Chronic neck and shoulder pain may seriously impact your quality of life.
If you’ve been experiencing sharp pains, muscle spasms or a burning sensation up your neck and shoulders, you’re not alone. Generally, neck and shoulder pain tend to be chronic, and sufferers typically complain of pain, stiffness and tightness of the trapezius muscle located around the cervical and thoracic region. This is common for office employees who spend long hours slouched at their desks and computers, or logistics and factory workers bound in constrained work postures and highly repetitive manual routines.
Exhausting Pain Can Be Painfully Exhausting.
If you’re one of them living with constant neck and shoulder pain, you will know it is not only exhausting, but the condition will also prevent you from performing at work, at play, or even going about your daily routines. The pain and frustration can only add to your stress, and as a result, seriously affect your quality of life. But you shouldn't be feeling down much longer, for help is readily at hand.
If this perked you up, read on.
In the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is believed that the pain is caused by a stagnation, obstruction or blockage of qi flow. Through modalities like acupuncture, tui na (acupressure), combined with herbal prescriptions, the circulation of qi and blood in the body can be restored to provide quick and effective pain relief.
Acupuncture and Acupressure
Typically, neck and shoulder pain can be treated with a combination of acupuncture and acupressure techniques. An acupuncture treatment involves inserting fine needles gently into the affected regions, which will stimulate sensory nerves under the skin and balance the qi flow on the acupoints and in the target muscles. Similarly, acupressure, or tui na, involves massaging various acupoints along the neck and shoulder regions. Both techniques will stimulate the release of endorphins in the body, which will enable a soothing and relaxing sensation after the treatment.
From Pain To Gain
If you want quick pain relief, you can get started by arranging for a consultation with your friendly neighbourhood TCM practitioner, who will typically run a diagnostic on your condition before administering the right treatment. If you have a fear of needles, you can skip the acupuncture part. Tui na alone will do the trick. Your TCM physician may also prescribe herbal prescriptions to maximise the efficacy of your treatment.
