Stiff neck—what should you do? How is it treated? How does TCM address stiff neck? Below are TCM methods for treating stiff neck.
Eight TCM Methods for Treating Stiff Neck
1. Massage Therapy
The patient sits upright on a square stool while the practitioner stands behind them. Begin by gently stroking the back of the neck toward both shoulders and the upper back several times with both hands to relax the neck muscles.Then press and knead the Shanjing (GB21), Fengchi (GB20), Dazhui (GV14), and Shenzhu (BL11) acupoints 30 times each. Finally, apply safflower oil or Tiger Balm to the neck. Use the back of a heated wooden comb to gently comb and warm the affected trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles from top to bottom 30 times, helping to unblock meridians and regulate qi and blood flow.
II. Cupping Therapy
First, locate two or three tender points on the neck, shoulders, and back. Use a three-edged needle to make incisions at these tender points, then apply fire cups. Remove the cups once a small amount of blood appears.
III. Ear Acupuncture with Mung Bean Pressing
Locate the ear acupoints for the neck, Shenmen point, and sensitive areas on the ear. Place mung beans on the selected points and secure them with 0.8x0.8 cm adhesive pain relief patches. Press these points three times daily for 2 minutes each session.
IV. Exercise Therapy
Sit upright in a chair with chest lifted. Lower head until chin touches chest, then tilt head back to gaze at ceiling. Hold for 3 seconds before lowering head again. Repeat 20 times.
V. Stroking Therapy
Patient sits upright while practitioner stands beside them.Begin by stroking both hands from the top of the head toward the left and right ears. Then stroke both hands from the temples backward toward the ears. Next, stroke both hands from the tips of both ears along the front of the ears toward the jawbone. Finally, stroke both hands from the temples along the tips of the ears, behind the ears, and down the neck to the supraclavicular muscles.The strokes should be gentle. Upon encountering tender points, apply light pressure for about 10 times to enhance the effect.
VI. Medicated Pillow Therapy
Take 100 grams of kudzu root, 60 grams of wilfordia,30g each of Angelica pubescens, Notopterygium incisum, Saposhnikovia divaricata, and Sappan wood. Crush all ingredients, mix thoroughly with 200g of late silkworm sand, stir-fry with white wine until warm, then pack into a cloth bag. Place the pillow on the painful area of the neck.
VII. Internal Herbal Therapy
Ingredients: 12g each of Pueraria root and red peony root, 6g of ephedra,Cinnamomum cassia 10g, Glycyrrhiza uralensis 4g, Zingiber officinale 3 slices, Ziziphus jujuba 3 pieces.
Method: Decoct ingredients in water, divide into 2 doses, take once daily.
VIII. Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapy
Needle Dazhui (GV14), Fengchi (GB20), Tianchu (BL10), Guānwài (BL11), Jiānyèwài (BL15), Juégu (ST10), with optional moxibustion. Select 5 points per session, once daily, alternating points.
Causes of Stiff Neck
Improper head and neck posture during sleep.
Pillow that is too high, improperly firm/soft, or uneven.
Neck trauma, such as prolonged excessive tilting of the head and neck due to poor sleeping posture at night;or using an unsuitable pillow—too high, too low, or too firm—causing the head and neck to be in a state of excessive extension or flexion. These can all lead to muscle tension on one side of the neck, causing misalignment of the cervical vertebrae's small joints. Over time, this can result in static injury, causing stiffness and disharmony in the affected muscles and tendons, impaired circulation of qi and blood, localized pain and discomfort, and significantly restricted movement.
Exposure to cold drafts on the neck—such as sleeping in chilly environments or seeking excessive coolness during summer—can cause stagnation of qi and blood in the neck and back. This obstructs the tendons and meridians, resulting in stiffness, pain, and restricted movement.
If caused by cervical spondylosis, recurrent "stiff neck" episodes may occur.