Relieving Neck and Shoulder Pain

By Sarah Faggert Alemi, DAc, LAc

Eastern Roots Wellness

. https://www.easternrootswellness.com/

More Pain Management & Rehabilitation Articles

Relieving Neck and Shoulder Pain

Due to the pandemic, most of the population has moved from working at the office to working at home. While this has eliminated a sometimes-stressful commute, it has had the unfortunate affect of increasing the number of those experiencing neck and shoulder pain.

At home, many do not have the same ergonomic chairs or desks that they would have at work. Kitchen countertops and bar stools have become the de facto office these days. Many are also forgetting to take time for breaks. This constant hunching over has led to a sharp incline in the number of those who are experiencing neck and shoulder pain.

Luckily, acupuncture can help effectively and safely relieve neck and shoulder pain, whether it is from working at home or due to an injury.

Contrary to certain opinions that acupuncture is a pseudo-science or bases its’ goal on harmonizing an intangible force known as “qi,” acupuncture is an effective and proven medical therapy for the treatment of pain. It can treat muscular and neural system dysfunctions of the body.

Acupuncture works by causing a cascade of biophysiological reactions in the body from the insertion of thin, filiform needles into the body. This may then relieve pain by causing the production and release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killing chemicals, and by affecting the part of the brain that regulates serotonin, a brain chemical involved with good mood.

Specific points may be used according to acupuncture theory; however, local points may also be used. At its’ most basic, acupuncture needles can stimulate and increase microcirculation in areas of injury or pain. This allows for the inflammation that is created with injured or chronically tense muscles to be carried out of the area while allowing oxygen and repair cells into the area. It is this inflammation that can be the cause of pain.

Said differently, pain is relieved as acupuncture manages to stimulate the nervous system (including the immune system) to increase circulation to the area of pain, promote wound healing from the influx of repair cells and modulate pain by eliminating inflammation and producing endorphins.

If you are experiencing pain, including neck and shoulder pain, consider seeing a licensed acupuncturist for treatment. You may be surprised at how effective acupuncture can be for relief of the pain, in addition to receiving other treatment modalities (like cupping) or lifestyle recommendations to complement treatment for the pain.