Neck Pain Can be Disabling

• Neck pain is one of the three most frequently reported complaints of the musculoskeletal system. 26% to 71% of the adult population can recall experiencing an episode of neck pain or stiffness in their lifetime.
• Neck pain is usually a benign and self-limited condition, but can be disabling to varying degrees.
• As such, it has a large impact on healthcare expenditure, due to visits to healthcare professionals, and sick leave, disability and the related loss of productivity.(Trinh 2010)

More than Just Neck Pain

• Neck pain can be associated with symptoms that radiate to the arms or head, and may involve one or several neurovascular and musculoskeletal structures such as nerves, nerve roots, intervertebral joints, discs, bones, muscle and ligaments.

Western Medicine Viewpoint

• Western medicine management includes advice to stay active and continue daily activities; exercise therapy; analgesics (e.g. paracetamol, NSAIDs, an opioid); muscle relaxants; corticosteroid spinal injections; and referral for consideration of surgery.
• However, there is a lack of strong evidence of effectiveness for most of these interventions (Hagen 2007, Luijsterburg 2007).

Acupuncture Can Help Relieve Neck Pain by

• Simulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, which leads to release of endorphins and other neurohumoral factors, and changes the processing of pain in the brain and spinal cord (Pomeranz 1987, Zhao 2008);
• Reducing inflammation, by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors (Kavoussi 2007, Zijlstra 2003);
• Improving muscle stiffness and joint mobility by increasing local microcirculation (Komori 2009), which aids dispersal of swelling.
• Reducing stress and tension within your whole system that can be a contributing factor to the pain.

 Acupuncture Tried and Tested

• Acupuncture is a tried and tested system of traditional medicine, which has been used in China and other eastern cultures for thousands of years to restore, promote and maintain good health.
•  Its benefits are now widely acknowledged all over the world, and in the past few decades.
• Traditional Acupuncture has begun to feature more prominently in mainstream healthcare in the UK.

Holistic Approach to Neck Pain

• Traditional Acupuncture takes a Holistic approach to health and regards illness as a sign that the body is out of balance.
• The exact pattern and degree of imbalance is unique to each individual.
• The Traditional Acupuncturists skill lies in identifying the precise nature of the underlying disharmony and selecting the most effective treatment.
• The choice of acupuncture points will be specific to each patients needs.
• Traditional Acupuncture can also be used as a preventive measure to strengthen the constitution and promote general wellbeing.

Evidence to Back Efficiency of Traditional Acupuncture

• An increasing weight of evidence from Western scientific research is demonstrating the effectiveness of Acupuncture for treating a wide variety of conditions.
• From a biomedical viewpoint, Acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system, influencing the production of the body’s communication substances – hormones and neurotransmitters.
• The resulting biochemical changes activate the body’s self-regulating homeostatic systems, stimulating its natural healing abilities and promoting physical and emotional wellbeing.
• The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a new guideline for chronic pain in April 2021. This guideline was driven by the urgent need to cut down prescriptions of opioids and other painkillers and includes Acupuncture as one of the four recommended treatments.

Acupuncture Treatment for YOUR Neck Pain

For Traditional Acupuncture treatment to treat your individual neck pain and  your whole system, contact Hannah at: https://www.southwellacupuncture.co.uk/contact/