Drugless approach to neck pain

Neck pain often causes severe discomfort, makes it difficult to turn one’s head, locks to and fro movement — making our body to turn, instead of head.

Many factors contribute to neck pain. If proper care is taken in the initial stages itself, we can avert major problems like cervical spondilytis. It is a disorder either due to compression, elongation of vertebral nerves, muscular sclerosis or blockage in the nerve path affecting blood flow.

The pain is of idiopathic nature and is due to RSI (repeated strain injury) — unaccommodated positions, bad postures for prolonged time, accidental fall, injury, etc. Normally, students who sit to read for long hours and those who work on computers or drafting table suffer from neck pain.

How to avoid it?

Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. Avoid high calorific diet. Daily exercise for at least 30 minutes.

Relax body postures after a gap of 10 to 15 minutes. Avoid acidity by consuming food at regular intervals.

Add more vegetables and fruits to your diet; keep away from tobacco and alcohol.
Acupuncture: During acupuncture treatment, fine, thin, hair-like needles of various sizes and gauzes are inserted to certain defined and localised points. The energy is supplied sometimes by giving stimulation.

The duration of the treatment is 20 to 40 minutes. Regular treatment for one week can be effective. Due to needling, hormones like endorphins are released. They have a tendency to bind opiate receptors of pain cells in the brain. These naturally synthesised endorphins are non-addictive, unlike clinically produced endorphins.

Dr Ravi Shankar [e-mail]