Fig. 1

a A scene photograph of treatment with low-frequency electric stimulation with silver spike point (SSP) and pain topra, combined with far-infrared irradiation (FIR). b A representative example of SSP (blue circle) and pain topra (red circle) stimulation sites (ten and two, respectively). As most patients report headache and pain or stiffness in the neck and shoulder, both stimulations are performed at the semispinalis capitis muscle with the greater occipital nerve (CP sites in Additional file 2: Figure S1) and the trapezius and splenius capitis muscles (C and P sites, respectively, in Additional file 2: Figure S1)