Recently, we have seen more and more people with neck problems and neck pain in practice. During this period, many people work from home for a long time. Working with a laptop at the kitchen table from time to time is no problem, but this is far from ideal for longer periods of time. In addition, stress and uncertainty play a major role, which often gets stuck in the neck and shoulders.
In this blog, you can read how neck problems can occur and how neck pain is treated in our practice.
From bad to worse
Neck pain is annoying on its own, but when the pain is intense or lasts for a long time, the complaint can worsen and become more complex.
In Chinese medicine, pain is caused by cramping and reduced blood flow. When this situation lasts for a long time, the neck weakens. As a result, the area does not recover as well from daily stress, such as carrying and supporting the head.
The cramping then increases, which can also hamper the flow to the arms and hands. This can lead to complaints such as deafness, tingling or a decreased feeling in the hands and fingers.
The good news is that this process is also reversible. Acupuncture improves blood flow, reducing pain and cramping and allowing the neck to function better again.
Do you notice that your symptoms do not decrease after one to two weeks? Then it is advisable to consider timely treatment.
Consequences of chronic neck pain
Chronic neck pain can go far beyond just neck pain. Common consequences include:
- weariness
- restriction of movement
- deafness, tingling, or numbness in the hands
- loss of strength
- sleep problems
- concentration problems
- irritability
- difficulty lifting
- restrictions in work
- difficulty driving or cycling
By improving blood flow with acupuncture, pain and tension decrease, which often also has a positive effect on these additional complaints.
Treatment of neck problems with acupuncture
A 56-year-old woman came to our practice last year with severe neck pain. She gave her pain a score of 7 on a scale of 10 and had been suffering from it for years. The stiffness in particular made it difficult for her to move her neck. Even simple daily actions took a lot of effort and energy.
After the first treatment, she immediately experienced complete pain relief. In the following weeks, the symptoms continued to decrease and the mobility of her neck got better and better. This gave her noticeably more energy and confidence.
When the pain had almost disappeared, we continued to work on the hardness in the neck and shoulder area. After about eight treatments, the pain was gone and the tension also eased quickly. The difference between before and after treatment was significant. Not only physically, but also mentally, she was visibly burdened.
Exercise for neck problems
In case of neck problems, light, gentle movement can help stimulate blood flow. It is important to do this without forcing and to always stay within your pain threshold. In practice, we provide specific exercises and advice for this. Also take a look at the exercise below:
Tips for neck pain
You can also do a lot yourself to reduce or prevent neck problems:
- take regular breaks during work; get up every hour
- provide an ergonomic workplace with the screen at eye level
- watch your breathing and breathe calmly from the stomach
- check that your shoulders are not unconsciously raised
- massage your neck and shoulders regularly, even yourself
- keep moving, but respect your pain threshold
Want to know more about how we treat neck pain? Then check out the page with information about our treatment of neck problems or contact us.
