Treatment of stiff neck and shoulders:

Botox is also used to treat dystonia of the neck, the myofascial syndrome (a painful disease of the muscles and fascia), and whiplash syndrome.  When explaining it this way, one might think I sound like an acupuncture specialist who claims that his needles are effective for every malady or condition.

However, we think that the acupuncturist's needles and Botox work the same way in terms of their ultimate effects.  In the case of needles, signals are sent from the peripheral nerves in order to control the gates of pain, but there is the shortcoming that the sustained duration is shorter than that provided by Botox. Moreover, Botox treatment uses extra-fine needles, which I believe are less painful than acupuncture treatment in general.

In any case Botox has been used for pain and stiffness of the neck and shoulders for many years now, and its effectiveness is proven.  It is necessary to have the problem diagnosed properly by a medial specialist (neurology or neurosurgery) first before receiving treatment by a medical specialist experienced in Botox treatment. If the first diagnosis is wrong, not only will the expected treatment effects not be obtained, but the treatment will be risky as well.