Now, more than any other time in history, people are reporting suffering from neck and back pain. In a recent survey, the United States National Institute of Health Statistics reported estimating that between 15% and 20% of Americans are troubled by neck pain and the related discomfort (headaches, shoulder pain, back pain, etc.) can be a constant source of interruption to your life. If something as easy and simple as therapeutic massage could help improve your life, saving days lost due to pain, why not take advantage?
Many theorize our life style (or more correct, our work style) may be to blame for neck pain. Most of us sit in a chair for most of the day, hunched over a keyboard, only moving the neck now and again while tapping on a keyboard. Those who work in retail stand for most of the day, working at a counter top with a bent neck. There are oodles of jobs which encourage (if not require) neck strain. Emotional stress can cause us to clench our neck muscles, as our thoughts have corresponding muscle movements. It can also be caused by an accident, whiplash, or even sleeping in a cramped manner.
No matter if you suffer from short term neck pain, or chronic neck pain, you can benefit by gentle massage therapy. The American Academy of Pain Management recognizes and recommends neck massage therapy as an effective treatment for neck pain for the following reasons: 1) unlike pharmaceuticals, which can give you a fuzzy head while dulling the pain, massage is chemical free; 2) after a few hours of a pain medication, the effects wear off forcing the pain sufferer to take additional doses; 3) pharmaceuticals only mask the symptoms of pain and do not address the cause; and 4) neck pain massage trains the muscular/skeletal structure of the body which is a longer lasting form of neck pain management.
Therapeutic massage therapists are trained to target those specific groups of muscles that can help relieve pain (the scalenes, the sternocleidomastiod, the hyoids, longus colli, anterior longus capitis), working to release and lengthen muscles which are tight and shortened.
It helps to stretch the neck (and spine) which is very important; but more importantly in controlling pain is to stretch and extend the neck on a regular basis. The benefits of balanced lengthening is that the muscles are being trained and re-educated to create space rather than going unabated and allowing muscular tension along with gravity to create compressive forces in our joints. Compressive forces can wear away cartilage, create inflammation, causes bone spurs form, contribute to tendonitis and diminished muscular circulation.
There are so many benefits to massage therapy; it is worth investigating if you suffer from neck pain.
Many theorize our life style (or more correct, our work style) may be to blame for neck pain. Most of us sit in a chair for most of the day, hunched over a keyboard, only moving the neck now and again while tapping on a keyboard. Those who work in retail stand for most of the day, working at a counter top with a bent neck. There are oodles of jobs which encourage (if not require) neck strain. Emotional stress can cause us to clench our neck muscles, as our thoughts have corresponding muscle movements. It can also be caused by an accident, whiplash, or even sleeping in a cramped manner.
No matter if you suffer from short term neck pain, or chronic neck pain, you can benefit by gentle massage therapy. The American Academy of Pain Management recognizes and recommends neck massage therapy as an effective treatment for neck pain for the following reasons: 1) unlike pharmaceuticals, which can give you a fuzzy head while dulling the pain, massage is chemical free; 2) after a few hours of a pain medication, the effects wear off forcing the pain sufferer to take additional doses; 3) pharmaceuticals only mask the symptoms of pain and do not address the cause; and 4) neck pain massage trains the muscular/skeletal structure of the body which is a longer lasting form of neck pain management.
Therapeutic massage therapists are trained to target those specific groups of muscles that can help relieve pain (the scalenes, the sternocleidomastiod, the hyoids, longus colli, anterior longus capitis), working to release and lengthen muscles which are tight and shortened.
It helps to stretch the neck (and spine) which is very important; but more importantly in controlling pain is to stretch and extend the neck on a regular basis. The benefits of balanced lengthening is that the muscles are being trained and re-educated to create space rather than going unabated and allowing muscular tension along with gravity to create compressive forces in our joints. Compressive forces can wear away cartilage, create inflammation, causes bone spurs form, contribute to tendonitis and diminished muscular circulation.
There are so many benefits to massage therapy; it is worth investigating if you suffer from neck pain.
Article
by Dougles Chan, a Business coach and advisor. For private 1 to 1 coaching and
advisory in business, click his website.
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