The neck is an amazing structure of the human body that allows for an incredible range of motion while simultaneously supporting the head upright and housing many different anatomical tissues and structures important to human physiology. The necks amazing range of motion and strength is largely due to the architecture complexity of muscle, sinew, bone, disc, lymph and nerve tissue forming its infrastructure; which also makes it vulnerable to injury and degeneration. Common causes of neck pain include poor posture, injury, arthritis, cervical disc pathology, lymph node pathology, problems in associated tissue or adjacent anatomical regions, and dermatological conditions affecting the neck region.
In view of traditional Chinese medicine, the neck, in addition to housing the above mentioned anatomical structures, is also a major thoroughfare of the channels and network vessels. Common events that lead to disturbance of the channels, network vessels, and associated tissues of the neck region and leading to pain include:
- External pathological invasion exposure to wind either for long periods of time, following vigorous exercise, or after sweating allowing for wind invasion.
- Toxic fire which includes both external toxic heat and internal fire. Stagnation of the Liver’s Qi mainly due to stress, frustration, or depression that can affect both the Liver and Gallbladder channels, network vessels, and associated tissues.
- Weak constitution due to weakened Qi, blood, or Kidney essence resulting in poor nourishment of the channels, network vessels, and tissues of the neck.
Wind cold induced neck pain will present symptoms of exterior wind invasion such as slight fever, chills, headache, runny nose with clear-white snivel along with neck stiffness and an aversion to cold and wind which upon exposure irritates the condition. Pueraria Combination (ge gen tang) is a formula of choice for this pattern of neck pain. It has an excellent effect to relax the muscles of the neck and shoulders as well as to improve blood circulation, relieve pain, release the exterior of the wind cold pathogen.
Acute neck pain with a burning sensation that is aggravated by heat due to exterior wind heat will present symptoms of exterior pathogenic invasion such as fever, slight chills, headache, runny nose with yellow discharge, body aches, restlessness. Bupleurum and Pueraria Combination (chai ge jie ji tang) is an appropriate herbal formula useful to address this pattern. This formula can release the exterior of pathogenic wind and clear the muscle layers of external pathogenic wind heat, clear internal heat, and regulate the Qi to relieve pain.
Wind Cold Damp
Neck pain that is characterized by soreness and heaviness that is aggravated by wet, windy and cold weather with an aversion to cold and alleviated with warm and massage with symptoms of dampness such as heaviness and a greasy tongue and exterior pathology such as headache. Chiang-huo and Du-huo Combination (qiang huo sheng shi tang> can be dispensed to effectively release the exterior of pathology, expel wind damp and promote Qi and blood circulation to relieve pain.
Liver Yang Rising
When neck pain is due to excessive pathogenic fire and hyperactive Yang Qi of the Liver, the pain is concomitant with muscle and sinew spasms that typically present at the back or the lateral aspects of the neck. Also there may be symptoms of Liver excess such as irritability, headache, dizziness, bad mood associated with repression, and nervous tension. Gastrodia and Uncaria Combination (tian ma gou teng yin) calms the Liver to extinguish wind, clears heat, harmonizes the blood and nourishes the Liver and Kidneys.