Medical acupuncture is supplied by a licensed physician and integrates Traditional Chinese principles and practices into Traditional Western Medicine practice. Medical acupuncture involves the placement of thin needles into the skin at specific points on the body, depending on what is being treated. If you have chronic neck pain from working on a computer or looking at your phone – April Harris a Galen Acupuncture and Osteopathic Medicine might be the person to see!
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, acupuncture helps treat various conditions by unblocking energy or qi, so it can resume flowing naturally through its normal pathways. Chronic neck pain and stiffness are common reasons for medical acupuncture treatments to be sought after. Acupuncture treatments can vary based on the practitioner’s methods and treatment strategy. In most cases, the acupuncturist starts by asking questions about the patient’s symptoms, diet, and daily routine, which may give clues for the most effective points on the body to place the needles. For example, even when pain and stiffness are only in the neck area, the needles may be placed in other areas along the body in addition to the neck.
Chronic pain can make life miserable – neck pain can compound it. Standard treatments like ice and heat, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, and appropriate exercises can often ease the pain, but when those don’t work, acupuncture is an option that’s worth considering. The most common pain treated through medical acupuncture is chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain as well as chronic headaches. The recommended duration and frequency of medical acupuncture sessions will depend on how long your neck pain and stiffness have already lasted, as well as the severity of your symptoms.
Posted in Acupuncture