Types of Neck and Shoulder pain

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue injuries lead to lots of clinic visits. The causes of these injuries may be external (sports injuries, car accidents, trauma), internal (chronic wear and tear of muscles, ligaments and tendons; bones weakened by osteoporosis), or both.

Acute injuries are characterized by severe pain, swelling, and inflammation. Treatment of acute injuries should focus on relieving pain, reducing swelling and inflammation. Chronic injuries are characterized by dull pain, stiffness and numbness, as well as decreased muscle mass and strength. Treatment of chronic injuries should focus on relieving pain and restoring physical and physiological functions.

In my own practice, most of neck and shoulder pain I treat is the acute type: • Acute neck and shoulder pain due to sports injuries, car accidents, prolonged body posture in a fixed position (such as working in front of a computer or sleeping in a poor position), • Whiplash, muscle tightness, and spasms • Acute flare-ups of chronic neck and shoulder problems, . Pain associated with a slipped or bulging disk of the neck.

Treatment of Neck and Shoulder pain

Treatment of neck and shoulder pain with acupuncture is different from the western therapies available in wellness clinics. Acupuncture method is so unique that I used to hear from most of my patients during and after the treatment some feedback such as “wow! That’s magical, that’s wield…etc” and that’s not only because they see improvement right the way, but because they see me not putting any single needle on the neck and shoulder area. Acupuncture has a unique way of imaging the body and affecting it with minimum of pain and minimum of treatment sessions. Acupuncture effectively avoids aggravating pain which often occurs with local treatments, where most of the work is done on the neck and shoulder. That’s why patients notice more pain next day of the treatment for few days before it starts to get better.

I’ve treated very difficult cases of pain that the patients were trying with other therapies for long months or even years with minimal to non-results, acupuncture helped them in few sessions only, with 80% to 100% results. Some cases were 100% recovered in one session only.

I do encourage everyone to try acupuncture first in case of any type of pain, before deciding to take pain killers, or other countertop medications, or even before trying other treatments. Acupuncture is the answer in lots of cases.

 keep in mind that there are lots of western practitioners who use acupuncture as well, which fine, but most of them, they are not trained in traditional acupuncture that I talked about in this article. They mainly use what is called trigger points, or ahshi points, which is basically a local treatment, where the practitioner inserts needles in the pain area. This is not a wrong treatment but it’s not the traditional acupuncture way, it does give a temporary pain relief like the other therapies, but it is quiet aggressive as the practitioner puts needles where it is painful increasing the patient discomfort or sufferance.

Once the condition is better with acupuncture, it is very important to take some measures to maintain the results and avoid future aggravations. Here couple of tips that I would like to share in this article.

Nutrition

• Eat plenty of whole grains, seafood, dark green vegetables, and nuts. These foods are rich in vitamin B complex and magnesium, which are essential for nerve health and relaxation of tense muscles.

 • Adequate intake of minerals, such as calcium and potassium, are essential for pain management. Deficiency of these minerals will lead to spasms, cramps, and tense muscles.

Lifestyle Instructions

• Patients should avoid exposing affected areas to cold or drafts. Scarves, turtlenecks or similar clothing should be worn to protect the neck and avoid exposing the shoulders.

• Patients with frozen shoulders should be encouraged to exercise their shoulders as much as possible.

 • Patients should also be advised to check their pillow to make sure it is not too high or too low.  Mattresses should also be assessed for firmness.

 • Hot baths with Epsom salts help to relax tense muscles and withdraw toxins from the tissues.