Stiff neck

Abstract: Introduction The use of acupuncture has been suggested for the treatment of acute neck pain caused by stiff neck in China. However, current evidence is insufficient to draw any conclusions about its efficacy. Therefore this pilot study was designed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of acupuncture at the Houxi ( SI3 ) acupoint for treatment of acute neck pain. Methods/analysis This pilot study will be a two-parallel-group, assessor-blinded, randomised controlled trial. Thirty-six stiff neck participants with acute neck pain will be recruited and randomly divided into two groups in a 1:1 ratio. Participants in the control group will receive massage on the local neck region (5 min each session, three times a day for 3 days). In addition to massage, patients in the treatment group will receive acupuncture (one session a day for 3 days). Measures will be taken at 0, 3 and 15 days. The primary outcome is the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ). The secondary outcome is the Short Form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ). Ethics/dissemination The protocol for this pilot randomised clinical trial has undergone ethics scrutiny and been approved by the ethics review boards of the First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Permission number: HZYLL201303502). The findings of this study will provide important clinical evidence on the feasibility and efficacy of acupuncture treatment for stiff neck patients with acute neck pain. In addition, it will explore the feasibility of further acupuncture research. Trial registration number ChiCTR-TRC-13003911.

Abstract: Thrombosis of the internal jugular vein is a relatively rare condition that can be induced by a variety of mechanical injuries.1,2 Acupressure, or “shiatsu”, is an oriental massage technique and many acupoints on the body surface, known as “tsubos”, are used for shiatsu. Shiatsu of tsubos in the nape of the neck is known to improve tension headache due to neck and shoulder aches. However, we recently came across a case of internal jugular vein (IJV) and cerebral sinus thrombosis after shiatsu massage of the neck. A 35 year old man, a non-smoker, was suffering from a stiff neck. He consulted a shiatsu masseur, who performed shiatsu massage on the right side of his neck and right shoulder for 30 minutes. Immediately after the shiatsu massage, the patient noticed pain and swelling of the right side of the neck, both of which subsided within seven days. Two days after the shiatsu massage, he developed a severe, constant right occipital headache and consulted his attending physician. His cervical radiograph was normal. The patient continued to have severe headache, however, and on the seventh day after the massage, he developed blurred vision. On the twentieth day, he developed weakness and paraesthesia of his right arm and leg, and mild agraphia for kanji characters. When he also developed focal motor seizure, he was admitted to our hospital. He underwent …

Abstract: It is well known that psychological stress affects health status. Stiff neck and shoulder in a broad sense is one of the major somatic complaints among Japanese. The objective was to determine how much perceived stress and stiff neck/shoulder are associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) by gender. Participants (n = 512) completed the Japanese version of Perceived Stress Scale, the SF-8 Japanese version and original questions on perceived stiff neck/shoulder. Muscle hardness around the shoulder also was measured with the muscle tension meter. The multiple regression model of the men demonstrated that perceived stress was associated with not only the mental component summary (MCS) (beta: -0.494), but also the physical component summary (PCS) (beta = -0.319) of the SF-8. Although, in the model of the women, perceived stress was also associated with MCS (beta: -0.632) more than in that of the men, stiff neck/shoulder and age group (beta: -0.231; -0.268, respectively), but not stress, were related to PCS. The subjective neck/shoulder stiffness was hardly correlated with the objective shoulder muscle hardness. This study revealed the associations between perceived stress, stiff neck/shoulder and HRQoL, and their difference by gender. The hypothesis of gender differences was discussed with a focus on kind of stressors, perception of stress, admission of negative symptoms and cause of stiff neck/shoulder.