Say goodbye to your NECK PAIN!

Many people in Toronto, Ontario experience neck pain due to stress, posture, and long hours at a desk. Neck pain is common.
But it is not normal—and it’s definitely not something you have to live with.

Yet every week, we meet people across Toronto who tell us the same thing:

“I thought this was just part of getting older.”

It’s not.

Neck pain is most commonly caused by poor posture, stress, and muscle tension—and it can often be effectively treated with approaches like acupuncture.

What Causes Neck Pain (How It Really Starts):

For most people, it doesn’t come from a major injury.

It happens suddenly (your symptoms):

• You wake up and turn your head → sharp pain

• You check your blind spot while driving → stiffness

• You reach for something → WHACK

And just like that:

• You skip workouts

• You move cautiously all day

• You feel stuck in your own body

This week I want to help you free yourself from this pain.

Let’s get you back to feeling freedom of movement without any mystery pain!

Let’s get you back into the gym. Let’s get you through the workday without a stab of pain from nowhere. Let’s get you back to feeling comfortable, relaxed, and not having to sit or stand in awkward positions just to avoid pain.  

What is the most common culprit for neck pain?

Stress! And here’s how…

Why Stress Causes Neck Pain

Most neck pain feels sudden—but it’s usually not.

When you’re stressed, your body goes into protection mode:

• your shoulders rise

• your neck tightens

• your breathing becomes shallow

This subtle change leads to hunching forward with poor posture (“tech neck”), which:

• reduces blood flow

• leads to muscle tension and fatigue

• weakened support structures (ligaments & tendons)

Overtime the body becomes exhausted - adrenaline starts to wear off - and then all it takes is:

• sleeping in an awkward position

• one sudden movement

…and your neck “locks up.”

One trick I want to share with you is one of the best acupressure points on the back of your hand for alleviating neck pain:

It’s about 1 inch above your knuckles between your index and middle finger. Found it? Press on it hard, and take a few deep and slow breaths as you try moving your neck again. Now, I hope that this temporary relief gives you … well, some relief! But if you’re looking for long-term relief from neck pain, why not give acupuncture a try?

How acupuncture helps alleviate neck pain

Instead of just masking pain, it works by:

• improving circulation to tight muscles —> As muscles become better nourished through increased blood flow, this allows for proper healing (unlike a constricted neck)

• releasing deep, built-up tension

• calming the nervous system (reducing stress response)

Most patients notice:

• immediate relaxation during treatment

• increased range of motion

• less “guarding” or stiffness

The Biggest Difference (how to treat neck pain effectively)

Relaxing the neck with acupuncture is great.

But in addition to relaxing it, we use moxibustion (heat) treatment to give your circulation an even bigger boost! If you’ve ever gone for a sauna, or wanted to warm up by the fire place - heat enables:

• Relaxation

• Alleviates tension

• Improves circulation naturally

Ready to fix the root of your neck pain?

If you’re tired of:

• random flare-ups

• avoiding the gym

• feeling stiff at work

…it’s time to address the cause—not just the symptom.

We offer personalized acupuncture treatments right here in Toronto at our clinic near King & Bathurst.

We’ll:

• assess your specific pattern of pain

• explain what’s actually going on

• start treatment right away

Many patients feel a difference after their first visit. If you’re interested in relieving the pain, we have experienced acupuncturists that offer acupuncture in Toronto, Ontario located at 54 Stewart Street (King and Bathurst). 

Frequently Asked Questions About Neck Pain:

Is neck pain normal?
No. While common, it is usually caused by posture, stress, or strain and can be treated.

What causes neck pain the most?
The most common causes are poor posture, stress, and muscle tension.

Does acupuncture help neck pain?
Acupuncture may help relieve tension, improve circulation, and reduce pain.

When should I seek treatment?
If your neck pain lasts more than a few days or keeps coming back.

Cancer, Chemo & Acupuncture

Going through cancer can feel like a very stressful, exhausting, and physically painful experience. It may not be the cure, but acupuncture can make your cancer journey a whole lot better. From managing fatigue, reducing inflammation, and alleviating pain, acupuncture can be a great resource for those going through chemotherapy treatments. How, you might wonder?

