Oriental Medicine & Neck Pain
By Justin Jaucian
Q: How can acupuncture help me with the pain in my neck and shoulders? I’m a 36 year old accountant who spends most of my time at seated deskwork.
A: Ah yes, the old pain in the neck syndrome. When you come in for your first visit, I’m going to want to know more about your postural habits. I’m also interested in your overall mental and emotional picture—Oriental Medicine has long acknowledged the role of the emotions in our health. In fact, one of the earliest surviving texts dating back centuries before Christ, Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic), describes in detail how strong emotions disharmonize the flow of qi (commonly translated as life force energy) and result in sickness.
In practice, I observe repeatedly the tendency to encapsulate stress and store it in the channel system. In other words, instead of deeply engaging our fears, anxieties, anger, frustration, etc. which are living energies, we consciously or subconsciously hide from them; inevitably these encapsulated energies reappear elsewhere in the body, including muscle knots. A striking example of this which I encountered recently in clinic was a middle-aged female homemaker who presented with pain in the neck and lower back. During the treatment I casually inquired whether there were any major stresses occurring around the onset of her condition. She proceeded to tell me that her husband had been diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo treatment. So in addition to responsibilities maintaining home and family was the extra load of having to care for a sick spouse. On top of that, this patient also had the pleasure of having to deal with her husband’s parents who were hostile toward her. Now to ice the cake, she had to carry on all the while knowing that her husband was having an affair.
She seemed surprised when I brought to her attention the idea that her pain may have been induced by emotional stress.
We must also recognize the non-stress causes of neck/shoulder pain. Incorrect posture, mentioned above, is a major culprit in these patterns. Forward head carry creates numerous points of imbalance in the muscles and can eventually lead to pain. Structural changes in the bones of the spine—the vertebrae—may irritate the nerves which branch out from the spinal cord, giving rise to pain. What can happen as the condition progresses, or becomes ‘knotted’ as we say in Oriental Medicine, is that the myofascial system can become involved. Muscles go into spasm and the wrapping of the muscles—the fascia—become restricted in an effort to protect the injury. This we experience as stiffness and reduced range of motion.
The good news is that acupuncture is quite effective in providing lasting relief. We’ll likely employ adjunct modalities such as tui na bodywork, moxibustion, cupping, &/or gua sha as well to bolster treatment. In six to eight sessions you should be nearly or completely free of pain; from that point we can transition to monthly or seasonal maintenance sessions. You will also receive instruction in exercises to stimulate circulation in the affected areas. In my experience, many cases of pain in this part of the body are avoidable and reversible up to a point, as they are simply a result of maladaptive habits reinforced over time. Correct the bad habit, commit to reinforcing the corresponding ‘noble’ habit; in this way you stay on the path of good health.
I encourage you to develop the habit of rigorous self-observation to determine the specifics of your pattern. Do you slouch as you sit at your desk? Straighten up! Tuck the chin in slightly, lift the head and chest. Do you carry the weight of others on your shoulders, perhaps unnecessarily? Let go and lighten your load! Perhaps you’ll catch yourself in the habit of hunching up your shoulders when you feel chilled. Or maybe you’ll observe that your pain gets worse when you get into the cycle of worry and frustration. Remember—awareness is the first step to change!
Justin Jaucian is In Balance Center for Living’s in-house acupuncturist and medicinal herbalist. He has been in practice since 2002 and teaches weekly Qi Gong classes at the center. You may contact him at 908.369.4949 or shiningsource@gmail.com with additional questions.
Copyright © 2009, Justin Jaucian MS, Cert.Ac
