When you develop neck pain from working at a computer for long hours or straining your neck in another way, the pain makes it difficult to go about your usual activities. Your neck may feel tight and stiff too. This can reduce the range of motion of your neck and cause pain when your neck moves. Massage therapy treatments might be able to help. Here's how massage treatments can be beneficial for neck pain.
Massage Relaxes Tense Muscles
Tight muscles in your neck and shoulders might be the cause of your neck pain. Massage treatments relax these muscles so they no longer hold tension and strain. The massage therapist might treat your neck, shoulders, and back while you're stretched out on a table or sitting in a massage chair.
Several nerves run along your spinal cord and if one gets pinched by a disc, vertebra, or tissue inflammation, you could experience pain in a distant area. That's why massaging your shoulders and back could benefit your neck pain too.
Massage Therapy Relieves Muscle Knots
While gentle motions induce muscle relaxation, you might need deeper movements to loosen knots in your muscles. If you can pinpoint specific areas where you feel pain, the therapist might use a tool or their hands to apply pressure to the areas to loosen the knots so your neck muscles aren't so tight and are able to move freely.
Your neck might also have scar tissue that causes pain when you move, and your massage therapist might be able to break up the scar tissue with deep tissue treatments. Since knots are painful areas in your shoulders and neck, deep massage can cause discomfort, but it shouldn't be painful. Your therapist works with you so you get the maximum benefit without experiencing pain.
Massage Has Effects That Help With Healing
Beyond the relaxation effect you get from massage therapy, the treatments could help speed your healing. Massage treatments increase circulation and increased blood flow helps tissues heal. The treatments might help decrease inflammation, boost your mood, and decrease stress, which can all help with pain relief.
Your doctor or massage therapist might recommend longer massage sessions multiple times a week for the best results. A single session may not have lasting effects, and a quick chair massage may not have as many therapeutic benefits as a long table massage.
Massage therapy may improve the range of motion in your neck, decrease pain, and help with healing. Plus, a massage is usually an enjoyable experience, so it could be worth looking into massage treatments when you have problems with neck pain due to repetitive motion or after an injury.
To learn more about massage therapy, reach out to a local medical health professional.
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