7 Powerful Acupressure Points For Neck Pain And Shoulder Pain

A natural way to get rid of Neck and shoulder pain

Pressing acupressure points for neck pain and shoulder pain can help in opening the channels of the body. There was already a vast count on the number of neck and shoulder pain patients, but after this covid-19 lockdown, everything has become online. From children to old age, everyone has constantly sat on laptops and mobile phones. As a result, several cases have risen for neck and shoulder pain every single day. These harmful radiations and overexertion on the body are causing neck, shoulder, and arm pain.

Acupressure is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that unblocks the pathways and improves blood circulation in the body and reduces the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spine. Acupressure works as a panacea for people who constantly work on laptops, tablets, or mobile phones. In addition, 7 powerful acupressure points for neck pain and shoulder pain to heal the inflammation.

How does Acupressure work for neck and shoulder pain?

Acupressure is a traditional Chinese art to cure neck pain and shoulder pain by pressing certain specific points which are responsible for healing the tension and inflammation. There are few meridians connected to the organs, but energy does not flow due to the blockage of pathways, and the organ starts deteriorating.

Acupressure works as a traditional way to heal and cure diseases without stepping out from home. There are more than 300 points which are responsible for curing any illness by pressing the targeted point. After applying firm pressure, these points stimulate signals that go to the targeted organ by clearing the toxicity and blockages in between because of the balanced blood flow by reviving old cells and making new cells. This helps balance the hormonal imbalance of the body and starts healing all the inflammation by curing the disease. The practice should be performed daily as we all know that no success can come in just 1 or 2 days; it needs consistency and persistence.

10 Symptoms of Neck or shoulder pain

Neck and shoulder pain usually involves few symptoms-

1. Stiff neck
2. Sharp pain
3. Muscle spasm
4. Shoulder tension
5. Arms strain
6. The trouble with gripping and lifting objects
7. Reduce movement
8. Tingling sensation
9. Burning pain
10. Back pain

6 Reasons behind neck and shoulder pain

1. Injury- An injury in your neck and spine can cause cervical spondylitis.
2. Overuse- People who consistently work on laptops, mobiles, and tablets are more susceptible to wear and tear in the neck and shoulder. In this pandemic, the no. of cases is higher than usual as now many small children have started facing this problem.
3. Dehydrated spinal discs- There is a fluid present between the discs; for many reasons, this fluid gets dried up, and discs start rubbing against each other, causing chronic cervical pain.
4. Bone spurs- Sometimes, it happens due to the overgrowth of the bone, which starts pressing against each other as the spinal cord and spinal nerve causes severe pain in the neck and shoulder.
5. Herniated discs- This type of pain starts when spinal cords develop some cracks, these cracks are responsible for the leakage of the internal cushioning of the fluid. This causes pain in the neck-shoulder and arms.
6. Poor posture- Poor postures of children, adults, and old age people while sitting are the most common cause of neck and shoulder pain.

7 Things to keep in mind before performing acupressure points for neck and shoulder pain

1. Lie down on a bed in a reversed corpsed pose.
2. Lie down in a quiet and calming place.
3. Try acumassage by mixing oil with essential oil to get the moisture as well as the aromatherapy to lighten up your mood.
4. Press and hold every acupoint for at least 1 minute.
5. Do not perform acupressure till 1 hour after every meal.
6. Do not perform acupressure in open wounds.
7. Do not overdo it, as everything has terrible effects if you overdo it.

5 things to avoid in neck or shoulder pain

1. Avoid pillow while sleeping
2. Avoid very foamy matrasses
3. Avoid cold showers as they may cause more stiffness
4. Avoid bending the neck much
5. Exercise for fixing bad posture and attaining good postures.

7 powerful acupressure points for neck pain and shoulder pain

Jian Jing (GB21)

This point is located 4 fingers away from the neck towards the shoulder. This point is very powerful as it relieves stiff neck and muscle tension.

This point also induces labor, so it is highly restricted for pregnant women to press this point.

He Gu (L14)

This point is located on the groove of the thumb and the forefinger. It is highly restricted for pregnant women to press this point.

