Acupuncture May Be Best to Ease Neck Pain

Acupuncture Better than Massage for Chronic Neck Pain

When your practitioner treats your neck pain with acupuncture, both local (at the site of pain) and distal (away from the area of pain) needles can be used to help resolve the problem. Distal points are very important, especially in acute pain. Often, needles can be placed in areas other than the neck and you can get excellent and quick relief. There are many local points on the neck and often a practitioner will palpate your body to find the most sensitive spots and needle those. Other adjuncts to treatment might include: electric stimulation of points, and cupping. Generally, it is advisable to have frequent treatment initially and taper off as the pain diminishes. Herbs can also be helpful in moving blood and reducing inflammation as well as strengthening a deficient condition.

Is acupuncture or massage therapy better for back and neck pain? One recent study came out in favor of massage while another has found acupuncture to be better. Your best bet may be to let personal preference be your guide.

Acupuncture is widely understood to be a non-traditional (not a traditional part of western medicine) treatment option for back pain or neck pain. While acupuncture is often not the first line of treatment sought for most back or neck problems, an increasing number of patients, as well as physicians and other health professionals are starting to use acupuncture as a means to reduce neck pain and back pain.

Acupuncture for neck disorders

Acupuncture for neck painNeck pain is one of the three most frequently reported complaints of the musculoskeletal system. Treatments for neck pain are varied, as are the perceptions of benefits. Acupuncture is sometimes used as an alternative to more traditional treatments for musculoskeletal pain. In this review it was defined as the stimulation of one or more specific points on the body, by the insertion of needles, to achieve a desirable effect. Acupuncture typically includes manual stimulation of needles, but there are commonly used variations, such as electrical stimulation or heat stimulation of the needles, which is called moxibustion [the moxa herb, Artemisia vulgaris, is burned at the handle end of the needle]. Injection acupuncture, in which herbal extracts are injected into acupuncture points, is occasionally used as well.

Individuals with chronic neck pain who received acupuncture reported, on average, better pain relief immediately after treatment and in the short-term than those who received sham treatments. Individuals with chronic neck pain with symptoms radiating to the arms who received acupuncture reported, on average, better pain relief in the short-term than those who were on a waiting list.

Who is Dr. Glenn Marr?

Acupuncture therapy helps many people with many types of chronic neck problems!
If you are suffering from acute sinusitis, low neck pain, neck or neck pain, or even monthly cramps, there may be relief with Acupuncture therapy. Acupuncture therapy is given for a wide variety of symptoms and problems including weight loss and smoking sensation.

Dr. Glenn Marr has been treating patients for these problems and many other problems for fourteen years. He can communicate with you about your problem and then explain exactly what the Acupuncture therapy will consist of. There are 3 types of Acupuncture therapy that Dr. Marr uses; disposable needle Acupuncture, heat Acupuncture, and electric Acupunture.Most patients say that they do not feel most of the needles. This is true, as the needles are very small in diameter, about the size of a piece of hair. Even if you do not want needles at all, you can be treated with the heat or electric Acupuncture. The heat acupuncture is very soothing and relaxing and can be used for most problems especially sinus problems. The electric acupuncture is barely felt at all by almost all patients, and can be used for all types of Acupuncture therapy.

Sign Up for Dr. Marr's monthly newsletter, you will be able to receive discounts on your visits and also read about the latest and greatest in Acupuncture Relief and the latest techniques that will cure your body.

Individuals treated with acupuncture reported greater reductions in pain both immediately after the first and last treatments, and one week after the last treatment, than those treated with massage. Patients in the acupuncture group improved an average of 24.22 points on pain related to motion one week after treatment, compared to only 7.89 points for massage patients. These differences were even more distinct among patients with myofascial pain syndrome (a condition characterized by muscle pain in specific areas of the neck that may be caused by physical or emotional tension) and patients who reported pain lasting more than five years.