM, Kaye AD, Imani F, Shakeri A, Varrassi G, Viswanath O, Urits I. Efficacy of Dry Needling and Acupuncture in the Treatment of Neck Pain. Anesth Pain Med. 2021 Apr 3;11(2):e113627.
- Seo SY, Lee KB, Shin JS, Lee J, Kim MR, Ha IH, Ko Y, Lee YJ. Effectiveness of Acupuncture and Electroacupuncture for Chronic Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Chin Med. 2017;45(8):1573-1595.