Remedial Massage for Neck Pain
Neck pain is one of the most common complaints between my patients. Many of us are familiar with the inconvenience of waking up with a stiff neck or developing a tight neck later in the day, that lots of time can just end up giving us an uncomfortable headache. This may occur after some strenuous activity or even the complete opposite; lack of motion, due to prorogued hours of sitting in front of a monitor.
Why do we get neck pain and what can we do to feel better?
In most cases, a tight neck is the result of muscle tension, that can create pain and discomfort and decrease the range of motion of the neck itself.
Some very common causes of tight neck can be the result of:
Maintaining a bad posture while working on a computer or looking down at the phone for prolonged periods
Sleeping on your neck in an awkward position
Stress and anxiety
Repeatedly turning the head side to side during an activity, such as sports and therefore using repetitive movement
Falling or sudden impact that pushes the head to one side
Holding the neck in an abnormal position for a long period, such as keeping the phone between the neck and shoulder
Sometimes neck tightness is a reaction to an underlying disorder of the cervical spine like cervical herniated disc, cervical degenerative disc disease or osteoarthritis, but neck tension typically refers tension within the muscle and soft tissues around the cervical area.
A built-up tightness within the muscle can result in an increase of muscular tension and trigger points. The muscle, not only loosens in elasticity, but develops adhesion within the fibres. Those so-called “knots”, which reduce the contractility of the muscle, can also refer pain in other areas of the body.
Usually trigger points found in neck muscles can radiate pain to the head, face, shoulders and arms, contributing to feed the pain cycle.
Muscular tension and trigger points can be released through a Remedial Massage Treatment.
How can Remedial Massage help with your neck pain?
A remedial massage of the neck, is focused on the muscles around the neck and shoulder area. The aims of having a remedial massage, is purely to relieve muscle tension, increase range of motion, break-up any adhesion within the muscle and release trigger points, in order to reduce muscle spasms and pain.
Massage therapy has shown to have effects on many different levels.
Mechanical pressure applied to tissue such as muscle, tendons and ligaments, decreases tissue adhesion and reduces tightness, improving the elasticity of the muscle and therefore the range of motion of the joint. When tissue elasticity is poor, movement is restricted and tension increases, improving tissue elasticity, allowing muscle fibres to relax and movement to increase.
By encouraging and increasing the blood flow, massages can also increase muscle temperature and supply muscles with an increase in oxygen and nutrients. An increase in muscle temperature allows muscle fibres to relax and loosen, relieving muscle tightness and tension and bringing the body into a relaxation state, that allows the release of endorphins (good-feel hormones) and the decrease of stress-hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline.
Through specific muscular energy techniques, remedial massage therapy can also decrease pain and muscle spasms, by working directly on a neurophysiologic mechanism called reciprocal inhibition, which allows the therapist to increase the flexibility of the muscles and increase the range of motion.
How to Lower the Risk for a Tight Neck
Practice good posture. Getting into the habit of maintaining always a good posture can prevent tension and pain build up. Sitting on an ergonomic workstation, lifting up heavy items with your legs, rather than the back. Make sure you pay attention on the position of your body, maintaining the spine naturally and minimising stress on the neck. Don’t let your shoulders curl. Sleep on the side, with an ergonomic pillow. These are all some examples of maintaining a good posture.
Keep neck flexible and strong. In order to be able to hold a good posture, without the risk of building up tension or restriction of motion. Make time, during the day, for stretching and strengthening the neck muscles, as it is a good way for maintaining the mobility of the joint and making the muscles flexible and strong.
