As someone who has suffered severe neck pain in the past ( trying to move the world’s heaviest lounge up a set of stairs ) I am well aware of that moment when you suddenly realise you need help!

A prolapsed disc in my cervical vertebrae was giving me searing nerve pain.  Naturally, the first thing I thought that could help was acupuncture.

Acupuncture for neck pain has been used for many hundreds of years, so it’s always good to see modern research back up what we see in our clinic (1).  Research now suggests that referring patients suffering with chronic musculoskeletal pain or osteoarthritis for a course of acupuncture is a reasonable option. Finally! We have come a long way.

When you visit us here at the clinic, we take a brief history of your neck pain – how long has it been troubling you, how did it start ( if you know ), are you under other medical care etc.  We then offer a treatment plan based on our experience and research.  Typically, a course of acupuncture varies from 6-10 treatments. We always aim to have you feeling better sooner if your neck pain is acute. If your neck pain is chronic, then naturally we adjust our treatment plans in accordance with what is manageable, whilst still giving you pain relief.

For anyone reading this who is fearful that they are now destined to a life full of neck pain, please stop worrying. I go to gym, I swim, I carry on as normal.  All pain free.

If you’ve suffered an injury or are just looking to supplement your existing recovery program, why not call us to see if we can help you speed up the recovery process and reduce your pain.

Below is an abstract detailing the effectiveness of acupuncture for neck pain (2).

Acupuncture effective for neck pain

A review of ten different trials has concluded that there is evidence that acupuncture can relieve chronic neck pain. Different trials found that i. Acupuncture offered better pain relief than sham Tens or sham laser or sham acupuncture (needles inserted in unsuitable locations), ii. Acupuncture provided better pain relief than just waiting, and iii. Acupuncture provided better pain relief than massage. (Trinh KV et al. Acupuncture for neck disorders. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 3. Art. No. CD004870).”

References

1. Vickers AJ, Vertosick EA, Lewith G, MacPherson H, Foster NE, Sherman KJ, Irnich D, Witt CM, Linde K; Acupuncture Trialists’ Collaboration. Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis. J Pain. 2018 May;19(5):455-474. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2017.11.005. Epub 2017 Dec 2. PMID: 29198932; PMCID: PMC5927830.
2. Trinh KV, Graham N, Gross AR, Goldsmith CH, Wang E, Cameron ID, Kay T; Cervical Overview Group. Acupuncture for neck disorders. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Jul 19;(3):CD004870. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004870.pub3. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(5):CD004870. PMID: 16856065.