Acupressure is an alternative medicine technique where pressure is applied to specific points on the body to reduce pain and improve mobility, among other conditions. People with chronic neck pain can benefit from acupressure therapies, but there are risks involved. Improperly applied acupressure can sever blood vessels in the neck and cause stroke-like symptoms. Consult with a physician before embarking on an alternative treatment regimen for neck pain.
Local and Distal Acupressure Points
A study published in the September 2011 issue of “Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine” investigated the effects of acupressure on local and distal acupressure points for relief of neck pain. Researchers recruited 33 females with chronic neck pain and assigned them to one of three groups: the first served as a control group and received no acupressure therapy, the second received acupressure on local acupuncture points on or near the neck and the third received acupressure on distal points located from the elbow to the hand. Pain was rated by the participants using a scale to grade flexibility, anxiety and satisfaction with the treatment. The study found that the patients responded well to both local and distal acupressure, with slightly better results from the local acupressure points SI15, located on the lower neck, SI14, located on the upper back and GB21, located on the trapezius muscle that extends from the neck to the shoulder.
Acupressure and Essential Oils
An article appearing in the February 2006 issue of “Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice” assessed the effectiveness of acupressure with essential oil from lavender for relieving pain and improving muscle function in adults with non-specific neck pain. Patients were divided into a treatment group and a control group, where the former received eight acupressure sessions over a three-week period. Patients rated their stress levels, neck stiffness and interferences with daily activities through a Visual Analogue Scale, or VAS. Before treatment, VAS scores were 5.12 out of 10 and 4.91 out of 10 in the treatment group and control group, respectively. One month later, the treatment group reported a 23 percent reduction in neck pain, a 23 percent reduction in stiffness and a 39 percent reduction in stress levels. The authors concluded that acupressure and lavender oil therapy was effective for short-term relief of neck pain.
Electrical Stimulation
Researchers at the JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, Fla., investigated the efficacy of electrical stimulation of acupressure points for pain relief in patients complaining of tension headaches and neck pain. Eighty-one participants received treatment through the application of electrical nerve stimulation, massage and acupressure to the forehead, cervical spine and scapula, or shoulder blade. In the May 1997 issue of “Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology,” the researchers reported no complications with the novel therapy and found that electric stimulation combined with acupressure and massage was effective in relieving symptoms of headache and neck pain.
Complications
Shiatsu is a Japanese acupressure technique where the therapist uses his fingers and palms to apply pressure to various body surfaces to alleviate neck pain and body “imbalances” to promote and maintain health. An article in the February 2007 issue of “Brain and Nerve” reported a case of a 56-year-old woman with neck pain who had undergone Shiatsu treatment for five years. Suddenly, she complained of severe neck pain, an inability to swallow, dizziness and speech and walking difficulties. An MRI revealed lesions of the cerebellar hemisphere of the brain due to injury to the vertebral artery which travels up the neck from the trunk to the brain. Although rare, dissection of arteries in the neck is a potentially fatal side-effect of acupressure to relieve neck pain.
References
- “Brain and Nerve”; Bilateral Cerebellar Infarction Caused by Intracranial Dissection of the Vertebral Artery after Long Periods of "Shiatsu"; H. Iwanami, et al.; February 2007
- “Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology”; Simultaneous Multiple-Modality Therapy for Tension Headaches and Neck Pain; R. Stone, et al.; May 1997
- “Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice”; An Experimental Study on the Effectiveness of Acupressure with Aromatic Lavender Essential Oil for Sub-Acute, Non-Specific Neck Pain in Hong Kong; Y. Yip, et al.; February 2006
- “Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine”; Comparative Effects of Acupressure at Local and Distal Acupuncture Points on Pain Conditions and Autonomic Function in Females with Chronic Neck Pain; T. Matsubara, et al.; September 2011
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