1. A Real Pain in the Neck
Sometimes neck pain is the temporary result of a recent injury or medical condition, but many people experience pain in this area on an ongoing basis. Common causes of this chronic pain are muscle tension and arthritis. While medication can help with chronic neck pain, there are also alternative treatment options that use physical therapy, massage or some other form of body work to relieve the symptoms or remedy the causes. One such treatment is acupuncture.
2. Get Right to the Point
Acupuncture is a treatment modality based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to TCM, energy or life force flows through the body along well defined channels called meridians. Pain, illness and disease result from interferences with the flow of energy. There are approximately 2,000 points on the body, called acupoints, in which the meridians come close to the surface. Manipulating these points can influence and correct the flow of energy. Acupuncture practitioners insert fine needles into the acupoints to stimulate them and treat health problems. They target specific meridians and points based on the type of condition they are treating.
3. East Meets West
Acupuncture has become increasingly popular in the West, especially for pain management. In response, western doctors offer various possible explanations for acupuncture's effectiveness. One theory is that acupuncture stimulates the body's central nervous system to release endorphins, natural chemicals that the body produces to relieve pain. Another theory is that the treatments influence the transmission of electrical impulses along the nerves in the body. Yet another is that acupuncture stimulates parts of the brain and glands to change certain hormone levels.
4. Ancient Techniques and Modern Science
Whatever the explanation, researchers have found evidence that acupuncture does indeed work to reduce chronic neck pain. It offers an effective alternative or adjunct to pain medication and conventional treatments. If you would like to give it a try, you can find acupuncture therapists through pain management clinics, TCM practices and sports medicine facilities. Ask for a thorough evaluation of your neck pain so that you and your health care providers know exactly what you are dealing with.
5. Some Prefer to Feel the Pressure
If you are wary of needles, you may still be able to benefit from the principles behind acupuncture. Other related treatments manipulate the acupoints without using needles. Examples are shiatsu, an Asian bodywork technique, some forms of massage and acupressure treatments. These approaches stimulate the acupoints using pressure rather than needle insertion. Practitioners of these services are available through pain clinics, massage therapy centers and TCM practices.
