Acupuncture and Neck Pain

Neck pain is a common condition that can be a mild mere annoyance type of pain, or severe enough that it affect your quality of life. Due to the neck’s position and range of motion, and a vital role in supporting your head, the neck is more subject to injury than any other portion of the spine.

Neck pain can have a variety of causes. Keeping your head in an awkward position can cause your neck muscles to fatigue and the joints in your neck to lock in place, causing discomfort, stiffness and limited range of motion. Neck pain can also be caused by a sudden force, such as an automobile accident or a fall, or a medical condition such as degenerative neck disorders. Some neck pain can also be the reasons behind your headaches.

The majority of people will experience some sort of neck pain or stiffness during their lifetime. Certain occupations are predisposed to neck pain, for example manual laborers can have more neck pain symptoms than office workers. A person’s age and a history of twisting and bending during work are also contributing factors. Workers who do repetitive tasks with their upper body and extremities or who sit for prolong period of time with their head in a flexed position, such as typing on a keyboard, are at risk of developing neck pain.

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, acupuncture is very effective in treating neck pain. And in early 2008, SpineUniverse ran a survey on treatment options for neck pain patients. Patients reported that they were more satisfied with acupuncture than with traditional spinal injections.

In many cases, acupuncture can reduce or relieve neck pain for patients whose conditions could not be solved using conventional approaches.

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