Pain in the neck!

The neck (cervical spine) is an intricate and well engineered structure composed of ligaments, muscles, tendons, nerves and bones. Besides holding our head up, the cervical spine houses the spinal cord, transmitting messages from the brain to the rest of your body. 

This structure is composed of 7 vertebra, C1 through to C7. 

C1 connects the neck to the skull and C7 connects at shoulder level. 

With all of the blood vessels, nerves and muscles bundled into such a small space, it is easy to see why this is one of the body’s most complicated regions, and one of the most commonly affected areas in terms of pain, stiffness and dysfunction. 

If you are experiencing radiating pain, numbness and tingling and weakness in the shoulders, arms and hands, this could possibly have started in the cervical spine which is why it is important to address pain early on. 

Acupuncture can decompress the cervical spine and relax the dominant tight muscles causing the compression. This will prevent herniation of the cervical disc and degeneration long term by creating space between the vertebra to release pinched nerves. This will increase blood flow which will decrease the numbness and tingling and reduce pain. 

Acupuncture is effective in treating musculoskeletal conditions, often with quick results and can prevent serious injury down the track. 

If you are experiencing pain and limited range of movement in this area, I suggest booking in with your acupuncturist early to address it, you’ll thank yourself for it later