Stiff neck, neck pain, or neck discomfort is a common condition that could significantly impact your daily life, including your ability to drive and perform simple household chores like cooking. While there are several treatments for this condition, acupuncture therapy can offer you an effective and natural solution to the problem.

Acupuncture treatment is a popular holistic treatment option that targets the root of your health issue and stimulates the natural healing mechanism of your body. If a stiff neck burdens your daily life and other conventional treatment options do not alleviate the discomfort, acupuncture could be the remedy you seek.

This article will go straight to the core of this ancient Chinese-based practice and research-proven method of treating neck stiffness and pain.

Acupuncture at a Glance

Acupuncture is an ancient healing practice rooted in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine). Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin, hair-like needles at specific points (acupoints) in your skin. The exact place where the acupuncturist inserts the needle in your skin will depend on your unique condition.

According to TCM, most health issues that many people battle daily are due to imbalances and disparities in their vital forces of life (chi). The imbalance occurs due to the blockage of the chi pathways, also known as meridians.

However, using these thin needles to stimulate specific targeted acupoints in your skin can help restore your body's balance and promote healing. Some studies also suggest that acupuncture therapy helps promote biochemical alterations in the central nervous system and locally, where the acupuncturist will place the needle on your body.

These biochemical changes can help alleviate pain and foster other therapeutic advantages. Chronic neck pain and stiff neck are among the many reasons people seek the services of an acupuncturist. The acupuncturist will help determine the root of the problem and offer the necessary treatment, ensuring that your neck discomfort disappears permanently.

Understanding What a Stiff Neck Is

As the name suggests, neck stiffness is the discomfort around your neck, distinguished by bothersome pain and challenges in flexing your neck, especially whenever you want to shift your head towards one side.

Neck pain could take several forms, including pain, headaches, neck strain, spasms, and neck discomfort, mainly on one or both of your shoulders, tingling, and numbness. Understanding the symptoms that can help tell when you or a loved one has neck pain is essential for early diagnosis and treatment. In addition to being disruptive, neck stiffness could significantly impact your productivity.

Since most patients usually seek contemporary treatment methods for neck pain, doctors typically find it challenging to pinpoint the source of the discomfort. The doctor will often prescribe muscle relaxants and painkillers to help you cope with the problem and regain mobility as your health improves.

However, since the medication does not help fix the root cause of your issue, the neck pain will likely recur. When that happens, a reliable pain doctor may recommend seeking the services of a physical therapist, chiropractor or acupuncturist for a holistic treatment. Acupuncture therapy can relieve neck tension and discomfort without requiring medications, which could cause adverse side effects.

Acupuncture therapy is becoming popular every day as both a complementary and alternative treatment for many illnesses, including shoulder pain, back pain, and neck pain. If you are looking for a non-drug or non-surgical treatment for a stiff neck, acupuncture is a holistic option that could provide life-changing health benefits.

Possible Causes of Your Stiff Neck

Neck pain is a common problem, arising from several causes, including medical conditions, stress, and poor posture. However, the most prevalent cause of this bothersome issue is a soft tissue injury or muscular strain. The levator scapulae, a muscle in your upper back and neck, is particularly prone to injury. The third and fourth cervical nerves coordinate the levator scapulae muscle.

While it plays a critical role in your posture and movement of your neck (side flexes), too much strain on the muscle could cause weakness and disruptive pain. Below are examples of common causes of strain around this muscle:

  • Poor posture — Placing your neck in an unnatural posture while asleep, looking down for prolonged periods, and poor ergonomics could cause this problem

  • Muscle imbalance — A combination of muscular tightness and weakness is a common cause of stiff neck and neck pain

  • Overuse and repetitive motions — Repetitive motions like swimming, carrying heavy luggage, or bags on your shoulder, could cause a stiff neck

  • Stress — Too much panic, anxiety, or stress could increase muscle tension, affecting the levator scapulae

  • Sports injuries — A fall or an abrupt blow that causes your neck to pull on one side could cause neck stiffness or pain

While these are the common causes of stiff neck, several risk factors could make you more prone to this condition, including the following:

  • Poor general health

  • A sedentary lifestyle

  • Cervical disc regeneration

  • A sedentary lifestyle

  • Previous neck pain

  • Physical trauma or accident

If stiff neck symptoms appear immediately following a fall or injury to your neck area during a sporting activity, the cause of your problem is clear. However, if your neck becomes stiff out of nowhere, it could be challenging to determine the cause of your issue.

How Acupuncture Can Help If You Have Neck Pain or Stiffness

According to TCM practitioners, acupuncture treatment is a viable remedy in addressing chronic pain, including irritating neck pain. In TCM, some health issues, like pain, are generally due to an underlying problem or imbalance.

To determine the actual cause of your issue, your acupuncturist may need to assess the health of your spine and look for possible underlying causes of the problem, including damaged joints, injuries, or bulging discs. The acupuncturist could also ask questions about your symptoms, daily routine, and diet.

Your answers to these questions can help give the acupuncturist clues about the ideal position to place the needle on your skin. Even if neck stiffness or pain symptoms are only in your neck region, the acupuncturist could put the needles in other areas of your body. Depending on your unique condition and treatment, the acupuncturist could require you to lie on your back, stomach, or in a reclined position.

Then he/she will place needles on strategic points on your skin (acupoints) and heat them to help achieve the desired results. Ancient TCM practitioners believe that during the acupuncture process, your body releases certain chemicals, which presumably help alleviate back and neck discomfort physically and physiologically.

