(Neck Pain may be a symptom of more than 100 conditions. This article only discusses common conditions that are treatable with acupuncture.)
Neck Pain has its origins from organs, arteries, brain, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, nerves, bones or disks or in combination of the above listed.
The common causes may include injuries, whiplash, infections, inflammations, nerve entrapment, degeneration or autoimmune dysfunctions or unknown causes like fibromyalgia.
Neck Pain from above-mentioned origins or causes may be treated with acupuncture for its symptoms, however, the prognosis varies depends on the origins and causes.
Neck pain often follows injury or trauma to the neck, but pain may also be caused by degenerative conditions such as arthritis or disk disease, osteoporosis, cervical scoliosis or other bone diseases, viral infections, irritation to joints and discs, or congenital abnormalities in the spine. As people age, bone strength and muscle elasticity and tone tend to decrease. The disks begin to lose fluid and flexibility, which decreases their ability to cushion the vertebrae.
Very often that neck pain seem to appear out of nowhere. The culprit is often the accumulated physical and emotional stresses, strain and abuse from years of poor posture and bad body mechanics. The triggering incident may be so trivial as to go unnoticed. Other times pain can occur when, for example, someone lifts something too heavy or overstretches, causing a sprain, strain, or spasm in one of the muscles or ligaments in the neck.
Also, when the spine is overly strained or compressed, a disk may rupture or bulge outward. This rupture may put pressure on one of the more than 50 nerves rooted to the spinal cord that control body movements and transmit signals from the body to the brain. When these nerves become compressed or irritated, neck pain results. Occasionally it may generate sharp, pins and needles or numbness sensation radiating down one arm.
Sometimes, building up of scar tissue from repeated injuries or chronic inflammation eventually weakens the neck and can lead to more chronic neck pain.
Neck pain sometimes associated with headaches; especially tension headaches.
Occasionally, neck pain may indicate more serious medical problems. Pain accompanied by vision disturbance, loss of balance or vertigo may indicate a compressed spinal cord. Fever or acute dizziness or nauseated sensation may implicate infection or other serious condition. If this is the first time you experience such symptoms, please see your family doctor to prevent further complications.
