Massage Therapy For Neck Pain
Describing any situation as “a pain in the neck” is a sure way of letting people know how bad things are. For many people, that phrase can be taken literally. In fact, the U.S. National Institute of Health Statistics reports that 15% of Americans are troubled by neck pain.
Usually, the pain is caused by something simple, like hunching your shoulders over a keyboard or work surface. Posture can be another factor. Other causes include arthritis, whiplash, a pinched nerve, muscle strain or degenerative disease. Whether it’s chronic or lasts only a short time, neck pain can be relieved by massage.
How Massage Helps
Regular massage therapy helps keep your entire body free of pain, and that’s the goal of Massage Envy Spa’s professional therapists. When you’re suffering from neck pain, in particular, the massage will focus first on your shoulders and upper back.
“Massage of the neck itself may exacerbate symptoms at first, but gentle massage of the arms, chest, legs, and back proves to reduce pain in the neck,” says Elaine Calendar of the Boulder College of Massage Therapy. “Myofascial release and thorough massage of all the neck, face, jaw, head and throat muscles, promote full healing and restoration of function.”
Additional Benefits
Along with relieving neck pain, receiving massage on a regular basis helps keep all your joints limber, which reduces your chances of pulling a muscle. It also improves your posture and flexibility, increases range of motion, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, encourages relaxation, and relieves stress.
Neck and shoulder pain are common. Common factors causing neck and shoulder pain are whiplash injuries and overuse injuries; strained muscles become inflamed and tender. Muscle spasms are not only painful, but they also limit the range of motion. For neck and shoulder pain that is muscular in origin, massage is a safe and effective treatment.
Benefits
According to an article in August 2008, “The Journal of Pain,” the official journal of the American Pain Society, massage is capable of reducing muscle pain by 25% to 50%. A study from the Boulder School of Massage cited in the October 2002 “American Journal of Public Health” showed that massage can reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches due to chronic muscle tension in the neck. Authors of a report on the effectiveness of manual therapies reported in the journal, “Chiropractic & Osteopathy,” agree that massage benefits neck pain.
Considerations
The neck and shoulders are complicated anatomical structures. Massage therapists need a detailed knowledge of anatomy to avoid injuring sensitive structures such as nerves and arteries located in the neck and shoulders. Deep tissue massage in particular can cause damage if performed by inadequately trained or careless massage therapists. If you have severe pain, chronic pain that has never been examined by a physician, or have recently suffered an injury, schedule an exam by your physician before having a massage in order to rule out any condition that could be aggravated by massage.
Massage Therapy for Neck & Arm Pain
Neck and shoulder pain are common. Common factors causing neck and shoulder pain are whiplash injuries and overuse injuries; strained muscles become inflamed and tender. Muscle spasms are not only painful, but they also limit the range of motion. For neck and shoulder pain that is muscular in origin, massage is a safe and effective treatment.
Benefits
According to an article in August 2008, “The Journal of Pain,” the official journal of the American Pain Society, massage is capable of reducing muscle pain by 25% to 50%. A study from the Boulder School of Massage cited in the October 2002 “American Journal of Public Health” showed that massage can reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches due to chronic muscle tension in the neck. Authors of a report on the effectiveness of manual therapies reported in the journal, “Chiropractic & Osteopathy,” agree that massage benefits neck pain.
Considerations
The neck and shoulders are complicated anatomical structures. Massage therapists need a detailed knowledge of anatomy to avoid injuring sensitive structures such as nerves and arteries located in the neck and shoulders. Deep tissue massage in particular can cause damage if performed by inadequately trained or careless massage therapists. If you have severe pain, chronic pain that has never been examined by a physician, or have recently suffered an injury, schedule an exam by your physician before having a massage in order to rule out any condition that could be aggravated by massage.
Effects
Massage can reduce pain and increase the range of motion in the neck and shoulders by lengthening and softening muscles that have spasms. Releasing spasms in the muscles can release pressure on nerves in the neck and shoulders. Balancing muscles in the front, back, and sides of the neck can relieve uneven strains on the vertebrae, and the same is true for the shoulders. Balancing the muscles in the front and back of the shoulders, and the muscles over the shoulder joints and down into the arms relieve pressure on both nerves and strain on the joints from uneven muscles.
