Chronic Neck Pain Relief Without Drugs or Surgery
It often starts with a dull ache — after a long day at your desk, a restless night, or one too many hours hunched over a screen. But for millions, that nagging tightness doesn’t go away. Instead, it settles in, deepens, and becomes something far more persistent: chronic neck pain.
It often starts with a dull ache — after a long day at your desk, a restless night, or one too many hours hunched over a screen. But for millions, that nagging tightness doesn’t go away. Instead, it settles in, deepens, and becomes something far more persistent: chronic neck pain.
By the time many people seek help, they’ve already tried the usual fixes — pain relievers, stretches, ergonomic chairs, even physical therapy — with little lasting relief. They’re tired of short-term solutions. They want to feel better and stay better.
Chronic neck pain isn’t just frustrating — it’s incredibly common. In any given three-month period, nearly 15% of U.S. adults report experiencing it, and among those, up to 85% will face recurring symptoms within five years. It’s often caused by muscle strain, past injury, or age-related changes in the spine, and it can linger for months or even years without the right intervention. 1
At Nyberg Acupuncture & Wellness in Tualatin, we approach neck pain differently. We focus on whole-person healing — combining evidence-based acupuncture, advanced therapies like ATP Resonance BioTherapy®, and compassionate care to help our patients reclaim their lives from chronic pain.
Why Chronic Neck Pain Won’t Go Away (and What Makes It Different)
It’s tempting to think of neck pain as something you can stretch out, sleep off, or ignore until it fades. And sometimes, that’s true — for short-term strains. But chronic neck pain plays by different rules.
Unlike a one-time twinge from sleeping awkwardly or spending too long at a computer, chronic pain persists beyond the normal healing window — typically longer than three months. It becomes a pattern, not just a symptom. And often, that pattern involves both physical and neurological changes that make recovery more complex.
When Pain Rewires the Body
Over time, repeated or unresolved strain can cause inflammation, muscle guarding, and joint stiffness, especially in the cervical spine (the uppermost portion of your spine that supports your head). More critically, chronic pain changes how the nervous system processes discomfort. It can amplify pain signals or make the body hypersensitive to normal movement — a phenomenon called central sensitization.
In this state, even mild activity or minor posture errors can trigger exaggerated pain responses. Many patients report that everything seems to make it worse — from driving to working at a desk to simply turning their head. That’s not psychological. It’s a well-documented effect of untreated or under-treated pain.
The Body-Mind Feedback Loop
Chronic pain doesn’t just affect your muscles and joints — it affects your life. Fatigue, disrupted sleep, irritability, and anxiety are common side effects, and each of these can further tighten the muscles in your neck and shoulders. Stress doesn’t just accompany neck pain — it often intensifies it.
Unfortunately, many conventional treatments are designed to suppress symptoms, not address sources. Ice packs, over-the-counter medications, and even well-intentioned physical therapy programs often offer only limited or temporary relief. When these approaches fail to address the underlying drivers — like nerve hypersensitivity, muscular imbalances, or spinal joint dysfunction — long-term results are rare.
The Hidden Causes Most People Miss
Chronic neck pain is rarely caused by just one thing. It’s usually the result of multiple overlapping factors, including:
- Postural strain from prolonged screen time or sitting
- Unresolved injuries, such as whiplash from a car accident
- Tension headaches or jaw clenching
- Degenerative conditions like cervical spondylosis or osteoarthritis 1
- Cervical radiculopathy, or pinched nerves in the neck
With so many potential contributors, successful treatment requires more than a one-size-fits-all plan. It demands a whole-person approach that looks beyond the surface of pain.
The Problem with Traditional Approaches to Neck Pain
For many people, the journey to relieve chronic neck pain starts with the same familiar steps: ice, rest, over-the-counter medication, and maybe a few recommended stretches. These strategies can help with short-term issues, like a stiff neck from sleeping awkwardly or minor strain. But when neck pain becomes chronic, these conventional tools often lose their power.
Why Conventional Care Often Falls Short
Most standard treatments are designed to suppress symptoms, not resolve root causes. For example:
- NSAIDs such as ibuprofen can reduce inflammation but don’t address the underlying muscular, postural, or neurological contributors to pain.
- Muscle relaxants may temporarily ease tension but can also cause fatigue or fogginess, and they don't correct imbalances.
- Steroid injections can offer temporary relief, but they often wear off within weeks and carry risks with repeated use.
