Neck pain is a common condition worldwide whose incidence (i.e., the number of new cases diagnosed) is increasing every year. At any given time, as many as 15% of the world’s population reports neck problems.
Estimates indicate that over 30% of Americans report neck pain annually, and that over 50% of Americans will experience neck pain in their life. Chronic neck pain is “the third most common chronic condition causing persistent pain in the USA and the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide,” according to Sun et al. (2019).
Doctors commonly prescribe pain medications and physical therapy for neck pain; if the pain is severe and doesn’t respond to these more conservative measures, they may recommend steroid injections or even surgery. If you suffer from neck pain – especially chronic pain – you may be familiar with these kinds of treatments. Many people are in the same position and are looking for treatment that provides significant, long-lasting relief with few side-effects.
While acupuncture has been used for thousands of years, its effectiveness in treating neck pain – especially chronic neck pain – is being recognized in the Western medical community as its popularity is increasing among the general population.
In recent years, doctors have been more willing than in the past to refer their patients for acupuncture as an adjunct – or even an alternative – to standard therapy. The increasing number of studies demonstrating the effectiveness of acupuncture for neck pain as well as the need to find alternatives to addictive pain medications is a big reason for this. The other reason is the sheer number of patients who have sought out acupuncture on their own and reported to their doctors how much it has relieved their neck pain.
A 2015 study in The Annals of Internal Medicine reports that acupuncture resulted in “significant reductions in neck pain and associated disability compared with usual care.” The study noted that this effect was sustained even at 12 months.
A 2017 meta-analysis published in the journal Pain confirmed the long-term benefits from acupuncture for chronic pain, including neck pain. The authors stated that the “major clinical implication of our findings is that we can reassure chronic pain patients considering acupuncture that any treatment benefit does persist after the end of treatment.”
In addition to decreased pain and increased mobility, patients treated with acupuncture for neck pain often report improvements in mood, sleep, and energy levels after treatment.
Whether your neck pain is the result of an injury – such as a work injury, whiplash from a motor vehicle accident, or a sports injury – or just a chronic, nagging issue whose cause you can’t pinpoint – acupuncture, electroacupuncture, other modalities of Chinese medicine, and lifestyle recommendations can offer relief from chronic and acute neck pain without the side effects of pain medications.
Feel free to schedule an appointment with me at my online booking site. I want to help you find long-lasting relief from your neck pain and get you back doing the activities you love, pain-free.