Massage Treatment for Lower Back Pain, How to Relieve Back Pain With Massage Therapy
Lifescript.com—June 24, 2012
That yearly massage may do more than just pamper. It also could help relieve chronic back pain. Read on as experts answer the most common questions about adding massage therapy to your back pain treatment plan…
One of the best treatments for lower back pain may be one you instinctively crave: a relaxing massage.
A trained, experienced massage therapist evaluates your back differently than a doctor or physical therapist does.
“A massage therapist’s significant experience with hands-on care [allows] her to perform a manual assessment of the soft tissues,” which can add to the information your doctor has gathered, says Paul Cooke, M.D., a physiatrist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
Find out how to incorporate massage into your back pain treatment with these expert tips.
1. How does massage treatment help relieve back pain?
Each time you strain or pull a muscle, small tears form in the muscle fibers, says Davis Reyes, a physical therapist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
When they heal, scar tissue forms in hard lines and doesn’t necessarily conform to the existing muscle. These can interfere with muscle function, and massage can remedy that, he says.
“Massage works on these soft-tissue injuries to actually work out that scar,” Reyes adds.
This helps the muscles work more efficiently and can improve the success of strengthening or stretching routines.
2. How should I choose a massage therapist?
First, ask for referrals from your doctor or physical therapist. Then check online resources, such as the American Massage Therapy Association.
Checking qualifications can be tricky because licensing requirements vary by state – and some, such as Minnesota, Oklahoma, Kansas, Idaho, and Wyoming, have no requirements. Most licensed massage therapists have at least one year of formal training, chiropractor Schneider says.
But more important is how therapists respond to patients, and the best way to assess that is to ask your friends and family for referrals, he adds.
If possible, find someone skilled in a variety of techniques who can tailor their approach to your needs.
“Many massage therapists today don’t stick to just one approach,” Reyes says. “They use a combination of approaches based on your situation.”
4. How often should I get a massage treatment?
If your injury is relatively new and confined to one area of the back, you may find that massage helps relieve back pain in 2-3 sessions, Reyes says.
But if your pain has lasted longer and is more widespread, it can take as many as four weeks to see a benefit.
If you don’t see results after several sessions, visit a doctor to determine if an underlying condition – such as a herniated disc or arthritis – is causing your pain.
Also, visit your doctor if you develop any nerve symptoms, such as pain radiating down your arm or leg, numbness, or tingling. That could indicate a more serious problem, such as a herniated disc impinging on a nerve.
6. How can I prolong the effects of massage treatment?
Most therapists tell you to drink lots of water after a massage – and doctors agree. “When your massage therapist releases a knot in the muscle, pockets of lactic acid are released,” causing discomfort, Reyes says. “Drinking water helps flush the lactic acid out of your muscles more efficiently.”
It’s important to stretch those muscles to keep them flexible. As you start to feel better, add some simple strengthening exercises to prevent re-injury.
Ask a doctor or physical therapist to recommend stretches and exercises best for your situation. Your massage therapist may suggest some stretches and exercises too.
Stretching is especially important for women in their 50s.
“As we get older, our chest, hamstrings, and hip flexors become very tight,” Reyes explains. “This can cause neck or low back pain. Keeping those muscles flexible can help prevent this.”
Massage for Hamstring Strains
Massage has many benefits but specifically for hamstring strains, it can help loosen scar tissue and tight muscles, stimulate blood flow, and therefore healing and aid in the stretching of the muscles.
Massage should not be done in the acute stage as this may increase bleeding and prolong the healing process.
Massage for Injury Prevention
Sports massage is excellent for helping to prevent hamstring strains. It keeps the muscle in good condition and a massage therapist may identify tight knots and lumps in the muscle which if left may be a weak point of future injury.
Massage for tight hamstrings
Tight hamstrings need stretching, but massage can also help stretch the muscles sideways or transversely which cannot be done by simple stretching. In addition, increasing blood flow and relaxing muscles will help them stretch more easily.
The following sports massage guide is intended for information purposes only. We recommend seeking professional advice before attempting any self-help treatment.