Generally speaking, the acupuncture therapy helps alleviate back pain and stiffness by:

  1. Modifying the Release of Neurotransmitters and Neurohormones

Ancient Chinese medical practitioners believe that strategically placing needles on a person's body stimulates the pituitary and hypothalamic glands, causing chemical production changes. The substances play a key role in the proper functioning of specific organs of your body and tissues' functioning, and in pain perception.

Fortunately, acupuncture therapy can help modify the secretion of these chemicals to lessen your neck pain. Additionally, acupuncture therapy can help boost your body's immune system, facilitating fast healing.

  1. Helping in the Production of Opioid Protein

Acupuncture therapy stimulates your nervous system to release opioids, which have pain-relieving effects.

  1. Helps Stimulate Your Body's Electromagnetic Receptors

During your acupuncture, your acupuncturist will focus on specific sites in your body, which ancient TCM practitioners believe are crucial in transmitting electromagnetic impulses. Activating these sites in your skin helps trigger the production of endorphin hormones, which are your body's natural painkillers.

The entire acupuncture therapy session could last about thirty minutes, depending on the severity of your unique condition. Luckily, the needles your acupuncturist will use are about twenty times thinner (hair-thin) than the usual hypodermic needles doctors use when administering medical injections. That means you do not have to fret about discomfort during treatment.

If you have a phobia of needles, the acupuncturist can play calming music to help you maintain a pleasant and peaceful ambience during the treatment for optimal results. The number of acupuncture sessions your acupuncturist will recommend will depend on the intensity of your stiff neck-related symptoms and how long the condition has lasted.

Nonetheless, it is up to you as the patient to know whether the benefits you will reap from the acupuncture for your stiff neck are worth repeating often.

Benefits of Acupuncture Therapy for Stiff Neck

Your neck is essential for providing a wide range of motion and supporting your head. However, this dual function may cause discomfort because various musculoskeletal system components work near maximum capacity to provide these capabilities.

The overall benefits of acupuncture therapy include a variety of therapeutic and physical advantages that contribute to increased mobility and pain relief. Below are the benefits you will enjoy when you undergo acupuncture therapy for your tight neck:

Relief from Pain

As explained in the above paragraph, acupuncture therapy helps to maximize function and minimize pain by stimulating special points on your skin to soothe and heal your body. The placement of these hair-thin needles in your skin helps to stimulate your body's natural healing ability by:

  • Improving blood flow — Acupuncture needles can increase the supply of blood to the damaged areas of your neck, thus lowering inflammation and healing

  • Releasing endorphins — As discussed earlier, these are your own natural painkillers

  • Controlling pain channels — Acupuncture needles assist in stimulating your nervous system to filter out pain signals and alleviate your neck pain and stiffness

  • Balancing your energy — Acupuncture therapy unblocks and restores your energy flow or chi within its pathways, or meridians

Note that the effectiveness of the treatment process can vary from person to person, and the pain doctor will most likely prescribe the treatment as part of other medications, including painkillers.

Improved Mobility

An effective acupuncture therapy can help reduce neck pain and stiffness and improve its range of motion due to the stimulation of different acupoints in your body using needles. This technique reduces muscle tension, eliminates pain, and promotes cerebral blood flow, which can enhance an elevated range of motion.

In addition, treatment with acupuncture can also reduce inflammation and relax tensed muscles, making your neck more mobile.

Decreased Dependence on Pain Medication

Acupuncture therapy treats the root cause of neck stiffness, and this can help minimize the excessive use of medication and other contemporary treatments to manage your symptoms.

Improved Sleep Quality

Effective acupuncture therapy can help boost your sleep quality when you have neck stiffness or pain. By reducing discomfort and muscle tension, acupuncture can help you become more comfortable and effortlessly fall asleep. Additionally, acupuncture therapy could assist you in relaxing and managing stress better for quality and rejuvenating sleep you deserve every night.

Possible Risks of Acupuncture Therapy for Neck Stiffness

Generally speaking, acupuncture is safe and comfortable if you schedule an appointment with a reputable, experienced, licensed acupuncturist. However, like any other treatment, it could have some side effects and risks. Here is everything that you should know about this issue:

  • Bruising — There could be slight bruising at the point of insertion of acupuncture needles on your skin, but this is temporary and will disappear within a few days

  • Infection — The risk of contracting an infection while undergoing acupuncture is low, but it can occur if the acupuncturist fails to use fresh needles or sanitize old ones

  • Lightheadedness or dizziness — Even though it does not occur in everybody, you might experience dizziness or lightheadedness after your acupuncture treatment. However, these effects are brief, and you can manage them by drinking water

  • Soreness — You could experience discomfort or soreness after your acupuncture session

When you experience any severe complications after your acupuncture session for neck stiffness, you should speak with your acupuncturist for guidance.

Find a Licensed Acupuncturist Near Me

If you have a stiff neck that is bothering you and making it challenging to perform your daily activities, conservative treatments like acupuncture could help fix the issue. The rule of thumb is to work with a credible and licensed acupuncturist for the best acupuncture services you need to restore your neck health and its range of motion.

Our reputable acupuncturist at the Art of Chinese Healing can help diagnose the cause of your stiff neck and prepare a personalized treatment plan. Call us at 310-405-1610 to schedule your initiation consultation with our acupuncturists, wherever you are in Los Angeles.