Neck pain (cervicalgia)

Above is pictured an ancient Japanese woodblock from 1807
showing internal pathway of Liver channel and its terminal point
at the top of the head.

I have seeing more and more neck issues lately, maybe because of computer work and the boxed in work environments. Even those who drive a lot for work suffer from neck pain due to having to sit in a rigid position for hours.

In many cases, tension tends to gravitate upwards, often stemming from the back and shoulders and landing in the neck.  Whether old injury or chronic tension, there is nothing worse than a pain in the neck!

The neck is coined the “highway of qi” in Chinese vernacular. This is because of the neck’s literally pivotal role in stabilizing the space between shoulders and head. Freeing up the neck is a key piece to any issue related to dizziness, headache, sinus problems and pain for example. All yang channels pass through this area on their way to the maximum yang point in the body, which lies at the top of the head.

Fortunately, points in the neck do not have to be needled deeply to achieve release. And, many of the points that relieve neck issues are situated in the upper back near the shoulder blades, where motor points for muscles such as Levator Scapulae and Trapezius are found.