Prescription: Cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2), Fengchi (GB 20), Dazhui (BL 11) and Ashi acupoints.
Modification: For exogenous wind-cold attack: Hegu (LI 4), Waiguan (TE 15), Fengmen (BL 12) and Jian-jing (GB 21 ) are added; for stagnation of qi and blood,
Hegu (LI 4), Quchi (LI 11), Jianyu (LI 15), Geshu (BL 17) and Yanglingquan (GB 34) are added; for insufficien-cy of liver and kidney, Ganshu (BL 18), Shenshu (BL 23), Zusanli (ST 36), Xuanzhong (GB 39) and Taichong (LR 3) are added.
Performance: Reinforcing needling technique is used for the treatment of insufficiency of both the liver and kid-ney. The rest two syndromes are treated with the reduc-ing needling technique. The acupoints on the neck and back are needled with rotating and twirling manipulations. Moxibustion can be used with the addition of cupping.
Some reason link to neck pain
Cervical disc protrusion - A slipped disc in the neck area can show up as persistent neck pain with constant stiffness and tightness of the surrounding neck and shoulder muscles. This pain can radiate to the shoulder blades and/or arms. Depending on the degree of protrusion, the spinal canal may be narrowed to a varying degree - leading to numbness and weakness of the hands.
Cervicogenic headache - Certain headaches are associated with neck pain. They occur spontaneously, sometimes so intense they wake patients from their sleep. The pain is often sharp, with each flare lasting from several minutes to several hours. This can be accompanied by numbness in the shoulders or hands.
Myofascial pain syndrome - Often, these patients have many tender trigger points over their shoulders, neck and upper back, in between their scapulae and subjective weakness in their arms. These types of pain may be relieved with massage or acupressure for short periods of time. They may be triggered by stress.
Fibromyalgia - Generalized muscle pain involving the neck, lower back, shoulders, buttocks and limbs. There is often involvement of severe fatigue, abdominal pain or psychological distress. Patients may have stiffness of joints in hands, feet and neck in the morning.
Rheumatoid arthritis - A systemic disorder involving polyarthritic inflammatory condition, involving hands and feet or neck pain.
Stress effects - When one is rushing to meet deadlines, unconsciously the neck muscles tighten and the neck shortens and causes the neck joints to compress. Studies have shown that stress reduces one's breathing (breath-holding), reducing oxygenation to certain muscle groups.
