Relieve Neck Pain with Massage
Neck pain is extremely common. An estimated 50% of adults report having neck pain each year. It’s one of the main reasons people make an appointment for a massage. Whether you wake up with a sudden crick in your neck or have been experiencing persistent discomfort, pain in your neck affects your daily living.
Neck pain often brings anxiety since the neck and spine areas can seem vulnerable. Chief Wellness Officer of Elements Massage®, Eric Stephenson, has practiced massage for over 20 years and has learned much on the subject of neck pain and how massage can help bring relief. In an article in Massage Magazine, he explains some reasons behind neck pain and four ways massage can help.
Massage Brings Relief
“Massage around the spine can be soothing as muscles around the cervical spine may alleviate tension within the neck.” Stephenson explains. You don’t just need an intense massage to help the pain, any amount of touch and relaxation massage can have a beneficial effect on your neck pain.
Stephenson goes on to explain that different areas of the body are connected to others. The lower back is actually connected to the feet is one example. Spine care is important because it not only affects the immediate area but can have an impact on the entire body.
Prevention is Key
Stephenson suggests that one of the most important effects of massage on neck pain is the power of prevention. Massage is not just for managing pain, but for reducing the need for it before an accident or trauma ever happens. “Research shows that the client’s emotional and physical health before experiencing a trauma like a car accident or sports injury has a lot to do with how much pain they will experience afterward.
Researcher, Karen Sherman, senior scientific investigator at Group Health Research Institute in Seattle found that the frequency and length of massage session also impacts the results of relieving neck pain. Sherman reports a 60-minute session one to three times a week significantly improved the outcome of relieving neck pain over a 30-minute massage. Her study, which tested the effects of a month of massage, is published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Find an Elements Massage Studio® near you to set up an appointment with a trained massage therapist who can help you with both alleviating neck pain as well as helping you prevent it in the future.
