Chronic neck pain is one of those mysterious ailments that in many ways points out the deficiency of Western Medicine. It is a condition that is characterized by pain in the neck that is not necessarily related to a known traumatic incident. Although it is supposed that inflammation of the muscles and ligament of the neck is responsible, it is not generally known what is causing this to occur. So, in Western Medicine, it is considered enough to stop at the symptom. Chronic neck pain becomes a diagnosis.
This same limited approach is used with the use of ?osis? and ?itis? when naming conditions. These two suffixes mean ?a condition of? or ?inflammation of? respectively. When coupled with the Latin or Greek name for a part of the body, you get a disease name that actually describes the symptom. Traditional Chinese Medicine regards symptoms as merely guideposts toward the actual causes of conditions. A recent clinic study that used acupuncture points for neck pain treatment gives an example of how this kind of thinking is shallow.
This study used 135 patients ranging in age from 20 to 80 that had been suffering from chronic neck pain. One group was given a total of eight thirty minute acupuncture sessions using acupuncture needles. The second group was given placebo treatments using a device that is capable of electro-stimulation. The electro-stimulation group did not actually receive any stimulation although they were told that they would be. Both groups were told that they were going to be testing needle acupuncture against electro-acupuncture.
They were allowed only Tylenol for pain, and then asked to rate their pain levels on a daily basis using a scale of 0-100. The study showed that both groups reported reduction in pain levels during the study. The reduction was considered minor, and there was no significant difference in the improvement between the groups. The conclusion was that the needling of acupuncture points for neck pain produced no better results than a placebo treatment.
The problem with the study was the acupuncture points that were selected for use. The researchers used 8 points that they said were used in the treatment of neck pain under the principles of ?Western? acupuncture. All of the points were the same for all of the patients. Anyone with even the most basic understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine and real acupuncture treatment would see the fallacy of this approach. Human beings are not machines rolling off an assembly line. Each is totally different. It is most likely that each of those patients had a unique set of conditions that was causing the neck pain, and each would have received a different treatment. There are no set of acupuncture points for neck pain that would be right for every case.
The cervical vertebrae are linked to one another by discs, ligaments, and tendons that allow remarkable flexibility. The normal shape of the neck rather than straight, is a gentle C shaped curve to the front, called the cervical curve. A good chiropractor can help you maintain or restore a health cervical curve.
The chiropractor treats many neck injuries, some severe and some not as bad, but most all can cause you a multitude of health problems if not corrected. There are many causes of neck pain such as a traumatic injury as we would expect from a car crash or a fall, and many injuries happen with no dramatic trauma, but rather over time, or with multiple minor injuries that build up.
The head which is approximately the weight of a bowling ball, is in a normal balanced position atop the slightly forward cervical curve of the neck. When it is carried out of line with the spine or off center, a stress called spinal imbalance results.
When the cervical vertebra get knocked out of alignment, you can feel pain in your neck. But you can also have pains, numbness and tingling down your arms all the way to your hands. This is because the spinal nerves get irritated and stimulate the pain nerves.
Poor posture, bad habits and repetitive movement are all a major concern when it comes to the neck. Every day we subject our neck to these insults and expect it to function with no problem forever. Well I am here to tell you that those things will bring the healthest neck to it's knees,
Keeping your cool and working on relaxation can go a long way to preventing many neck problems. Emotional and mental stress are two major causes of muscle tension headaches
Don't worry about the occasional neck stiffness, some relaxation and a good nights sleep will usually clear this up. However, getting chiropractic treatment especially early in a condition can reduce nerve irritation and prevent the need for surgery.
If you have neck pain and it does not go away after a good nights sleep, or if it comes back again every week, you need to find a quality chiropractor in your area to help you correct your neck problem and regain you health.
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