Heaven’s pillar

These points are located 2 inches away from the backbone begin on each side of the neck. These points relieve stress and tension in the body and the neck.

Zhong Zu (TE3)

It is located on the knuckles of the little and ring finger. This point activates different parts of the brain which increases blood circulation and releases tension.

Wind Pool (GB20)

It is located on the base of the skull. It helps in relieving headaches, fatigue and relaxes the stress on muscles.

Shou San Li (LI10)

This point is located 2.5 inches down from the elbow of the inner side of the forearm. It is slightly present on the outer side.

Triple burner 3

This point is present on the web of the little finger and ring finger. It helps in releasing shoulder pain, neck pain, and headache.

Tips to keep in mind

1. Apply firm pressure on the targeted location.
2. It can be performed anytime in a day.
3. Each acupoint should be pressed for at least 5-6 minutes.
4. It is highly restricted to perform acupressure till 1 hour after having any meal of the day.
5. Pregnant women consult a therapist first before applying acupressure.
6. Massage the area with some essential oil to get the moisture before pressing the acupoints. Essential oils have the power to change the mood because of their powerful aroma.
7. It should never be done on open wounds, bruises, or swollen areas.

Summary

Consistent or recurring pain in the neck and shoulder can be an alarming signal for the body as it not only causes pain in the damaged tissue but also causes inflammation in the several parts related to it (E.g., head, eyes, backbone, etc.). To permanently remove this pain by not using surgery or any medication, one should start exercising, take a good diet, and, most importantly, take acumassages to relax the muscles. Whenever pain occurs in any area, our hands automatically go around the reflexology points for pressing and healing. Still, we perform without knowledge, and we perform whenever pain occurs, but daily performing this art can avoid the adverse effects of future detrimental diseases. For example, pressing acupoints for neck pain and shoulder blade pain for at least 10-12 minutes can heal the targeted origin’s inflammation and relieve the muscle spasm and neck, shoulder, and arm pain.

FAQ

Where is the acupressure point for shoulder pain?

There are few acupressure points which helps in curing shoulder pain-

GB21

This point is located 4 fingers away from the neck towards the shoulder. This point is very powerful as it relieves stiff neck and muscle tension.

LI21

It is located 5 inches away from the neck on the shoulder

SI14

It is present at the starting of both the sides of the shoulder blades.

BL38

It is present at the end of both the sides of the shoulder blades

Should you massage a pulled muscle?

If the injury is severe, wait for 1-2 weeks to start massaging your muscles slowly by consulting the doctor. Therapeutic massage helps heal the damaged tissue by providing a good amount of blood flow; this results in loosening the tight muscles.

How can I speed up muscle recovery?

• Eat nutritious food

• Massage the infected area

• Stay hydrated

• Get proper sleep

How to know whether you have a pinched nerve in your shoulder or not?

• Tingling

• Numbness

• Muscle weakness in arms, neck, and shoulder

• Neck pain

Where is the pressure point for neck pain?

Zhong Zu (TE3)

It is located on the knuckles above the little and ring finger

Triple burner 3

This point is present on the web of the little finger and ring finger. It helps in releasing shoulder pain, neck pain, and headache.

Wind Pool (GB20)

It is located on the base of the skull. It helps in relieving headaches, fatigue and relaxes the stress on muscles.

Heaven’s pillar

These points are located 2 inches away from the backbone begin on each side of the neck. These points relieve stress and tension in the body and the neck.

What is the fastest way to relieve a stiff neck?

• Apply heat pack or ice pack

• Improve your weight

• Massage gently

• Avoid jerks or painful activities

• Use a soft-cervical collar

• Perform slow-motion exercises like up and down, side to side, and from ear to ear.

• Get an ample amount of sleep

• Stay hydrated

• Use splint

Is it better to ice or heat neck pain?

It is recommended t use ice packs for the next 24-48 hours after the injury to avoid excessive swelling and stiffness. Still, if a patient suffers from cervical disc disease, it is highly recommended not to use any heat or cold pack.

Which sleeping position is best for neck pain?

• Use supportive mattress

• Use cervical pillow or very thin pillow

• Sleeping on back slightly reclined

• Sleeping on the side position with a pillow under knees