Got a Pain in the Neck? Try Acupuncture! 

 July 20, 2017

By  Steve Hoffman

For the record, we are talking literally about pain in your neck, not a figurative pain in the neck (although with a big enough needle, we can probably take care of those as well!) I would say that about ninety percent of the patients that I see have some degree of neck/shoulder/upper back pain or discomfort, even if it is not the thing that brought them in for acupuncture in the first place. Why is this so prevalent, why does everyone seem to have a pain in the neck. Because the body has a certain wisdom and we tend to not listen to it.

Wisdom? Really! Why would my body sabotage me like that! I say this to many patients and get many sidelong glances. For the most part, neck/shoulder/upper back pain is due to stress. Some of it is poor posture (hunching over a keyboard for hours etc.) but often, if the stress is removed, the pain and discomfort go away. When the body has too much to handle, it “moves” this stress to one area or another until it can deal with it (when you are not under stress and resting). The body also and gives us signals that it is under distress, i.e. pain. So, let me ask you, would you rather have the body shunt this stress to you neck or would you rather have it put it on your heart, or your kidneys or some other critically important organ. I think I know your answer.

So here is the problem. Because we are under so much stress and many of us do not get enough rest so that the body can heal itself, these problems often become chronic. And what do we do about it? Often, we ignore it until it becomes so uncomfortable or affects our daily lives so much that we must do something about it. We ignore what our bodies are saying. Think about this, if you break your leg, can you put weight on it, walk, run. Of course not, your body sends you such strong signals that you CAN’T ignore them. But a little bit of neck pain, heck, we can push through that, or take medications to dull the pain so that we can get through the day. But with increasingly serious side effects being revealed, do you really want to manage your pain this way. So, what can you do?? Get help of course and acupuncture is a great, natural and EFFECTIVE way of not only reducing your pain, but also actually healing the body.

At Princeton Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine we often see dramatic, immediate improvement for these types of issues and you know what, other symptoms tend to improve as well (sleep, energy, digestion etc.) The other thing you should remember is that your body can only deal with this stress by giving you a pain in the neck for so long. Eventually, you will be putting stress on other body systems, so just like you wouldn’t ignore a broken leg, don't ignore the other signals your body is sending you. Call today, we offer a consultation and will take the time to discuss your problem and let you know what we can do for you.


Princeton Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Our patients know just how effective treatments are for these and a host of other problems. Steven Hoffman, a New Jersey Licensed Acupuncturist and Diplomate in Oriental Medicine, will provide you with a thorough intake and evaluation and a clear, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan that will insure that your goals are met or exceeded. Do you want to move past these or other problems? We will help you thrive not just survive!

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