Most if not all of us have experienced neck pain at some point in our lives. For some it is short lived acute pain lasting only a day or two, for others the pain becomes chronic and unbearable lasting months, even years if left untreated.
Neck pain is defined as pain or discomfort in the region above your shoulders and below your head. It could result from many reasons including physical abnormalities, poor posture, emotional stress, vascular diseases, vertebral compression or subluxations, thyroid disease, esophageal disease, and nerve pain.
Medical doctors will diagnose neck pain by asking the patient questions about the pain and possibly palpating the region.
Pain killers like ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, Tylenol, and Vicodin are often prescribed to ease the pain. Although they may provide temporary relief, over the counter pain killers can have serious side effects such as ulcers and stomach bleeding. Stronger prescription painkillers like Vicodin can become highly addictive and hard to come off of.
In Chinese Medicine no single ailment is treated without simultaneously treating the whole person. In other words, your entire being, lifestyle, diet, spirituality, emotional, and physical health are all taken into consideration.
So if you come into my office with neck pain, I will not only treat the manifestation (neck pain), but I will treat the root which could be causing other aliments as well. Many patients have said that not only did the pain disappear, but they can sleep soundly through the night now too! Oriental Medical doctors do this by utilizing a variety of techniques such as acupuncture, herbs, cupping, gua sha, qi gong, and massage in order to bring the person into balance.
Acupuncture is a great way to relive neck pain. Acupuncturist treat neck pain by diagnosing the root cause of the pain and needling acupoints that not only treat neck pain but treat the underlying condition causing the pain.
For instance, many acupoints on the wrist and ankle treat neck pain but if the pain is coming from stress, poor diet, a cold or flu, physical or emotional blockages then those conditions need to be addressed as well in order to truly resolve the issue. By doing so, acupuncturist are able to treat a wide variety of aliments in just a few short treatments.
I teach all my patients about the importance of self care. People who can learn to recognize patterns and symptoms in their body before they manifest into full blown diseases can treat themselves and steer clear of unnecessary hospital visits. Below is a list of 5 things you can do on your own to decrease neck pain:
As always consult your primary care physician before making any major health decisions.
With a vast drop in temperature, darker skies and rainy days, winter is the most yin of all the seasons. It is associated with the kidney and bladder organs, the color black, the element water, the emotion fear, and salty and bitter flavors.
Goji berries are one of the most well known Chinese herbs in the US. Used for over 2000 years in China, they were first mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, the oldest known book on Chinese herbs in 200 BC. They are prized for their ability to tonify blood and yin without causing stagnation. Consumed daily in China as a food and herbal medicine, goji berries are revered for their anti-aging properties. They are used in many beauty tonics.
