The treatment of neck pain with acupuncture is very similar to the treatment of low back pain. At our Midtown acupuncture clinic, after establishing the history of present illness, the first step in examination would be to determine the main channel(s) involved. Similar to low back pain treatments, if pain is worse with extending the head or looking upwards, we generally will treat the muscles along the back of the neck, if there is pain while bending the neck down, treatment involves the front of the neck. If there are restrictions and pain with turning the head side to side or with bending left and right the muscles along the sides of the neck will most likely be treated. The first step in any treatment with acupuncture involves determining the impaired channel(s). Sometimes neck pain may cause headaches which radiate to different parts of the head such as the temples or sides of the head. These types of headaches are caused by a dysfunction in the gallbladder channel. You can read more about how acupuncture helps headaches and migraines here.
Once again most of the pain in these cases are usually related to improper work stations. Please check our low back pain post to see how the work station should be set up. I have seen stubborn cases of neck pain resolve with simple adjustments to work stations. If you think about it, people with neck pain may be working in a poorly set up work station for 8-10 hours daily. That is a long time to sit in a bad position. Then if we are undergoing treatment to address these pain issues, we have 30 minutes to 1 hour of some therapeutic modality such as physical therapy, chiropractic, or acupuncture, only to return to the poor posture which may be the cause of the pain in the first place. In some cases, the 1 hour of therapeutic modalities may not be enough to overcome the 8-10 hours of daily work in a station that promotes poor posture. Essentially when undergoing any therapeutic modality to address neck pain, please have your work station evaluated and corrected to help the therapeutic process.
In addition to acupuncture I may utilize other soft tissue bodywork such as cupping, gua sha, herbal soaks, and herbal presses. To my knowledge, I have not seen any other acupuncture clinics in New York City use these modalities. I am confident in saying that Medina Wellness is the only acupuncture clinic in NYC that utilizes external herbal therapy. In cases of chronic pain external herbal therapy is a game changer. Herbal soaks and presses both contain anti-inflammatory herbs which are externally applied to the painful regions and channels. These herbs increase circulation and decrease inflammation. Herbal soaks are a combination of 15 different herbs which are extracted in water for a few hours. They are applied with towels dipped in the formula and placed over painful areas. During the application of these warm herbs it is very common for me to joke with patients that it is now spa time and we will be doing exotic herbal therapy. Seriously though, these modalities are so soothing to muscles that are tight and in pain. I promise you, you will be feeling better after a session of acupuncture and other body work to address muscular pain and tightness.