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Acupuncture for Face & Neck Pain

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years as part of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Although practitioners of acupuncture claim it is useful for many different ailments and conditions, it is in the area of pain management that acupuncture has become the most famous in the west. Pain in the neck and face can range from mild to severe, and acupuncture may alleviate such pain.

  1. History

    • According to Acupuncture.com, acupuncture is based on the meridian theory of energy channels that run through the human body, which goes back several thousands of years to ancient China. Early practitioners of TCM mapped these energy channels and found that by inserting needles at certain precise locations they were able to profoundly influence various workings of the body, including the pain response.

    Studies

    • In a study published in the journal Pain in January 2004, researchers gave acupuncture treatments to office workers suffering from chronic neck pain for more than a year. They found that pain levels fell during acupuncture treatment, and follow-up reports at six months and three years showed lasting pain relief, compared with the control group.

      Face pain can be due to many different causes, some of which may respond to acupuncture therapy. In a 1991 study at Sweden's University of Gothenberg, researchers tested acupuncture's effectiveness in resolving facial pain. Acupuncture was found to significantly reduce symptoms and clinical signs of facial pain, compared to a control group.

    Procedure

    • According to tcm.health-info.org, facial pain can be caused by trigeminal neuralgia, a condition in which facial nerves become inflamed and painful. The acupuncture treatment for this condition involves inserting needles at various points along meridians on the mandible (jaw) and the zygomatic (cheekbone), as well as the orbital (eye socket) bones. Only a qualified acupuncturist should attempt this procedure.

    Potential

    • Acupuncture treatments can be considerably cheaper than conventional forms of physical therapy or medication usually used for conditions involving facial and neck pain, Acupuncture.com points out. Acupuncture has little to no known adverse side effects, providing proper sanitary conditions are observed. Using acupuncture to resolve face and neck pain may be the most economical and safe option.

    Warning

    • Face pain can indicate a number of conditions that may require immediate medical attention. According to MedlinePlus, facial pain can be caused by an abscessed tooth or---if accompanied by arm pain---even a heart attack. It would be wise to determine the cause of any facial pain before considering acupuncture or other alternative treatment.

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