About stiff neck and Eastern Holistic Medicine
The prevalence of stiff neck cases has been reported to be increasing annually. Stiff neck, a common condition in everyday life, is closely associated with the modern lifestyle. Often, it is overlooked and left untreated despite causing discomfort, as it is seen as a normal occurrence. The primary cause of stiff neck is attributed to poor circulation resulting from fatigue and tension in the neck muscles. Mild cases of stiff neck can be temporarily relieved through stretching, massage, or using compresses. However, chronic stiff neck may temporarily improve, but patients may subsequently experience persistent pain and discomfort, or develop unexplained symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, eye pain, insomnia, depression, and gastrointestinal discomfort. These symptoms are believed to be various consequences of neck stiffness exerting pressure on the brain stem in the neck, disrupting the function of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for recovering from fatigue and relaxing the body.
Neck stiffness can easily become chronic. What causes it?
Multiple strains in daily life can lead to neck stiffness. If the strain persists, the stiffness can become chronic, and other symptoms may also manifest apart from neck pain.
The main causes of neck stiffness include:
① Posture: Working on a computer in the same position for a long time
② Cold: Cooling the neck with air conditioning, etc.
③ Stress: Daily stress causes the neck muscles to become overly tense
④ Tension: Constant mental tension at work or in daily life
⑤ Fatigue: Fatigue accumulates without recovery
⑥ Trauma: Previously injured neck due to accident or injury
The neck muscles are easily strained because they support a head weighing around 5kg.
In traditional eastern medicine, the leading cause of stiff neck is considered to be blood stagnation, also known as “blood stasis. The emphasis is placed on regulating blood circulation. Additionally, for vague symptoms that are thought to be related to stiff neck, the goal is to alleviate these symptoms by using acupuncture, eastern herbal medicine, functional stretching and life style changes to relax the internal muscles & nerves and restore balance to the entire body.
