Acupuncture to Relieve Neck Pain, Plus 9 Tips to Prevent Cervical Spondylosis

Dr. Jonathan Liu, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner with more than 26 years of professional medical experience, shares the story of one of his patients. Ms. Ren, a middle-aged woman, is fond of literature and spends much of her time reading. At one point, Ren suddenly experienced a sore neck and dizziness after reading for just over five minutes.

At her appointment, Liu checked Ren’s pulse and after palpating her cervical spine, found severe degeneration manifesting as straightening of the natural neck curvature. Excessive pressure was resulting in pain at the inferior nuchal line under the skull base of the neck, together with pain from pressure on both sides of the cervical cone, especially from C-4 to C-6.

Neck Pain and Dizziness Disappeared Completely

Ren was worried about having long-term symptoms caused by her condition. Liu told her, “Don’t worry, acupuncture and moxibustion are proven very effective in treating cervical spondylosis pain and the resulting dizziness, arm numbness, and pain.”

Liu chose critical acupuncture points on the neck such as tianzhu, dazhu, bailao, shenshu, and kunlun. After 12 sessions of therapy, three times a week, her neck pain and dizziness disappeared completely, and she can now read without any worry about the pain returning. In the 10 years that have passed since her treatment, the curative effect of the follow-up treatments is still positive.

Cervical Spondylosis May Cause Many Symptoms

According to statistics, the age of onset for cervical spondylosis has advanced from 40 to 30 and has become a common white-collar occupational hazard. High-paying jobs in areas such as internet technology and finance have become arenas of high incidence.

The cervical spine is not only the most active part of the spine but also the most important part of the nerve center. It is also the only way to connect and supply the blood vessels of the heart and brain. Once it fails, dizziness, headache, shoulder and back pain, numb fingers, vision loss, and even paralysis of the lower limbs will occur.

Clinically, there are five types of cervical spondylosis. With the exception of the central type, in which the cervical disc presses on the spinal cord, the other four types respond well to acupuncture and moxibustion. From the TCM point of view, there are two reasons for cervical spine problems, one is the strain of muscles, ligaments, fascia, and bones caused by excessive use of local cervical cones, which is called degeneration in modern medicine. In this respect, TCM and modern medicine are aligned.

In TCM, tianzhu, dazhu, and bailao are commonly used local acupuncture points. Stimulating these points can significantly reduce muscle tension, and improve nerve function and local blood circulation. The tianzhu point also locates the insertion point of the trapezius muscle. Modern medicine has discovered a tiny structure called the Golgi tendon that regulates muscle tension at the start and end points of the muscle. Stimulating this structure can quickly reduce muscle tension.

Chinese medicine believes that the other reason for these degenerations is related to the “kidney qi” within the body—meaning the vitality of the kidney system is weak. Thus, in addition to focusing on the local neck area, it is also possible to enhance the curative effect and prevent recurrence by invigorating the kidney qi. Therefore, the shenshu and kunlun points are also selected. The shenshu point is located on the waist and like the tianzhu point, it belongs to the bladder meridian of taiyang on the foot.

According to anatomical science, shenshu belongs to the lumbar segment of the erector spinae, which can strengthen the psoas muscles. Tianzhu point belongs to the cervical segment, and proper stimulation of this point can reduce the tension of the neck muscles and improve the function of nerves and blood vessels. Modern medicine has also found that the cervical and lumbar spine are closely related in terms of motor function, and damage to one often affects the other.

9 Tips to Prevent Cervical Spondylosis

Because of the popularity of electronics in modern society, the cervical spine is easily overused. However, by paying attention to the care of your body in daily life, cervical spondylosis can be prevented.

1. Avoid wind and cold

In winter or summer, always keep the cervical spine warm—in an air-conditioned room, be sure to protect the back of the neck. When suffering from a cold, make a bowl of cold-dispelling soup using two tablespoons of brown sugar, and seven slices of ginger, simmered in water for ten minutes. Drinking once or twice can drive away a cold.

2. Exercise the muscles around the cervical part of the spine

Take frequent breaks to exercise the cervical spine in this sequence, moving in a clockwise and counterclockwise fashion. Persist for five minutes each time. Movements should be gentle:

• Sit upright and keep the torso still.
• Lower the head, raise the head.
• Turn head left, then right.
• Stretch head forward, then retract.

3. Regular massage

Massage the back of the cervical spine and the muscle on both sides from top to bottom with both hands. This will instantly relieve cervical fatigue and relax the whole body. In addition, cross the fingers of both hands, put them on the back of the neck, and rub the back of the neck and forth to make it warm, to feel very relaxed and comfortable.

4. Regular exercise

The nutrients of cartilaginous tissue are not supplied by blood, but by the change of pressure for nutrient exchange. If there is a lack of activity, the cartilage will suffer from malnutrition, which leads to degeneration. Increasing outdoor activities is one way to maintain a healthy cervical spine. Recommended activities are swimming, and practicing yoga. During workouts, also remember to do sufficient warmups, and avoid excessive neck movements.

5. Eat a balanced diet

People today are like the spinning tops—always busy. To prevent cervical spondylosis, pausing to prepare and eat food that nourishes the bone marrow is essential. TCM believes that walnuts, black sesame, and similar foods can nourish the kidneys and bone marrow. Add these ingredients to dinner to delay the transformation between the kidneys and the spine. In terms of strengthening muscles and tendons, eat more collagen-rich foods, such as beef tendons and scallops.

6. Try the “lazy man’s waist stretches” and the “eagle spreads its wings” exercises

Sitting and standing for long periods will cause tension in the sacrospinous muscles. For relief, the “lazy man’s waist stretch” can be done by standing up, stretching your arms upwards, and bending your spine. To feel a sense of relaxation, do this several times in a row

For Dapeng “eagle spreads its wings” exercise, gently bend down to 90 degrees and stretch out the arms as if flying like an eagle, the higher the better, but do not raise the head. Hold for 5 minutes. This action can help you increase muscle strength along the cervical spine.

7. Hot compress with specially prepared Chinese medicine

Fry a little fennel and about 10.5 ounces of salt together, put them in a cloth bag, and place the bag on the back of the neck for about 30 minutes. The once-a-day application can improve blood circulation in the area and relieve muscle spasms. Be careful the temperature is not too hot.

8. Healthy sleep posture

The best sleeping posture is to lie on either the left or right side. Pillows and beds (mattresses) should be comfortable partners of the cervical spine. Too high or too low a pillow or too soft a mattress is unhealthy for the cervical spine. Pillow sides should reach the shoulders, with the middle lower. “Ingot-shaped” pillows with higher ends have a good supporting effect on the cervical spine, allowing better quality of rest. For an unhealthy cervical spine, plank bottom and trampoline beds are the best choices. Overly soft beds tend to make people feel more tired the more they sleep.

9. Avoid habitual poor posture

Bad habits, such as lying on the sofa or reading a book while resting on a high pillow, cause the neck to be flexed for a prolonged period. Over time, the natural curvature of the cervical spine will gradually disappear, leading to backward angulation, vertebral disk rotation, or becoming unstable resulting in front and posterior displacement.

Epoch Health articles are for informational purposes and are not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Please consult a trusted professional for personal medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment. Have a question? Email us at [email protected]