Crick in the neck

Stiffness of the neck that results from taxation fatigue (overwork etc.) twisting, sleeping in the wrong posture or from exposure to a draft (wind-cold).

Medicinal therapy: For twisting, use Sinew-Soothing Decoction (舒筋汤 shū jīn tāng). For wind-cold, use Pueraria Decoction (葛根汤 gé gēn tāng). For kidney vacuity in run-down patients, use Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill (六味地黄丸 liù wèi dì huáng wán).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on GV, hand and foot greater yáng (tài yáng) SI/BL, and hand and foot lesser yáng (shào yáng) TB/GB. Select GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī), ouch points (阿是穴 ā shì xué), SI-3 (Back Ravine, 后溪 hòu xī), Crick in the Neck Point (落枕穴 luò zhěn xué) (0.5 cùn above the posterior hairline, 1.3 cùn lateral to the midline), and GB-39 (Suspended Bell, 悬钟 xuán zhōng). Needle with drainage followed by moxa or cupping.

Point selection according to cause: For wind-cold, add TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), and LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ). For kidney vacuity taxation detriment, add BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù) and KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī).

Point selection according to affected area: When affecting the greater yáng (tài yáng) channel, add BL-10 (Celestial Pillar, 天柱 tiān zhù), BL-11 (Great Shuttle, 大杼 dà zhù), SI-14 (Outer Shoulder Transport, 肩外俞 jiān wài shù), BL-60 (Kunlun Mountains, 昆仑 kūn lún), and LU-7 (Broken Sequence, 列缺 liè quē). When affecting the lesser yáng (shào yáng) channel, add GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), TB-17 (Wind Screen, 翳风 yì fēng), and TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān).