Neck Pain & Shoulder Aches Overview

Neck pain & shoulder aches are common. About 2 in 3 people develop bouts of neck pain & shoulder aches at some time in their lives. One survey done in the UK found that, of adults aged 45-75 years, about 1 in 4 women and about 1 in 5 men had current neck pain & shoulder aches.  The causes of neck and shoulder pain & stiffness are many, they can range from silly reasons like sleeping in a wrong posture to serious ones like arthritis and meningitis which can leave us with a sore and painful neck for several days.  In our modern times, Chiropractors said that increasing numbers of patients are suffering neck pain from spending too much time hunched over phones and computers.

In Chinese Medicine’s theory, liver rules the tendons and sinews, therefore neck & shoulder pain maybe related to Liver Qi stagnation.

• Causes Of Neck Pain & Shoulder Aches

  

   

  ● Muscle Strain.
  ● Overexertion.
  ● Poor sleeping posture.
  ● Poor sitting Posture.
  ● Sprain.
  ● Stress.
  ● Arthritis: Cervical spondylitis & rheumatoid arthritis.
  ● Meningitis: Inflammation of meninges around the brain, etc.

   

• Symptoms Of Neck Pain & Shoulder Aches

  

   

  ● Muscles spasm in the neck.
  ● Neck pain, but the pain can travel to the head, around the eye and ear or to the shoulder and arm.
  ● Stiffness in the neck.
  ● Shoulder aches.
  ● Headache & fever (stiff neck along with fever and headache may also be the reason for meningitis), etc.

   

• Recommended foods sources For Relieving Neck Pain & Shoulder Aches

  

   

  ● Beans: All beans & beancurd.
  ● Fruits: Apples, hawthorn, lime, lemon, pears, tangerine peel & green color fruits, etc.
  ● Grains: amaranth, barley, brown rice, Chinese barley, germinated brown rice, millet, quinoa, cereals & oats, etc.
  ● Herbs & Spices: Anise, basil, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, horse radish (wasabi), lemongrass, licorice, onions, parsley, peppermint, rosemary & turmeric, etc.
  ● Meat & Seafood: chicken & fish especially deep-water fish (Eg: cod, mackerel, salmon & tuna, etc).
  ● Nuts & Seeds: All nuts & seeds especially almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds & walnuts, etc.
  ● Oils: Canola oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil & olive oil, etc.
  ● Vegetables: Alfalfa, asparagus, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, lily bulbs, mushrooms, pumpkin, radish & green color vegetables, etc.
  ● Others: Apple cider vinegar, blackstrap molasses, brewer’s yeast & Teas (Eg: chamomile, chrysanthemum, green tea, hawthorn, jasmine flowers, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, passion flowers, rooibos tea & valerian, etc).
  ● Strengthen your liver with green, orange & yellow fruits & vegetables.
  ● Detox your liver: Follow the liver’s detox program.

   

  *Recommendations: Try our natural tea remedies for Neck Pain & Shoulders’ Aches (1) Lemongrass Ginger Lemon Tea (For Cold Body System).  (2) Lemongrass Peppermint Lemon Tea (For Heaty Body System)

   

• Foods To Avoid or Least Intake For Neck Pain & Shoulder Aches

  

   

  ● Alcohol.
  ● Caffeine beverages.
  ● Carbonated beverages.
  ● Moderate intake of cold or raw foods (Eg: iced drinks, salads or white/ tan & brown fruits & vegetables).
  ● Moderate intake of dairy products (Eg: butter, cheese, eggs & milk except Yogurt).
  ● Fried or greasy foods.
  ● Processed foods.
  ● Refined sugars (Eg: biscuits, cakes & pastries).
  ● Red meat.
  ● Salt.
  ● Moderate intake of spicy foods (capsicum, garlic, ginger, onions, etc).
  ● Sugar.
  ● Avoid smoking.

   

• Supplementary For Relieving Neck Pain & Shoulder Aches

  

   

  ● Herbs: Arnica, Boswellia, Devil’s Claws, Dong Quai, Flaxseed Oil, Kudzu, Lavender, Lecithin, Licorice, Linzhi, Peppermint, St.John’s Wort, Turmeric & White Willow Bark, etc.
  ● Amino acids, Vitamins & Minerals: L-Glutathione, Fish Oil, Omega369, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Calcium, Copper, Magnesium, Potassium, Selenium, Zinc & Glucosamine, etc.

   

• Other Alternative Therapies For Relieving Neck Pain & Shoulder Aches

  

   

  ● Apply footbath for liver’s detox to improve Liver Qi stagnation.
  ● Exercise minimum 30 minutes per session at 3 to 5 times weekly.
  ● Seek acupuncture treatment if neck pain & shoulder aches are too frequent.
  ● Massage (Acupressure or tuina): These massage therapy help to improve the blood circulation while decreasing the stiffness of the neck & shoulders’ aches.
  ● Skin scrapping: This therapy needs assistance of another person. You will require massage oil and a spoon. Spread few drops of massage oil on the area and gently scrape the skin of your neck & shoulders with a spoon. Skin scrapping is a great stiff neck & shoulders treatment which improves the blood circulation while decreasing the stiffness of the neck & shoulders’ aches.

   

• Preventive measures For Relieving Neck Pain & Shoulder Aches

  

   

  To avoid bouts of further neck pain & shoulder aches, apply the following tips:

  Don’t
  ● Look up in a strained position for long periods (e.g. as when painting a ceiling).
  ● Twist your head often towards the painful side (e.g. as when reversing a car).
  ● Lift or tug with your neck bent forwards.
  ● Work, read or study with your neck bent for long periods.
  ● Become too dependent on ‘collars’.
  ● Sleep on too many pillows.

  Do
  ● Keep your neck upright in a vertical position when reading or typing.
  ● Keep a good posture: remember to keep the chin tucked in.
  ● Sleep on a low, firm pillow or a special conforming pillow.
  ● Sleep with your painful side on the pillow.
  ● Use heat pack & massage: Use a heat pack for 5-10 minutes & after 10 minutes, massage your neck & shoulders using an analgesic ointment.

   

  

   

  Try some stiff neck & shoulder aches’ exercises to help relieve stiff joints in the neck & shoulders and strengthen the supporting muscles as well.