Acupuncture works by stimulating the body's nervous system to respond to the acupuncture needles depending on where they are placed. Each point elicits a different response, thereby allowing your practitioner to guide the body in reducing your pain, promoting circulation, or reducing inflammation. In addition, acupuncture may help regulate dopamine production allowing the body to relax, and help your mood[1]. When your body’s less stressed, your immune system may be able to respond better[2,3].

Does it matter what type of cancer you have?

Yes, and no. Regardless of what type of cancer you have, acupuncture may help alleviate your symptoms. However, knowing what type of cancer you have can allow the practitioner to also focus the treatment on treating the cancer as well. Also, knowing what stage of cancer you are in, whether that is stage 1, 2, 3, or 4, will be helpful in determining how gentle or strong of a treatment your body can handle. Usually we perform a gentler treatment for more advanced stages of cancer.

What symptoms can acupuncture help with?

When treating symptoms related to cancer or effects of chemo, some individuals can show up with heightened levels of inflammation. This can be burning eyes, dry mouth, or even mouth ulcers. Acupuncture can be done to reduce inflammatory effects of the chemotherapy, and have you feeling better and more balanced as you go through chemotherapy treatments.

Some individuals may experience fatigue, or tightness in the neck and shoulders. In fact, these symptoms can be related, in that when our circulation is poor, we feel fatigue and tightness. By improving circulation in the body, acupuncture can help you feel more energetic, and less tense.

Nausea, vomiting, & diarrhea

These symptoms are a result of a heightened level of inflammation in the body. Often times by clearing away the heat from the body, or reducing inflammatory levels internally, these symptoms tend to subside as well.

How can treatments address cancer?

In addition to alleviating symptoms, there may be days where the majority of symptoms are at bay, and under control.

In those situations there is an opportunity to treat the actual cancer with a slightly different therapy called moxibustion. Moxibustion is where we would apply a herb to the acupoints and burn it. In doing so, this adds an element of heat to promote blood circulation in the organs. For example if you have colon cancer, we could target points that relate to the large intestine. Alternatively, for liver tumors, we would target acupoints that affect the liver.

You can think of it like we are trying to accelerate the immune response, and removal of cancer cells from the organ. Don’t worry, the burning herb is extinguished before it makes direct contact with the skin, thereby preventing burns & scalds. This type of therapy, if practiced correctly, can be very gentle and soothing.

So if you're struggling with chemo, or just want to overall feel better through your cancer journey, consider adding acupuncture & moxibustion to your regimen.

1. Szmelskyj, Irina. https://cam-therapies.co.uk/acupuncture/how-does-acupuncture-work/

2. Mustafa, Zainab. (Apr 14, 2022) How does stress affect your immune system. https://www.news-medical.net/health/How-does-Stress-Affect-Your-Immune-System.aspx#:~:text=Prolonged%20periods%20of%20stress%20can,a%20statistically%20significant%20health%20risk.

3. Peck, Molly. (April 22, 2022) Is there a connection between chronic stress and cancer. https://www.cityofhope.org/living-well/is-there-a-connection-between-chronic-stress-and-cancer#:~:text=Stress%20can%20speed%20up%20the,released%2C%20which%20stimulate%20cancer%20cells.

Swelling During Pregnancy & What To Eat

Are you pregnant and experiencing swelling of your hands, feet, or face? These are signs that your body is not metabolizing water properly. This can happen for two reasons in Chinese Medicine - a weakness in the Kidneys or a sign that your energy has become stagnant. Both can easily occur during pregnancy, and here's why: 

Kidney Deficiency

According to Chinese Medicine your Kidneys are the key organs involved in reproduction & development. Hence, as they work hard on growing your little one, they may become depleted and fail to perform regular body functions of metabolizing water. Talk about motherly-instincts being wired into you, your body will first put all of its resources towards nurturing the growing baby inside of you before taking care of yourself. The swelling which occurs with a Kidney deficiency usually manifests more in the ankles, and feet. Foods that can boost kidney function according to Chinese Medicine are pumpkin seeds, and walnuts. Black beans are another good option as they boost kidney function and have a drying quality to help eliminate edema.

