Acupressure Points For A Stiff Neck

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) holds that stiffness and pain in any area of the body can have a wide variety of causes, from injury to emotional stress, postural habit, or deep-seated internal tension. Learning a few simple acupressure techniques can help clear the stale energy and muscular tension.

Theory

Legend has it that ancient Taoist sages discovered the secret of pressure points through observation. When a person became ill, they noted, certain points on his body became tender or sore. When the person recovered, the tenderness was gone. Throughout the centuries, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) mapped these spots, noting the effects of pressing them on the health of their patients. In many ways, therefore, acupressure is the "science of sore spots," jokes Matther Bauer, a licensed acupuncturist practicing at La Verne Acupuncture in California, and author of "The Healing Power of Acupressure and Acupuncture."

Causes

Emotional trauma is among the most common causes of muscle stiffness in the neck and shoulders, according to Michael Reed Gach, founder of the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, California. In his book "Acupressure for Emotional Healing," Gach notes that the fear response often involves tightening and raising the shoulders while tensing the neck. Emotional imbalance and physical illness can arise if this tension isn't released. By addressing the physical tension directly, acupressure has the potential to stop neck stiffness before it can begin.

Research

Acupressure can reduce neck stiffness and help you return to a more complete range of motion, according to a 2006 study published in the journal "Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice." After only eight acupressure treatments delivered over a three-week period, patients in the trial experienced more relief from stiffness, more stress reduction and better range of motion than those who did not receive acupressure, note Y.B. Yip and S.H. Tse of the School of Nursing at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Method

Consult a pressure-point chart or map to find the point on which you want to work. To locate the point on yourself, firmly probe the area with a fingertip. If your fingers are thick or you can't find the point, you might want to use the eraser on the end of a standard pencil, according to the website Eclectic Energies. Once you've got the point, use a small circular motion to massage it, then firmly press and hold it.

Try This

To relieve neck stiffness, begin by working with the two points at the base of the skull on either side of the spine. Use your middle fingers to apply a circular massage, followed by pressing and holding the points. Move one finger-width down on either side of the spine, to the two points directly below the first two. Next, locate the points on top of the shoulder muscles by tracing two lines directly up from each nipple. Massage, then press and hold these points. Finish by working on the point on the base of the skull, in the center. Feel for the natural depression that sits there, and massage and hold the point. Follow this protocol regularly to help relieve neck pain and tension, according to Acupressure Online.