What is Neck Pain?

Neck pain is a common condition that is experienced by many people around the world. The neck region is made up of vertebrae that extend from the upper torso to the base of the skull. There are various causes that may lead to discomfort in the neck region. In most instances, neck pain is not a serious health issue and can be resolved within a short period.

Symptoms of Neck Pain

Some common symptoms of neck pain include:

• Stiffness
• Sharp pain
• Pain that is exacerbated by movements
• Neck pain which is painful to the touch

There may also be other accompanied symptoms, these may include:

• Headache
• Radiating pain down to the upper limbs or trunk
• Numbness or tingling sensation down the arms
• Burning or sharp pain that travels down to the arms

Causes of Neck Pain

Neck pain is often caused by muscle tension and strain derived from poor posture, working for too long without changing position or sleeping in a bad position. The neck region is also prone to injuries from falls, car accident and sports. Various other health conditions can also be the cause of neck pain, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, and spinal stenosis. Severe illnesses such as heart attack, meningitis and cancer can all lead to neck pain as well. In the case of any of these severe illnesses you should seek medical help immediately.

How Can Chinese Medicine Help?

Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes that the neck is an important region in the human body. This is because there are a total of six meridians traveling through the neck region, these are: the bladder, gallbladder, sanjiao, large intestine, small intestine and the DU meridian. The meridians are the routes which Qi (energy) and blood travels throughout the body. When the meridians are blocked, Qi and blood cannot course freely which results in pain.

If neck pain is not properly treated when it first occurs, the condition may become chronic and lead to other severe illnesses later in life. This is because when qi and blood cannot course smoothly through the neck region, the head and brain become deprived of nourishment. Over time, this may increase the chance of stroke.

Traditional Chinese Medicine addresses neck issues not only by treating the anatomical structure of the body, but by also promoting qi and blood flow in the body by unblocking meridians using acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

Conclusion:

Neck pain is a common condition that most of us will face at some stage in our lifetime. In most cases, the symptoms will subside within a few days, and therefore most people will disregard their condition as a minor issue. However, there may be serious health consequences later in life if neck issues are not properly addressed and resolved promptly. At Centre of Balance, our practitioners have many years of experience in treating patients with neck pain with great results. Why not give us a call, have a chat with our expert team and see how we can help you?

For more information about how Chinese Medicine can treat pain issues like neck pain, click here https://balancetcm.co.nz/pain-clinic-hamilton/.

References:

Pietrangelo, A. (2022). Neck Pain: Symptoms, Causes, and How to Treat It. https://www.healthline.com/health/neck-pain

CloudTCM. (2022). Understand the cause of neck pain from Chinese medicine’s perspective. https://cloudtcm.com/disease/tcm/9092

Centre of Balance. (n.d.). Pain Clinic. Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://balancetcm.co.nz/pain-clinic-acupuncture-hamilton-auckland/