neck strain

main symptoms

when he got up in the morning, he couldn't move his neck.
when he tried to move his neck, he had terrible pain. When he woke up, the pain was so bad that he took a break from work and rested.
gradually, the symptoms worsened, and he could not move his neck at all.
no numbness.
he felt as if his legs were cramped, and his neck felt like it was cramping.

medical interview

it was easy to bend to the left.
right rotation and flexion are impossible.
he always works in a face down position.
since palpation was difficult due to muscle tension in the entire neck, only acupuncture was used.

treatment

based on the concept of trigger point contraction pain, the treatment focused on the right scapular elevators and craniosacral muscles.
since he was in a posture where he unconsciously stretched his right levator scapulae muscle even when he was lying on his face during the treatment, we focused on the levator scapulae muscle.

since he could not bend his neck backward, we also treated the semispinalis capitis muscle.

Summary

treatment results

the pain almost disappeared after a total of two consecutive treatments.

the levator scapulae muscle is a muscle that attaches from the scapula to the cervical vertebrae.
it is a muscle that constantly lifts the scapula from the neck and is a representative muscle for sleep strain.
the muscle acts in a variety of ways, such as backward bending and rotation, and the symptoms of sleep strain appear when the trigger point is strongly activated due to the strain on the levator scapulae muscle caused by an unexpectedly strange posture while sleeping.
it is a muscle that attaches to cervical vertebrae 1st to 4th while twisting around the 6th cervical vertebra, and trigger points tend to form at the twisting site around the 6th cervical vertebra.

when trigger points are formed in the levator scapulae muscle, it can cause stiffness in the shoulders and neck, but in severe cases, it can also cause strong symptoms such as sleep strain, dizziness, and staggering when the head is suddenly moved, as it is said to be a muscle that keeps the head balanced.

the more people don't notice the stiffness in their neck and shoulders, the more likely they are to suffer from sudden sleep strains, dizziness, staggering, and other complaints.
it is also an area where acupuncture is difficult, so it is also an area where technique is required.
sleeping sprain increase with the change of seasons.
sudden cold stimulation or stress from a change in living environment can activate trigger points, creating a physical environment that is prone to symptoms.

Case Reports