To treat your neck pain, simply roll up an acupressure mat to create a pillow and nestle the spiky surface into the nape of your neck.
Certain acupressure mats even come with a separate pillow specifically designed to treat the area.
Akuspike, creators of the Aku Mat (a product we reviewed in detail), recommend laying like this for a duration of 10 minutes.
They go on to explain how tension can build up in our neck and how the therapy can help:
The neck is a notoriously tight area where all sorts of stress and tension can build up. The root of it may be something simple, like slouching shoulders over a keyboard or bad posture. More serious conditions include whiplash, arthritis, or pinched nerves…
Neck acupressure points are deeply relaxing and can be triggered to promote thyroid health, which lessens anxiety and stress.
Online doctors, The Permanente Medical Group, are also keen to highlight areas that you shouldn’t treat with acupressure.
They explain that you should avoid any swollen or inflamed areas, as well as parts of the skin where you may have scar tissue or a rash.
However you might be wondering if there’s any actual evidence to prove that acupressure works?
Well, research tells us that it does! Particularly a pilot study published in 2011.
During the trial a ‘needle stimulation pad’ was used by patients with chronic neck and lower back pain for a period of four weeks.
Exciting results were uncovered, leading researchers to conclude:
The needle stimulation pad revealed a substantial potential for the alleviation of chronic NP (neck pain) and BP (back pain). Furthermore, psychophysical data support the assumption that the pad reveals its effects at least partly on a subcortical level of the pain processing system. A further benefit of the device is the fact that it is easy to use, safe, and does not require a therapist.
These findings seem even more positive when we consider that neck problems are a growing health issue across the world, exacerbated in some part by smartphone use.
In fact, there is evidence to suggest that smartphone overuse in office workers increases the chance of neck pain by six times!
Despite the positive research above, it’s important to note that acupressure therapy isn’t a miracle cure and it’s not treating the root cause.
It effectively just treats the symptoms of the condition, and only in the short term.
Yet with very few reported side effects, it can be something you add to your daily toolkit for dealing with your condition.
Plus it offers you a range of different health advantages while treating your soreness, including relieving anxiety, helping to boost your circulation and even improving your sleep.
If you’ve already invested in your acupressure mat, or you have one arriving any day now, you might be wondering how to use it for other conditions.
We’ve created a handy guide including 10 ways to use your mat for foot pain, sleep, mobility and more.
Sign-up for The Good Body mailing list
