Neck and Shoulder: What Eight Hours at a Desk Actually Does

In short: neck and shoulder trouble from desk work is usually strained muscle, and for some people a small joint in the neck sitting slightly out of place as well. Dr. Kong checks the joint and the tissue around it by hand before deciding whether realignment, soft-tissue release or an external herbal application is appropriate. Arm numbness that persists, or weakness that is getting worse, needs medical assessment first.

Someone walks in with this every day

Thirty-three years on Victoria Drive, and the neck and shoulder is still the single most common reason people come in.

“Over these decades in Vancouver, a lot of patients come in with neck and shoulder discomfort, or headaches. It comes back to the spine — especially long hours at a computer, at a desk. The neck muscles get strained, or a small vertebral joint goes slightly out of place.”

The pattern is familiar. Head pushed forward, shoulders held up, eight hours a day. At first it is just a tight feeling behind the neck by mid-afternoon. Then it is a neck that will not turn when you wake up. Then it runs into the shoulder and down the arm.

Why it happens

Hold one position long enough and the muscles around the neck spend the whole day under load. Over months:

• for some people it is muscle strain and nothing more
• for others there is also a small joint in the neck sitting slightly out of place
• tingling in the arm or pressure at the back of the head is sometimes related to the neck — and sometimes it is not

That last point deserves saying plainly: a tingling arm does not automatically mean the problem is in your neck. It needs an individual assessment; there is no rule that covers everyone.

How Chinese medicine frames it

Dr. Kong tends to reach for an old line:

“In Chinese medicine we say: where it does not flow, it hurts; where it flows, it does not hurt.”

That is the traditional way of talking about circulation. It is a traditional framework, not a modern medical diagnosis — the two should not be confused for each other.

How he assesses it

On a first visit he listens first:

1. where it hurts, and how long it has been there
2. which movements make it worse, which positions ease it
3. whether you have injured it before, what imaging you have had, what you are taking

Then he checks, by hand, how far the neck moves and what the tissue around it is doing. Only after that does he discuss whether it is something he should treat, what may be worth considering, and what to watch for.

What may be worth considering

“These we can realign through the hands-on methods of Chinese bone-setting — properly realigned. Then open up the soft tissue around it, disperse the stagnation, apply an external herbal preparation, and set it right.”

Depending on what he finds, that can mean:

• realignment — putting a joint that has shifted back where it belongs
• release of the surrounding soft tissue — working on the strained muscle
• an external herbal application

Which of those, and over how many visits, depends on the individual. Outcomes vary from person to person; this describes how the problem is approached clinically, not a promise of results.

Get medical assessment first if any of these apply

Not sure which of those you are? Call the clinic and describe it. The practitioner will say whether it is worth coming in, or suggest you get checked first.

What to bring the first time

• a list of what you are taking, or a photo of the boxes
• recent X-ray or MRI reports, if you have them
• something that makes the neck and shoulder easy to examine

You do not need a referral from your family doctor.

Fees and coverage

• Injuries from a car accident: the clinic is a registered ICBC supplier. Acupuncture is pre-approved for a number of visits, regardless of fault and with no doctor referral, as long as you start within the window
• Extended health: most plans include acupuncture or TCM, but the terms differ — check with your insurer first
• Fees: bone-setting $95 a visit, acupuncture $110. GST is added; credit card or cash. To change or cancel, please call at least 24 hours ahead

Common questions

Is it my pillow? It might be part of it, but a pillow rarely explains a neck that has been getting worse for months. What you do for eight hours a day usually matters more than what you do for eight hours a night.

Should I be stretching it? Gentle movement is generally better than holding still, but which movements depend on what is actually going on. If a particular stretch makes the arm tingle, stop and mention it.

How many visits will it take? There is no number that applies to everyone. The practitioner assesses first, then talks through what to watch for, when to review, and what would mean changing course or stopping.

Do I need a referral? No. ICBC and MSP acupuncture benefits do not require one either. Extended health plans differ, so check with your insurer.

In their own words

YouTube · VideosNeck & Shoulder Discomfort: Ivan Kong's TCM PerspectiveXie Yuan (Ivan) Kong · 0:43 · Transcript

This site is general information only and is not diagnosis or treatment advice. Whether any service is appropriate depends on an individual assessment by a registered practitioner, and outcomes vary from person to person.