Most forms of alternative treatment for neck pain are directed at the milder forms of chronic pain caused by occupational or emotional stress. Many of them can be performed as self-help or self-treatment.
Lifestyle modification
Neck pain caused by chronic stress on the muscles of the neck can interfere significantly with overall quality of life as well as efficiency at work. Work-related neck pain may require a change in occupation or a modification of the equipment that the patient uses. Patients with poor posture may benefit from various types of exercise or movement therapy. In some cases, psychotherapy may help to lower stress or relieve the painful feelings that are often associated with poor posture.
Acupressure and acupuncture
Acupressure and shiatsu are traditional Chinese and Japanese therapies that make use of pressure points (sometimes called acupoints) on the body to release muscular pain and tension. For most types of neck pain, the therapist would make use of acupoints on the neck and upper shoulders. Acupuncture as an alternative treatment for neck pain has become increasingly popular in the West since the early 1990s. While some studies indicate that acupuncture is effective in relieving pain in the neck and upper shoulders, other researchers are not yet convinced.
Chiropractic
Neck pain is a common reason for seeking chiropractic treatment. A chiropractor would treat neck pain by checking the cervical vertebrae for misalignment, which is called subluxation in chiropractic terminology.
The misaligned vertebra would then be moved back into proper position with manual pressure. A chiropractic adjustment is thought to restore normal functioning by reducing the stress on the joints, by lowering muscle tension resulting from subluxation, and by minimizing pressure on the spinal nerves.
Movement therapies
Both traditional hatha yoga and breema, a relatively new form of movement therapy, claim to treat neck pain by reducing or eliminating some of the underlying causes. Teachers of yoga maintain that the postures improve the flexibility of the spine and keep the disks between the vertebrae well nourished by spinal fluid. In breema, instructors individualize the exercises, so that persons with neck pain can be given a set of exercises for that specific problem.
In addition, both yoga and breema emphasize the importance of cultivating healthy spiritual and emotional attitudes toward the body, thus lowering the level of psychological stress that often contributes to neck pain. Other systems that help to re-educate patients in body movement include Feldenkrais, the Alexander technique, and Hanna somatics.
Reiki, reflexology, and polarity balancing
These methods of treatment rely on light or indirect contact with the affected area rather than on touching it with the techniques used in traditional massage. All three systems of treatment regard neck pain as a symptom of energy imbalance in the body. Reiki and polarity therapy practitioners seek to realign the energy flow by placing the hands lightly on or over parts of the body that are thought to redirect the energy. In reflexology, the feet are regarded as a map of the entire body. Neck pain would be treated by massaging the base of the large toes, which represent the neck area.
Traditional Chinese medicine
In traditional Chinese medicine, neck pain is treated by Tui na massage followed by a herbal poultice on the neck; by suction cups, a traditional remedy for arthritis; or by skin scraping, a technique often used for ailments in the neck area. To perform cupping, the practitioner flames the inside of a glass suction cup with a cotton ball dipped in alcohol and lighted. The heat from the fire reduces air pressure inside the cup, which is then pressed on the sore area and removed after 15–20 minutes.
This treatment withdraws excess moisture from the tissues. In skin scraping, the skin on the back and sides of the neck is scraped with a coin dipped in salt water, or by pinching a fold of skin, pulling sharply, and letting it fall back. These motions are performed rapidly until bright red stripes appear. Skin scraping is done to release excess heat and energy from the treated area.
Magnetic field therapy
Magnetic field therapy, which involves the application of a pulsed magnetic field to an injured area of the body, has been gaining in popularity as a treatment for chronic muscular and joint pain. It is thought that magnetic treatments relieve pain by increasing the flow of oxygenated blood to injured tissue. Some studies indicate that magnetic field therapy is useful in relieving chronic neck pain, particularly pain associated with whiplash injuries.