Before attempting massage your therapist will check for contraindications. This means that massage would be dangerous to perform if you have any contraindications.
What Are the Benefits of Calf Massage?
Your body’s two calf muscles–gastrocnemius and soleus–help you walk, run and jump. Because of their unique anatomy and because of the way they act on your knee and ankle joints, your calf muscles are extremely powerful and can perform an incredible amount of work. But what happens when you sustain a calf injury? According to New Zealand-based sports medicine physician Dr. Ruth Highet, “Calf muscle injuries are extremely disabling when they occur, as they often do, during a short sprint on the tennis court, or soccer field, at the athletics track or during a high-intensity aerobics class.” Massage is a constructive way to cope with your calf strain. It’s been used for many years to speed healing and prevent injuries, inactive people.
Improves Circulation
Calf massage, when performed on you by an experienced massage therapist, helps improve your systemic circulation, as it promotes the return of venous blood to the heart. The website High Blood PressureInfo.org says: “Massage to your muscles helps them push blood back to the heart through your veins, increasing the vital oxygen needed to keep the tissue in your legs from deteriorating.” Other circulation benefits of calf massage include enhanced blood flow to the calves themselves–which benefit from the delivery of nutrients and the flushing of harmful metabolic byproducts–and a lowering of blood pressure.
Reduces Scar Tissue
After a calf muscle injury, and especially if a tear occurs, it’s common for you to experience pain, swelling, and inflammation in the area where your injury occurred. If your injury is left untreated, your body puts down scar tissue in an attempt to heal your wound. Unfortunately, your body does this in a haphazard manner. Your scar tissue often adheres to your surrounding muscles and fascia, creating “myofascial” adhesions. This results in restricted muscle range of motion and impingement of your nerves and blood vessels, and it may manifest as pain or lower extremity dysfunction, says the website Myofascial-Release.com. Using various techniques, a skilled massage therapist can manually reduce your scar tissue adhesions to help decrease your pain and restore mobility to your restricted muscle or body segment.
How Massage Can Ease Sciatica Pain
Shooting pain, numbness, and/or tingling down one side of your lower back and into your leg or foot may be an indication you are suffering from irritation to the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is often caused by a problem in the lower back that compresses nerve roots and sends pain signals down the back of the leg.
The symptoms of sciatica may be constant, or you may find that sitting for long periods of time can cause excruciating searing pain, or that sleeping is nearly impossible.
Many different conditions in the spine can irritate the sciatic nerve. The most common causes of sciatica include:
- Lumbar Herniated Disc
- Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
- Isthmic Spondylolisthesis
- Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
- Piriformis Syndrome
- Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction (SI Joint Pain)
The good news is that there are many treatments you can try to help relieve sciatic nerve pain, including massage therapy.
Massage can help
A seasoned massage therapist may be able to provide welcome relief from leg pain caused by a problem in the back. The goal of massage therapy is to promote circulation and better healing, which reduces the severity of sciatica pain.
These muscles include:
- The quadrates lumborum, located in the lower back
- The piriformis, located in the gluteus region and upper leg
- The psoas, a long, thin muscle along the lumbar (or lower) spine
- The hamstring muscles, located in the thighs
- The quadratus femoris, located on the posterior side of the hip joint
- The glutes, a group of 4 muscles that make up the buttocks
Another important piece of advice is to maintain the benefits of massage therapy after your session is over. Some suggestions for follow-up care include:
- Following a thorough stretching routine that targets each of the muscles you worked out to keep them loose and relieve nerve compression
- See Hamstring Stretching Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief
- Staying hydrated after the massage session and throughout each day
- Making minor lifestyle changes, such as taking your wallet out of your back pocket when sitting, and avoiding sitting for too long
- Asking about proper ways to use ice and heat to relieve and prevent pain
- Trying an ice massage
- Using self-massage techniques, such as sitting on a tennis ball
*Disclaimer: This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider.
Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription of any kind. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader. These statements are not expressions of legal opinion relative to the scope of practice, medical diagnosis, or medical advice, nor do they represent an endorsement of any product, company, or specific massage therapy technique, modality, or approach. All trademarks, registered trademarks, brand names, registered brand names, logos, and company logos referenced in this post are the property of their owners.