| NECK
PAIN
At least half of the patients who come for their
first appointment are massaging their neck while giving details
about their chief complaint of migraines, or depression, or insomnia.
If, after the 1/2 hour health history discussion, no mention has
been made of neck pain, I bring up the subject. "I couldn’t
help but notice..."
This is a great example of how we get used to
living with pain, thinking it's "normal." Especially in
the case of neck pain, it may be common but it is not normal.
Acupuncture and herbs are simple and quick solutions
to the typical neck pain as experienced by an over-worked, highly-stressed,
under-slept population.
TCM explanation for neck pain:
To Traditional Chinese Medicine, neck pain
is part of a pattern called Bi Syndrome (bi zheng—meaning
"to obstruct or block"). The symptoms of pain, stiffness
and numbness can include an area around the shoulder, upper back,
down the arm and into the hands.
The underlying cause of this pain may include
chronic strain leading to injury. Additionally, there may be a deficiency
of Qi that protects the body from external factors. Wind, cold or
dampness can easily enter the meridians and collaterals of the neck
and shoulders leading to the obstruction that causes pain.
Western medicine explanation:
The cervical spine is typically suspect when occasional
neck pain becomes severe, and the pain starts down the arm with
tingling and numbness. Problems in the spine are far ranging and
may include herniated disk, dislocation, subluxation, bone spur,
or nerve pressure.
In addition to the pain and numbness, symptoms
can include swelling in the hands, annoying sounds of grinding or
popping in the neck, headaches, insomnia, blurred vision and dizziness.
TCM treatments for neck pain:
Many of the treatments within TCM are excellent
to alleviate neck pain and then strengthen the area to prevent a
recurrence:
- Needles in the local area of shoulder and neck are used to move
the obstructed Qi and blood, and begin strengthening the area.
Additional points on the legs and/or arms would be selected to
help strengthen the shoulder and neck area. A mild electrical
stimulation might be used on the needles to encourage a rhythmic
contract-relax movement in the muscles.
- Gua Sha works very well to spread the obstructed Qi and release
heat that has accumulated due to the stagnation.
- Moxibustion provides strengthening to the local area and helps
the blood move to the area bringing nourishment and it helps the
blood move away from the area, carrying away damaged cells that
may be causing pain.
- Tui na spreads Qi along the cutaneous and muscular meridians,
encouraging the Qi to move along the meridians and open the obstruction.
- Herbs Specific properties in many herbal formulas provide relief
from neck pain. Herbs used to alleviate pain would disperse heat,
tonify (strengthen) Qi, drain dampness, calm wind, and nourish
and move blood.
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