People often come into my office and ask “is acupuncture really good for neck pain?”. This is not surprising considering neck pain is one of the most common conditions in the United States (1). Moreover, studies predict that more people will struggle with neck pain because, American jobs and lifestyle are becoming more sedentary (2). Currently, the popular options used for neck pain include over the counter pain relief, prescription pain relief, physical therapy, and exercises (3).

Unfortunately, surgery and other invasive treatments are not recommended for people with neck pain who do not have a serious structural diagnosis. Additionally, many invasive treatments are focused on fixing the structure of the neck. This does not always bring pain relief for many people. Most of these treatment options come with side effects that many people prefer to avoid (4, 5).  Additionally, Unfortunately, many people report still having pain after surgery (6, 7).

Therefore, acupuncture is emerging as a promising treatment to relieve neck pain. Consequently, there have been many studies that have found it to be an effective and safe option for people with chronic neck pain (3). When people come into my office looking to relieve neck pain they often want to know if acupuncture works for neck pain, how it works, how many treatments are needed, and what the long-term results of a series of treatments will be. Let’s take a look at what scientific studies have found to answer these questions.

Does Acupuncture Relieve Neck Pain? Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

There have been several trials regarding the use of acupuncture for neck pain. Consequently, there have been a few meta-analyses (a review of multiple trials), that found acupuncture and cupping are effective at relieving neck pain both immediately after treatment, and a series of treatments can provide long lasting relief. Not only that, acupuncture and cupping were found to be relatively inexpensive and safe when compared to conventional treatments (3).

One review discovered seven out of nine meta-analyses concurred that acupuncture provides short-term pain relief, improves range of motion, and reduces cervical radiculopathy. Additionally, after reviewing many trials it was found that acupuncture is more effective at treating neck pain than sham acupuncture (non-penetrating needles aka acupressure or needling non-acupuncture points) and other controls. (8).

Another review found acupuncture and conventional therapy have similar outcomes regarding pain relief and disability. However, blending modern treatments and acupuncture was more effective than either system alone (9).

How Does Acupuncture Treat Neck Pain?

There have been numerous studies on the mechanisms of acupuncture and its effects on pain relief in general and specifically for neck pain. Generally speaking, acupuncture has been shown to cause our body to release its own biochemicals for pain relief known as endogenous opioids (10). There have also been studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging known as fMRI and found that acupuncture activates and normalizes different regions of the brain to relieve pain (11).

Specifically for neck pain, one trial used acupuncture points in the arms and wrist and measured the outcome using electromyography (EMG) of the upper trapezius muscle. They took measurements both before and after one acupuncture treatment and found significant decreases in muscle tension for both people with and without neck pain (12).

If you want to know more about how acupuncture works, check out my related post “Does Acupuncture Really Work? A Scientific Review”

How Many Treatments are Needed for Acupuncture to Relieve Neck Pain?

When looking at trials that found acupuncture to be effective at treating neck pain, it was found that on average trials used between 5 and 20 acupuncture needles, and there is a variety of styles that use different points in different locations of the body including in the arms (12), abdomen (13) as well as locally in the neck (14). Needles can stay in for a range of time but average around 20 minutes per session. Many acupuncturists will also use electric stimulation known as e-stim (15) which is also effective at treating neck pain.

After reviewing four trials I found visits can range from 2-5 times per week and many studies used between 6 and 10 sessions (12-16). This is notably less than the average number of treatments used in trials for migraines which is often closer to 20 treatments, and often these trials have better long-term results. You can learn more about this in my post about Acupuncture for Headaches & Migraines.  

What are the Long-Term Results of Acupuncture for Neck Pain?

While there is sufficient evidence to support acupuncture for short term benefit, there is still conflicting evidence for the long-term results (3, 17). This could be due to the fact that most neck pain is musculoskeletal in nature and due to poor posture and inactivity (2, 3). If this is the cause of pain, and lifestyle modifications are not made, then it makes sense that the pain will eventually come back. Additionally, some studies do not give a differential diagnosis for neck pain, and degenerative conditions such as arthritis, or structural changes to vertebral discs may require more treatments for satisfactory relief or they may require regular acupuncture sessions for satisfactory pain relief.

What are Alternative Treatment Options for Neck Pain?

Neck pain can be difficult to treat and control because of its complicated nature. In East Asian medicine we often employ multiple treatment strategies into a single session for more effective relief. It has long been my philosophy that while acupuncture is great to get people out of pain quickly, we often need more to stay out of pain. Acupressure, magnets, cupping, herbal remedies, and therapeutic movement can all be used alone or in conjunction with acupuncture.

Acupressure to Treat Neck Pain

While acupuncture is really good for neck pain, so is acupressure. Many studies found that non-penetrating sham acupuncture (non-penetrating needles over acupressure points in other words, acupressure) has the same short term pain relief that is offered by acupuncture (18). Personally, I find that strategically placing acupressure magnets over acupressure points is very effective for my clients with needle sensitivity or fear of needles. This can also be helpful after acupuncture to keep the effects of the treatments going between sessions.

Cupping to Treat Neck Pain

Cupping is a common treatment in Chinese Medicine and can be a stand-alone treatment or can be added into acupuncture sessions. Studies found that after five cupping sessions over a two-and-a-half-week period people reported significantly less neck and shoulder pain compared to the control group (19, 20). One study examined cupping compared to a form of trigger point treatment and did not find a major difference between the two. However, the combination demonstrated a more rapid and greater improvement (21).

Chinese Herbal Remedies for Neck Pain

While acupuncture and cupping have tremendous benefits, Chinese herbal formulations can also be effective for neck pain. Chinese herbal remedies have been used and documented for thousands of years. Consequently, there are many formulas that can help with both acute and chronic neck pain. There are formulas that help increase circulation and others that decrease inflammation, others help with arthritic pain. While some people will add herbal formulas into their comprehensive treatment plan, others use herbs as their primary treatment (22).

Yoga Therapy to Relieve Neck Pain

Last but not least we have movement therapy. This can encompass any mindful movement with the goal of relieving neck pain. I have already mentioned that for many people neck pain is caused from posture and lack of physical movement (2). An important treatment strategy in in acupuncture is to look at the cause of a problem and use the opposite to treat it. Therefore the cure for not having enough movement is adding movement to the treatment. There are many forms of movement therapy that are effective for neck pain including physical therapy and the Alexander technique (17).

Personally, my favorite form of therapeutic movement is Yoga. However, not every style of yoga is necessarily therapeutic in nature. Because we see so many people with chronic neck pain, our sister company Wisely Living released a 15 minute video with simple stretches to relieve neck pain and improve posture. We specifically created this sequence with gentle and specific stretches for the neck and shoulders.

Hopefully this answered your question “is acupuncture really good for neck pain?”, if you still have questions or want to know more about any of these topics, please let me know in the comments section.

By Dr. Heather Wisely, DAcCHM, L.Ac. 

Doctor of Acupuncture with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization (DAcCHM), Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.), Yoga Teacher, Herbalist

Heather has studied traditional and alternative medicine for 20 years. Her primary focus is on Traditional Chinese Medicine. She has administered 20,000 treatments and taught 5,000 hours of yoga.  Helping relieve chronic pain is a passion of Heather’s, and she has studied techniques in acupuncture, yoga, herbal remedies, and essential oils. In pursuit of sharing her knowledge she is creating an online wellness course where she will share safe and effective remedies for alleviating pain naturally. You can find more information at www.WiselyLiving.media

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Disclaimer:

The information provided in this post is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this post. The opinions expressed in this post are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect the views of Neighborhood Acupuncture

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