For chronic cases — pain that lasts for months or recurs in cycles — these options may not be enough. Many patients find themselves moving from one recommendation to the next, without real progress. That cycle of trial and error can leave people feeling dismissed, discouraged, and still in pain.
“I’ve Tried Everything”: The Reality of Chronic Pain Management
It's common for patients to arrive at our clinic and say: “I’ve done physical therapy, I’ve tried medications, I’ve changed pillows — nothing helps my neck pain.”
That frustration is valid. Chronic neck pain is a multi-factorial condition, and if only one layer is treated — like muscle tension without addressing nerve irritation or stress-related inflammation — long-term relief is unlikely.
A 2012 meta-analysis published in the Archives of Internal Medicine supports this reality. Researchers analyzed data from more than 17,000 patients and found that standard medical care often produced only modest benefits for chronic pain, especially when compared to personalized acupuncture treatment. 2
Treating the Neck Without Treating the Whole Person
Another challenge with conventional care is that it tends to treat the neck in isolation. But the neck doesn’t function on its own. It's part of a larger postural, muscular, and neurological system. Chronic neck pain might be influenced by:
- Shoulder tension or upper back compensation
- Jaw clenching or tension headaches
- Long-term stress responses driving muscle contraction
- Old injuries that altered how the body moves
When treatment doesn’t account for the interconnected nature of the body, it often misses the mark. That’s where acupuncture and integrative therapies begin to offer something different — a more systemic approach to healing that addresses not just symptoms, but the patterns beneath them.
Acupuncture for Neck Pain: What the Latest Research Shows
For people living with persistent neck pain, the idea of trying something new — especially something outside the conventional medical model — can feel like a leap. But modern acupuncture is not alternative in the fringe sense; it is a well-studied, evidence-based option increasingly recommended by pain specialists, especially for chronic conditions that have resisted standard care.
A New Standard for Natural Relief
Several high-quality clinical trials have confirmed that acupuncture doesn’t just mask symptoms — it can improve pain levels, function, and quality of life for those with chronic neck pain. And these effects are more than temporary.
A landmark 2024 randomized controlled trial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine followed 445 patients with chronic neck pain over one year. The study found that individualized acupuncture led to significantly greater pain relief and improved mobility compared to standard care or no treatment. These improvements were sustained at 6 and 12 months, suggesting a lasting effect even after treatment ended. 3
How Acupuncture Works — and Why It’s Different
Acupuncture stimulates specific points on the body that can:
- Reduce pain-related neurotransmitters (like substance P) in the central nervous system
- Improve local circulation in stiff or inflamed areas
- Trigger the release of endorphins — the body’s natural painkillers
- Modulate the nervous system, reducing hypersensitivity
A 2023 study by Ko and Kim published in Frontiers in Neurology demonstrated that acupuncture decreased substance P levels — a key pain signaling molecule — in women with chronic neck pain. Participants reported significant reductions in pain severity and improved physical function after just eight sessions. 4
These findings help explain why acupuncture often succeeds where conventional care has not. It's not about masking pain — it's about changing the body’s pain response.
Real-World Results
Earlier studies back this up. In a 2011 pilot trial of 190 patients with chronic neck pain, those who received traditional acupuncture had significantly better outcomes on validated pain and quality-of-life measures than those who received placebo care. Improvements were evident immediately after treatment and continued to grow over several weeks. 5
Even broader research supports these results. The 2012 meta-analysis by Vickers and colleagues — based on more than 17,000 patient records — concluded that acupuncture was more effective than sham treatments or usual care for managing chronic musculoskeletal pain, including neck pain. 2
Taken together, these studies reinforce what we see every day in our clinic: acupuncture is not just “worth a try.” It’s a legitimate, research-backed option for long-term neck pain relief.
ATP Resonance BioTherapy®: A Complementary Tool for Pain Relief
At Nyberg Acupuncture & Wellness, we believe that no one treatment works for every body — especially when it comes to chronic neck pain. That’s why, in addition to acupuncture, we often incorporate complementary techniques designed to help patients get better results faster.
One of those tools is ATP Resonance BioTherapy®, a gentle, non-invasive treatment that uses low-frequency currents to support the body’s natural healing response. It’s painless, drug-free, and often used to help reduce inflammation and discomfort in targeted areas.
While acupuncture helps regulate the nervous system and relieve tension throughout the body, ATP therapy focuses on enhancing local circulation and soft tissue recovery — especially in stubborn or recurring pain patterns.
We’ve found that combining these therapies can help:
- Improve range of motion
- Ease persistent neck stiffness
- Support longer-lasting relief between sessions
It’s not about adding more — it’s about targeting smarter, using safe and supportive therapies that work together for better outcomes.
