Celebrating the passing of the autumn equinox and awakening to familiar, crisp, New England morning chills, we enter the seasonal time of year acupuncture equates with the Metal element (autumn) and moving towards the element of Water (winter). The five elements in Eastern medicine are associations that describe patterns in an ever-moving cycle which helps us to navigate good health, and pay more attention to what might be considered a one-off cool weather “crick in the neck.” In Eastern medicine, it is important to strengthen the Metal element (think of a metal bowl) before winter time so that we are better able to hold water in that bowl.
The Metal element is ascribed to the acupuncture lungs which includes our chest, skin and a big part of our immune system (flu season overlaps with the fall/Metal season). While we conventionally think of our necks as just the thing between our chin and our chest, acupuncture considers the neck to go from the base of the back of the head (occiput) all the way down to just below the shoulder blades. If you would like to test this theory for yourself — put one hand in-between your own shoulder blades, turn your head from side to side, and see if you can’t feel the spine and back muscles move. Although if you can’t, it might be a good time to make an acupuncture appointment
Our “acupuncture neck” extends into the center of the chest where the lungs reside, so as one might imagine, the neck and lungs are related and can affect each other. Our lungs inflate higher up in the chest than we might typically think, and there are muscular and ligamentous connections between the base of the neck and the lungs themselves. So, from a straight-forward physical perspective, a stiff or otherwise injured neck can make breathing shallow and/or painful, which creates a negative feedback loop worsening the neck injury. Seemingly benign autumn staples, such as prolonged snuffling due to cold chills in the face causing congestion or a poorly-timed sneeze, can also lead to neck injuries. A typical sneeze happens at 10 mph; imagine standing holding hands with someone and then immediately, without telling them, walking 10 mph or 14 feet per second. Now imagine your face doing this to your neck.
Another aspect of Metal is that it wants to be dry, and just like the heat of summer (Fire element) or the cold of winter (Water element), we need to keep the dryness in balance and not overdo it. Metal that becomes too dry does crack, metal which is too wet will rust, metal which is appropriately oiled will be pliable. We see it in nature in the crunchy crackle of fallen leaves, and the beginning of plants giving up their moisture in preparation for the winter months. As we start dressing more warmly and the temperature fluctuates from chilly to warm causing us to sweat, a gust of cool, autumn breeze blows wicking it away, which, over time, leads to dry itchy skin and chapped lips. The lungs in our chest need to be a Goldilocks level of warm, dry, but also wet for optimal health, and this balance can be delicate as anyone with a hot, dry cough irritating lungs until raw, or a phlegmy, productive cough making the lungs feel as though they are drowning in mud season, knows. This can also lead to neck, chest and back pain as the muscles surrounding the lungs come to assist in the breathing and coughing and over time, often, the pain of this process is the first indicator that one might be coming down with a cold, the flu or some class of pneumonia or bronchitis.
We all know the good preventative measures for the chill of autumn getting in too deep: heavier clothing, scarves to protect the neck from cold gusts or a stray snowball and moving from the iced beverages enjoyed at the lake to the toddies we sip as we leaf peep. Cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, are all good things to add to keep the body from getting too cold or getting too dry. Chinese five spice with cinnamon, clove, Sichuan pepper, fennel seed, and star anise is also a good choice. Both mixes gently warm and moisten the muscles to gently alleviate pain. At the beginning of a cold and the beginning of neck pain, make some oatmeal and load up on the above spices for a therapeutic sweat. Another option is to make an appointment for some time in an infrared sauna to warm the musculature and allow for easier movement. Massage, acupuncture, herbal medicine, heat in all forms, and warming spices as stated above all support the good riddance of neck pain.
David Simpson is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist at Moon Brook Medicine in Rutland.
