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At the Acupuncture Center of Richmond we see many patients who come to us for neck pain. Neck pain is very common because the neck, compared to many other parts of the body is quite vulnerable. It has the task of holding the heavy human head upright for most of the day. We see neck pain due to trauma, bad posture, due to just a night of sleeping wrong, or chronic neck pain that seems to have no cause at all. Of course there is always some cause, and finding it will help us effectively treat neck pain. Another reason neck pain is so common is because the neck is a place where many people hold their stress (the neck and often the shoulders as well). After many years of holding stress in the neck and shoulders, the blood circulation actually diminishes and the muscles and tissues become undernourished and weak, leading to tiredness, strain and pain. Also, many of us develop bad posture for a number of reasons and this incorrect position of the head will cause the neck muscles to have to work harder just to keep the head upright. There are many things we can do for neck pain. There are many strong and effective acupuncture points in the neck area which we use, but we also use many points called distal points which are not close to the neck that empirical evidence over hundreds of years tells us are effective for helping neck pain. There are several effective Chinese herbal formulas that are specific for neck pain as well as ointments that we can prescribe that augment the treatment, allowing the healing to continue between treatments. I also will usually prescribe some exercises to do two things: bring the head back into proper alignment, and strengthen the neck muscles.
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Frozen shoulder is a condition that we are seeing more and more in our clinic. The shoulder is one of the more vulnerable joints and when it shuts down as it does in frozen shoulder there is a good reason for it to do so - to protect the joint. To get it to loosen up and restore range of motion you must do the right things. We have developed a method that has shown to work very well in most cases. We use acupuncture and cupping in our sessions and sometimes electro-acupuncture, as well as our own set of movement exercises to promote healing. Frozen shoulder can be stubborn so we recommend our treatments along with a proper Chinese herbal formula as well as exercise and maybe even some PT. Using all these methods the shoulder should 'unfreeze' much more quickly.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies are a very effective way to control and even eliminate migraines. In my experience, migraines will be diminished in intensity and frequency very soon after starting acupuncture treatment. There are many causes of migraines and it is important to find a proper diagnosis for each patient. Though there are usually some commonalities with migraine sufferers, a 'one size fits all' approach to treating migraine is often not successful. Individual differences must be taken into consideration. With a proper diagnosis in hand, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, food therapy, stress management and even cupping are used in combination to effectively treat migraines. I use acupuncture and cupping primarily in treating migraine and the effects can be life changing. I have had patients that have had migraines for 10 years or more that never have another migraine after a series of treatments. That is how effective it can be.
Arthritis pain usually responds extremely well to acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy. Arthritis in our medicine can have several causes and can affect various parts of the body and so the approach we take will be different for each patient. We find this individualized treatment to be both essential and effective, since we are all different and everyone responds somewhat differently to therapy. Arthritis patients will usually find that they feel better after just one or in some cases a couple of treatments. It is important, however, to treat not only the painful symptoms but at the same time to find and treat the underlying cause of the arthritis. Sometimes the underlying cause can be a weakness in the body, or perhaps a structural or postural problem. If the cause of the arthritis is treated than the person can be truly healed of the ailment. If just the pain is treated than the underlying cause may actually worsen and over time the pain might spread or worsen. This is a very important distinction between the Eastern and the Western approach to arthritis and many illnesses. Often in Western medicine, the pain is treated with steroids or other pain killers, the pain may lessen while the actual disease mechanism marches on, untouched. Chinese herbs and diet are also effective in reducing pain and treating the root cause of the arthritis and proper exercise is important. Any postural abnormalities must also be addressed if true healing of the arthritis can occur; if we have neck pain for instance and we carry our head forward and down, we are fighting gravity itself, which usually wins. Using Chinese medicine to treat arthritis pain gives us many options. It is important to stop the pain, but it is equally important to stop the reason it began in the first place.
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AuthorMonte Jackson, owner Acupuncture Center of Richmond Archives
August 2024
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