What to Expect from Holistic Neck Pain Relief in Tualatin
If you’ve been living with persistent neck pain, it’s easy to feel like you’ve exhausted your options. But at Nyberg Acupuncture & Wellness, we take a different approach — one that looks beyond the surface of your symptoms and focuses on how your entire system is functioning.
We don’t offer one-size-fits-all protocols. Instead, we build personalized care plans based on your health history, lifestyle, and the full picture of what your body needs to recover. Our goal is to treat the root contributors to chronic neck pain — not just the symptoms.
Your First Visit: Focused, Personalized Care
When you visit our Tualatin clinic, you’ll meet with Dr. Jeffrey Savage, LAc, DACM, a licensed acupuncturist with extensive experience in pain management. Your consultation is a space to be heard — not rushed. Together, you and Dr. Savage will explore your experience with neck pain and determine whether acupuncture and integrative care are a good fit for you.
If you’re a candidate for treatment, your care plan may incorporate acupuncture along with supportive therapies like ATP Resonance BioTherapy®, designed to enhance relief and support natural healing.
During Treatment
Acupuncture sessions are relaxing and carefully tailored. Many patients notice reduced tension or improved mobility after the first few visits. As the body begins to reset patterns of chronic stress and inflammation, pain levels often decrease, and function improves.
Our care is about more than temporary relief. It’s about helping you feel and function better — so you can get back to doing the things you love without the daily burden of neck pain.
Ready for Relief That Actually Lasts?
Chronic neck pain can wear down more than just your body — it can affect your mood, sleep, work, and daily confidence. And when you’ve tried treatment after treatment with little success, it’s easy to lose hope.
At Nyberg Acupuncture & Wellness, we help patients who feel stuck finally start to move forward. Our approach is not about quick fixes or generic care plans — it’s about understanding your full story and crafting a treatment strategy that actually fits your life.
If you’re ready for real relief, we’re ready to help.
📞 Call us at +1 (503) 336-4747 to schedule your consultation.
Prefer to start by leaving a message? Visit our New Patient Offer page and we’ll be in touch soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions about neck pain relief or whether acupuncture is right for you? Below are answers to some of the most common concerns we hear from patients.
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Chronic neck pain often stems from a combination of muscle strain, poor posture, stress, and structural changes like arthritis or disc issues. When these factors go unaddressed, pain can become persistent and even worsen over time.
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Yes. Research shows that acupuncture can reduce neck pain severity, improve mobility, and support long-term relief — especially when other treatments haven’t worked. It works by regulating pain signals, improving circulation, and calming muscular tension.
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Everyone is different. Some people feel better after just a few sessions, while others need ongoing care to address chronic or complex conditions. During your consult at our Tualatin clinic, we’ll design a plan that fits your needs.
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Absolutely. Acupuncture is gentle, drug-free, and safe for older adults — even those with degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis or cervical spondylosis. Many seniors find it improves both pain and daily function.
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We frequently help patients who’ve tried multiple treatments without success. Acupuncture offers a different approach by targeting both the physical and neurological patterns driving your pain — often unlocking relief when other methods haven’t worked.
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Yes. We commonly treat lingering neck pain from past injuries, including whiplash. Even if the injury occurred months or years ago, acupuncture and ATP Resonance BioTherapy® can still help reduce pain and restore mobility.
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Nyberg Acupuncture & Wellness is located in Tualatin, Oregon. We proudly serve patients from Tigard, Wilsonville, Sherwood, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Newberg, and the greater Portland metro area.
References:
- Shmerling RH. Neck Pain. Harvard Health Publishing. June 4, 2024. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/neck-pain
- Vickers AJ, Cronin AM, Maschino AC, et al. Acupuncture for chronic pain: individual patient data meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med. 2012;172(19):1444-1453. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2012.3654
- Zhao L, Sun M, Yin Z, et al. Long-term effects of individualized acupuncture for chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2024;177(10):1330-1338. doi:10.7326/M23-2425
- Ko JH, Kim SN. Effect of acupuncture on pain and substance P levels in middle-aged women with chronic neck pain. Front Neurol. 2023;14:1267952. doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1267952
- Liang Z, Zhu X, Yang X, Fu W, Lu A. Assessment of a traditional acupuncture therapy for chronic neck pain: a pilot randomised controlled study. Complement Ther Med. 2011;19 Suppl 1:S26-S32. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2010.11.005
