Do you suffer from neck pain? It is a common problem that we see in our office. Many patients come in complaining about tightness in their neck and shoulders. This is a pain that is very common to many but especially afflicts those who spend hours in front of their computer. Necks are particularly vulnerable to tightness and pain due to its range of motion and position on the spine. To make matters worse, most of us have poor posture and put our heads in awkward positions when using the computer or laptop. The next time you are at the computer, be conscious of the positioning of your neck. Most people tend to hunch their shoulders and tilt their chins down which causes strain on the neck.
Acupuncture is one great way to treat neck pain. When needling the local area of pain, the body rushes blood to that area to repair the micro trauma created by the needle. In turn, the blood heals/eases the tension of the surrounding tight neck and shoulder muscles. If your neck pain is particularly sensitive to touch, we are able to use distal points that are very effective at relieving neck pain. In addition, we may use other modalities to treat neck pain such as electrical stimulation and/or cupping. These methods are used to further decrease pain and increase muscle relaxation.
The next time you are at your computer, pay attention to posture, good seating and adequate lighting. If your neck pain is particularly bad, come in for an acupuncture treatment or a massage and consider taking a week break from your computer if possible. If this isn’t an option, try cutting down the hours at the computer and use a heating pad in the evenings to improve blood flow and encourage muscle relaxation.