As I wondered about what to write this month, I asked myself, what are most people coming in and talking about?  And although neck and shoulder tension may not be the reason that brings people into the office, it is still the most commonly addressed area along with treatment for their main concern.  Like lower back pain, the neck and shoulders are typical areas that have sustained injuries.  Sometimes these injuries are old, new, multiple, traumatic or all of the above.  Also, many people are sitting at desks and using computers, sometimes slowly creating new injuries if the desk, chair, monitor and keyboard are not adjusted just exactly perfect.  Or tension develops while driving among lunatics, or stress from walking around being human.  Whatever the reason, I’ve found that people notice a difference with acupuncture and other modalities I use during treatment.

 

First, it is important to work with the fascia and muscle layers around the neck and shoulders.   Both gua sha and cupping are typically soothing and bring blood to the surface, thereby encouraging proper movement  of blood.  I also typically use a few minutes of shiatsu and/or trigger point therapy.  While these are not the focus of the entire visit, they both provide information about the affected tissue, and treatment.  Shiatsu is a Japanese style of massage that focuses upon the channels and acupuncture points in order to ease muscle tension and move blood and qi.  Trigger point therapy helps to identify if a particular area of tension refers to another area.  For example, I often hold the upper trapezius muscle, (imagine “Vulcan death grip” from Star Trek) and if this refers to the neck, ear or jaw then we will hold it for a few breaths or until the sensation goes away.  Once we’ve warmed up and identified any referral patterns with these techniques, (also using a heating pad and/or a heat lamp) acupuncture further helps to regulate the system and release tension.  Sometimes needle insertion produces a muscle twitch, which helps to release tension as well.  If the muscle tissue is very tight, electrical stimulation is applied, this is similar to a TENS unit.  Many people fall asleep once the needles are inserted.  By the end of the visit, people often notice a greater range of motion, less pain, stress reduction, and an overall better mood.

 

There are a few pictures of these techniques on the Services page, and this article has a short description of the techniques mentioned : http://daisylear.com/cold-and-flu/

 

A couple of ideas for neck and shoulders at home :

• Shoulder rolls: lift up toward ears, roll down.
• Get up from the desk and walk as much as possible, look left and right, etc.
• Put a damp towel in the microwave and wrap around neck/shoulders or make a neck warmer with rice in a pillow case and heat it up in the microwave.
• Bend forward, (hamstring stretch position) cross arms and hold elbows in hands and just hang.  With the head hanging below, it allows for space between the vertebrae at the upper back and neck for a moment.  Bend knees if needed.  With the head below the heart, this also provides some relief from anxiety.