PAIN MANAGEMENT
Acupuncture for Neck and Shoulder Pain
Neck and shoulder pain often builds up from long hours at a screen, driving, poor sleep or stress, and it can bring on tension headaches. Chronic neck pain is one of the conditions with the most consistent research support for acupuncture.
Common reasons people come in
- Stiff, sore neck and upper shoulders from desk or screen work
- Tension headaches that start at the base of the skull
- Shoulder pain that limits reaching or sleeping on one side
- Muscle tension linked to stress
What the research shows
Reviews pooling thousands of patients found acupuncture reduced chronic neck pain more than no-acupuncture controls and somewhat more than sham acupuncture (Vickers et al., 2018). Cupping is sometimes added for muscle tension.
How treatment works at Healify
- Your first visit (60 minutes) includes a full health history, a Traditional Chinese Medicine assessment and your first treatment.
- Frank explains what he thinks is contributing to your symptoms, what acupuncture can and can’t realistically do, and a suggested plan.
- Many people start with a short course of about 4–6 sessions. We review progress together, and if you aren’t seeing meaningful change we discuss whether to continue or whether another provider would help more.
Small changes that help
- Raise your screen so the top is near eye level.
- Take short movement breaks and gently roll your shoulders through the day.
- Pay attention to pillow height if pain is worse in the morning.
When to see a doctor first
Get prompt medical care for neck pain after a fall or collision, or with fever, severe headache, weakness, numbness or tingling in the arms, or problems with balance or coordination.
Common questions
Can acupuncture help headaches that come from my neck?
Acupuncture has good evidence for preventing tension-type headaches, which often involve neck and shoulder muscles.
Will I be sore afterwards?
Some people feel mild aching or tiredness for a day. Bruising is occasional and minor.
References
- Vickers AJ, Vertosick EA, Lewith G, et al. Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis. J Pain. 2018;19(5):455–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2017.11.005
- Linde K, Allais G, Brinkhaus B, et al. Acupuncture for the prevention of tension-type headache. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;(4):CD007587. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD007587.pub2