It is not an exaggeration that about almost 80% of people living in the United States suffers from some kind of neck pain. Several of these sufferers have long term or chronic neck pain. The possible causes for this include sitting in front of a computer all day or due to poor posture. Some may suffer from really severe pain that may have resulted due to a motor vehicle accident or a sports injury. People who have chronic neck pain more often than not utilize conventional medicine specifically pain-relieving drugs to relieve the pain. However, what these medications merely do is to mask the pain. They also can lead to addictions and dependencies since their long term use eventually make those medications less effective.
Massage therapists and chiropractors are experts in relieving neck pain but the magnitude of the pain may only make their benefits last for a few days. These therapies are not inexpensive which means availing them on a regular basis is out of the question for the ordinary Joe or Jane. Acupuncture can be the right remedy for chronic neck pain. This therapy is an ancient medical procedure that originated in China and is part of an Oriental medical codex known as traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture involves the insertion of tiny needles into determined acupuncture points on the body. Based on the location and the type of the pain, the needles are inserted into affected points that can help relieve the neck pain. Sometimes, in lieu of needles, electrical currents, or heat are also utilized to stimulate the acupuncture points. Usually during the initial treatment, a few needles are needed for the treatment. This is often the case when the neck pain is seriously painful although the effects of the therapy usually linger for a long time.
Several studies were done to prove acupuncture’s longstanding effectiveness in treating chronic neck pain. The majority of the subjects who have participated in these tests experienced quick pain relief just after the initial treatment with the effects of the treatments lasting for a longer period compared to the subjects who were merely given massage treatments. Some of the subjects experienced the disappearance of their pain for months enabling them to require treatment only a single time every few months to maintain relief of the pain. These studies have proven that acupuncture is a very effective remedy for chronic neck pain.
Tammi A. Jones is a licensed acupuncturist in Palm Harbor, FL., practicing acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and Western medical pathology. She is also the founder of Synoma Wellness Centre.