Treating Back , Neck & Shoulder Pain Naturally

Our Approach to Treating Back Pain, Neck Pain & Shoulder Pain Naturally

The Fort Myers Acupuncture and Massage team has decades of experience treating back pain, neck pain & shoulder pain by looking carefully at all the various factors affecting each patient, including posture, body mechanics, past injuries, work habits, sleep hygiene and more. Most times multiple influences are at play. Your therapist will create a treatment plan specific to your needs so that you can feel better as soon as possible. We commonly use these therapies to treat Back Pain, Neck Pain & Shoulder Pain:

• Therapeutic & Deep Tissue Massage
• Heat therapy
• Orthopedic Massage
• Trigger Point Therapy/Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT)
• Thai Massage
• Passive/Resistive Stretching
• Traction
• Exercise Therapy
• Topical Analgesics
• Far Infrared Therapy
• Magnetic Therapy
• Herbal Anti-Inflammatory Medications
• Herbal Pain Medications
• Homeopathic Remedies
• Paraffin Therapy
• Acupuncture
• Electro-Acupuncture
• Acupuncture Point Injection Therapy
• Cupping/Guasha
• Ultrasound Therapy
• Laser Therapy

Massage Therapy Proven Back Pain, Neck Pain & Shoulder Pain Relief

Recently a study of 401 back pain patients demonstrated that massage works as well as the standard treatment for back pain – acetaminophen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and physical therapy. The patients in the study:

• Had back pain for 3 months or longer.
• Did not have an identified cause for back pain.

The patients were randomly assigned to one of 3 treatments over a period of 10 weeks:

• Standard treatment : acetaminophen or an NSAID, plus physical therapy once a week for 1 hour.
• Relaxing (also called Swedish style) massage once a week for 1 hour.
• Structural massage (also called deep tissue massage) focusing on specific areas of pain and targeting ligaments and joints once a week for 1 hour.

Results showed that after one year, all three groups reported similar decreases in pain and improved ability to perform daily activities. Interestingly, at 10 weeks and again at 6 months, the patients receiving massage therapy reported less pain and greater ability to perform daily activities than the patients on standard therapy. The type of massage made no difference.

The Bottom Line

In other words, massage worked sooner than standard therapy to relieve back pain and to get people back to their normal daily activities. Have you tried regular massage therapy to help with your back pain? If not, maybe it’s time to give it a try.

Acupuncture for Back Pain & Neck Pain

Massage therapy can provide lasting relief for most cases of neck and back pain. However, in cases where there is an irritated, impinged or pinched nerve, acupuncture treatments can provide relief by sedating the affected nerve at the site of the impingement. This is a common occurrence in bulging or ruptured spinal discs. Likewise, in cases where the source of the pain is unclear, acupuncture treatments can interrupt the pain cycle by altering the levels of neurotransmitters and other biochemicals related to our perception of pain. In cases of severe pain, Acupuncture Point Injection Therapy using homeopathic anti-inflammatories and anti-spasmodics can be used to help heal the affected area. This is much safer option to cortico-steroid injections.