Neck pain acupuncture drugs

Acupuncture under-prescribed in favour of drugs for neck pain

Neck pain is a stubborn, persistent diagnosis, resistant to conventional treatments. Approximately 50%–85% of of individuals never fully recover, with some going on to experience chronic discomfort.

In today’s fast-paced world, our desire for instant gratification frequently extends to pain relief. As a result, we might be overlooking a powerful alternative for treating chronic neck pain – acupuncture. This ancient practice, rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, holds great promise, but recent research suggests it remains woefully underutilised. Likely, your doctor will prescribe you medication to manage it. But long term this prescription may be doing more harm than good.

Recent research out of Duke University and the University of North Carolina has shone a spotlight on this troubling trend. The studies revealed a disturbing reality: doctors are over-prescribing medication for chronic neck pain, often bypassing more effective treatments, such as acupuncture and therapeutic exercise.

Of those surveyed, 56% reached for over-the-counter remedies, 29% used powerful narcotics, and 23% opted for weaker varieties or narcotics.

 “Rehabilitation conditioning and acupuncture studies have shown to be effective treatments that were less frequently used by patients with chronic neck pain.” commented Dr Adam Goode, who led the study.

Published in Arthritis Care and Research, the study analysed data from a 2006 telephone survey of 5,357 North Carolina households, focusing on 135 non-institutionalized adults over the age of 21 who had chronic neck pain. The research found that participants received an average of 1.6 diagnostic tests and had seen roughly five different types of healthcare providers, unnecessarily rising the cost of healthcare.

It’s time to take a step back and reevaluate our approach to neck pain treatment. By prioritising therapeutic exercise and acupuncture, we can work towards a future where long-lasting relief from neck pain is not only possible but commonplace.

Acupuncture neck pain

Acupuncture for Neck Pain: Science is catching up with the practice

Quality science supporting the acupuncture use for neck pain is catching up with the practice.

A systematic review by scientists from Cochrane collaboration confirmed that acupuncture is significantly more effective than sham acupuncture for neck pain relief.

The scientists from Southern California University performed nine meta-analyses. Seven of them yielded positive results.

The systematic review was published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2009 Feb 13.

Acupuncture five times better for pain after surgery

acupuncture and neck pain after surgery

It is hard to quantify the effect of acupuncture. This is why this study reported by scientists from Cancer Center in New York is so interesting.

After four weeks, 39 percent of neck surgery patients who got acupuncture reported improvements in pain and mobility, compared with only 7 percent in people who got typical care.

This means that a patient after neck surgery and radiotherapy is five and a half times more likely to feel significantly better, than a patient who is receiving regular treatment. Furthermore, the study also showed that other symptoms like xerostomia significantly improved (xerostomia is extreme dry mouth which often occurs in patients who have had radiation treatment for head and neck cancer).

The results of the study were presented at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.