Stagnation

Feeling irritated? sighing a lot? As the mother progresses into her third trimester of pregnancy, the baby gains weight rapidly at about 1/2 a lbs per week. The increased weight not only makes you feel heavier, but can leave you feeling stagnant as well. If you experience swelling in your hands, and face these signs indicate that your energy has become stagnant according to Chinese Medicine. You may even feel some achiness in your finger joints. If so, it may be time to include some stretching, or prenatal yoga in your morning rituals to promote the flow of your energy and alleviate stagnation. Foods that can help are leafy greens, peppermint tea, and spices such as garlic, onions, or chives in moderation. 

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How Acupuncture Relieves Pain

We tend to perform the same motions day in and day out. The majority of the time this isn't an issue as long as we have the right posture, and are using the right technique. It's when we aren't being mindful of these things that we tend to develop imbalances, which leads to pain, and tension.

POOR POSTURE

The imbalances poor posture creates is endless, from pain in your shoulders, to pain between your scapulas (upper back), to lower back pain. All of these areas become obstructed, and can even lead to tingling sensations running down your leg, or through your arm. Acupuncture can actually help to alleviate pain by improving circulation, and re-activating energy channels that run through the areas of pain. So how does it work? From a western medicine perspective, when your body detects an acupuncture needle, or a foreign object in the body, your immune system naturally sends its immune cells to scope out the area[1]. Indirectly what this does is increase blood flow to the area, and improve circulation[1]. In Chinese Medicine, pain is a sign of stagnation, or a blockage. By examining what area you experience pain, this tells the acupuncturist what energy channels to open using the acupuncture points along the channel. Other signs of stagnation are a tendency to sigh, feeling depressed at times, or pain along the ribs. 

WHEN YOU'RE BURNT OUT...

When your body is feeling tired, you might find yourself getting lazy, having a tendency to slouch, or just using piss-poor technique. And then just like that, you hurt your neck, or your lower back lets out. For the next week, you're spending your spare time rubbing tiger balm, and vaporub, along with ice and heat packs to try and relieve this agonizing pain.

But it's not just the bad technique that leads to injury and pain. It's the fact that your body is tired that leads to injury as well! When you're tired, your body has a more difficult time keeping things together. The first thing we do when we're tired is we slouch. It's like your body is too tired to hold itself up, so it just lets yourself go aloof.

This concept can be used to understand why people get slipped discs or bulging discs leading to sciatic pain. And may also explain why in the elderly their organs prolapse as their bodies are slowly running out or resources to hold everything in place. 

In this case, popping needles into where it hurts does little to improve your condition. When acupuncturists do acupuncture, we focus on the internal imbalances. In this case, we need to improve your energy. The best organ for that is the Kidneys. Just think about adrenaline - it's a form of energy, and where it comes from (the adrenal glands), which sit on top of your kidneys! So by using acupuncture to stimulate points that strengthen the kidneys, you should expect to notice an improvement in your condition by the end of that acupuncture treatment.

INFLAMMATION

For some of us, the areas we get pain, also feel hot, and appear red at times. These are signs of "Heat" in Chinese Medicine, or "Inflammation" in western medicine. In Chinese Medicine, some points have the function of "Clearing Heat". This may seem like a foreign concept, but actually western medical studies have been performed to prove acupuncture's effectiveness in reducing inflammation [2]. Other signs of heat in the body are a red face or rosacea, unquenchable thirst, constipation, or dark urine. 

By paying attention to your body, you can become more mindful of what is causing the pain.

If you're looking for relief from pain, ACUSOUL is an acupuncture clinic in Toronto that provides relief to pain, along with many other health issues. If you haven't already done so, book an appointment today at one of our Toronto acupuncture locations.

Not only can we detect what kind of imbalances you have, but also treat them and provide preventative measures to keep your body free from pain using acupuncture and food therapy.

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References

1. http://www.elotus.org/article/mechanisms-acupuncture

2. http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1352-acupuncture-anti-inflammatory-effect-revealed