I’ve gotten x-rays done here and have also gone to a chiro, none of which has resulted in any relief. In fact, one of the doctors I did go to for pain (neck, back) told me my pain was solely a result of emotional stress. Needless to say I did not go back.
I looked at an old thread Chronic neck pain + any recs on Taiwanese reflexology?, and I would like to get an MRI but so many doctors here are hard-pressed to recommend that. I usually just get sent to PT for any kind of joint or muscle pain, and I think most people here understand that the PT here at these clinics are not very helpful. It’s much too passive.
My neck pain is probably a result of years of terrible posture. It’s something I feel constantly.
I’m looking for recommendations for specific doctors or clinics. I’m definitely willing to pay out of pocket for good, reliable healthcare.
I had neck pain and stiff neck for over 10 years. I told my regular doctor accidentally one time and he said switch to the thinnest pillow you can sleep with.
Thanks a million for that (I think). I’ve been doing the one in the video below and so far there has been some pain relief. Let’s see what happens. I may experiment with some other exercise. I’ve been stretching (lots), getting massages, and trying various other things with no luck. This particular exercise just might do it.
I started getting a pain in my neck after being in Taiwan for a while too; it was a combination of computer and smartphone usage, and eating with chopsticks with my head stopped down towards a bowl. Once I was aware of this I kept my head up straighter during these activities. I also began standing against a wall to straighten up my posture and neck. I’ll still get a pain on rare occasions, but it’s mostly gone.
Aside from adjustments in lifestyle and finding another doctor, have you considered venturing into Chinese medicine?
I recently had a knee injury and after about a month and around 10-12 sessions, I’m much much better than when I started. Depending on what kind of doctor you see, he may use acupuncture, adjustments to your spine or even cupping.
The last time I got injured, I went to a guy that did cupping, it was a little expensive at around 400NT a session just for my one leg. This time I went to a guy that did adjustments and he charged 180NT for wrapping up my leg in Chinese medicine.
We also have a Chinese medicine doctor here on the forums who speaks English! @joey0825
I bought the McKenzie ebook for little money. It has great photos and exercise explanations. It’s simple and doable, that makes it more realistic to keep it up. It also good tips on using the right chairs, pillows, bed, driving posture, etc.
Yup, I’ve gone to tuina and also have had acupuncture done. But I’ve never had chance to go for an extended period of time. It’s not that I don’t believe in it but they are often so 隨便 at TCM clinics that it’s hard for me really trust in that process. I get it though, they see so many patients day in and day out
The thing with adjustments and acupuncture is that there’s some follow up you have to do. Some doctors fail to mention this!
It does take time AND a good doctor. The guy I go to is in Nangang, if you’re interested, PM me.
Gf is doing acupuncture and is on a very strict diet. My adjustment guy also tells me I should keep away from anything with yeast in it, keep away from spicy stuff and some others. Luckily, it just means I can’t have half of what I normally eat.
Nonetheless, when Joey sees his notification, he can explain more. I’m just passing along some personal experience.
Thank you ranlee for mentioning me. Sorry for my late reply. I’ve been busy recently.
We’ve seen lots of patients with neck and upper back pain in TSGH TCM department. Acupuncture and/or herbal medicine would usually be helpful. A precise image diagnosis is
helpful too. However, most of patients end up doing rehabilitation to hang their neck, some gets better, some don’t.
We would evaluate the cause and the severity of the pain, whether there’s a nerve compression or not by doing Spurling’s test. Most of the patients’ pain originate from muscle. Electro-acupuncture can be helpful but the relief lasts for couple of days only, that’s why we think it’s also helpful to use herbal medicine to tonify the qi and blood of the painful site. Some of my patients come once or twice a week for a couple of months and they feel way relieved. However, the most important thing is to find the cause of pain and try to adjust it. We would also teach our patients to do some simple exercise, tao-yin to make themselves feel better.
Please forgive those doctors who can’t spend more time on patients. The national health insurance forces us to see lots of patients in a limited time in order to get paid more. It’s sometimes hard for doctors to balance between time and quality.
I hope you will get well soon!
BTW, I will leave Taiwan in early September for a period of time, maybe a couple of months or even longer. I’m going to take USMLE in U.S. Hopefully one day I can work in one of the integrative medical center in this list.
At first I blamed the doctors, but then I realized it’s really the national health insurance that’s the culprit. NHI is theoretically a great thing, but what it does in Taiwan is what we see - massive amounts of patients for doctors with too little time. This usually results in doctors focusing on treating symptoms vs root causes. And eventually the doctors seem to get jaded and just not give a shit unless they know you personally.
