Chinese medicine says that when the weather gets cold, if the shoulder and neck are exposed, they are vulnerable to cold air, which leads to muscle contraction and pain. (Photo/Huang Zhiwen) Xu Yilun, a Chinese medicine doctor at Changhua Christian Hospital, said that the causes of shoulder and neck pain include muscle tension and strain caused by long-term poor posture, sustained muscle contraction caused by long-term exposure to humid and cold air, muscle strain caused by car accidents or trauma, and cervical disc herniation that compresses nerves.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, if it is acute shoulder and neck tension caused by wind, cold and dampness, TCM conditioning can be eliminated; If it is chronic shoulder and neck pain caused by long-term strain or trauma, it is necessary to prescribe drugs for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. At the same time, in order to relieve tendon knotting caused by abnormal contraction of shoulder and neck muscles, acupuncture, massage and other treatment methods are inevitably arranged.
Acupuncture and massage are also indispensable. Long-term tense shoulder and neck muscles often form rope-like tendons in the shoulder and neck. These tendons caused by long-term abnormal contraction of muscle bundles often need targeted treatment with acupuncture and massage to achieve better results.
As for how to prevent shoulder and neck pain through daily health care, Dr. Xu Yilun provided several principles for reference:
Go to bed early, get up early and don't stay up late: Deep sleep can help the whole body relax and accelerate the metabolism of metabolic wastes produced after a hard day's work.
Good posture: The correct sitting posture and the correct height of screen, desk and chair can reduce the tension of shoulder and neck muscles.
Blow-dry your hair after washing: If you don't blow-dry your hair after washing, there will be cold air outside, and cold and moisture will invade the shoulder and neck muscles, causing local muscle tension.
Don't blow cold air and electric fans directly: cold air will contract the muscles and blood vessels on the body surface. If you sleep all night, blowing cold air will make your already tight shoulders and neck even worse.
Hot compress: Local hot compress can promote blood circulation. The time of a hot compress is about 15 to 20 minutes, and the temperature should be acceptable. The hot compress tool can be an electric blanket, a hot towel or a hot red bean bag.
Correct practice:
Aerobic exercise can enhance cardiopulmonary function, improve systemic blood circulation and relax systemic muscles.
Stretching exercise: when stretching, the principle is that the muscles are slightly sour and tight. Don't pull it to the end, lest you pull it. When stretching, relax as much as possible, let the muscles stretch to the longest, and at least achieve the stretching effect of 1 minute at a time.
Simple stretching exercise
Put your left hand behind your back, tilt your head to the right, and then put your right hand on your head and press tilt. When your head is tilted at different angles, this stretching action will relax different shoulder and neck muscles. When the head leans to one side (figure 1), the muscles on the side are mainly pulled apart; When the head and shoulders are inclined at a 45-degree angle (Figure 2), the muscles near the plaster can be pulled; When the head and shoulders are tilted 80 degrees (Figure 3), the muscles beside the spine are mainly pulled apart. This is stretching the left muscle, and vice versa. Only by stretching according to different problems can the best stretching effect be achieved.
(Photo courtesy of Changhua Christian Hospital) (Photo courtesy of Changhua Christian Hospital) (Photo courtesy of Changhua Christian Hospital)