Acupressure Points for Neck & Upper Back Pain

People spend more and more time hunched over keyboards and looking at smart phones, and while we love these technological advances, they wreck havock on our necks and backs! Neck and shoulder pain are some of the most common complaints in our office.

One answer, get blood flowing in the muscles. Keeping blood flowing to your muscles prevents tension and "knots" and can help prevent pain buildin up. Try stepping away from your computer at least every 2 hours, stretch, and walk around. Take a bath at night with epsom salts. Use a microwavable heat pack. Get a massage. (Have you had an appointment with our massage therapist, [Christine Cummings][0]? She works wonders on sore necks and backs). If you can't make it in for a massage, or in between massages or acupuncture treatments, try acupressure at home.

Acupressure is a form of massage that involves pressure applied to specific acupuncture points. Different points have different functions and can be used for different ailments. Some points are used in a local area for a specific problem. For example, in the neck, there are a number of points used for pain. Other points, called distal points, affect an area of pain from far away.

If you press along a muscle and find a sore point, it's is called an ["Ashi"][1] point. If you find an ashi point, it may help ease pain to apply pressure to this point for a few minutes.

There are many useful points in the treatment of upper back and neck pain but here are two simple and effective points you can try at home. **Always consult your doctor if you have pain that isn't going away as it can be a sign of something more serious.**

* GB 20 -- just under the base of the skull in two small muscular grooves at the back of the neck (green dot on image)

* GB 21 -- on top of the shoulder, 2"-3" from the side of the neck (yellow dot on image)

[0]: http://www.emergingenergy.net/about/

[1]: https://www.liveoakacupuncture.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/JCM-Ashi-Points-Article.pdf