Neck Massage Tips

What causes neck pain?

The head is the heaviest part of the human body.



The entire weight of the head is directly borne by the neck and upper back muscles. Our daily activities can put stress on the tissues, tendons, ligaments, and muscles of the neck. Prolonged periods of sitting and working on a computer, long hours spent behind the driving wheel, bad posture, incorrect sleeping positions, and stress, all put a lot of pressure on the neck muscles. The muscles contract and tighten, resulting in pain.



This pain, if left unchecked, can slowly creep up the neck and become a full fledged headache.

What can I do to ease the neck pain?

Fortunately, neck pain is one of the easiest ailments to cure. All it needs is a good neck massage. To further enhance the therapeutic properties of neck massage it is also recommended that you apply heat to the affected area, and do gentle stretching exercises to strengthen and flex the neck muscles.

In addition to relieving pain and soreness, a neck massage also relieves stress. Stress induced headaches magically disappear after a good neck rub. A neck massage also stimulates the flow of blood to the neck muscles, providing them with nutrition and strength.

How do I give a neck massage?

A neck massage is a very simple process and you can very easily give yourself a neck massage. To enhance the beneficial effects of the massage, you could also use some massage oil.

A neck massage can be administered with the subject sitting down on a comfortable chair or lying face down on a massage table. If you want to give yourself a neck massage, sit down on a comfortable, low-low back chair. Grab the Trapezius muscle (the sloping muscle that runs from the neck to the shoulders) between the thumb and finger of the opposite hand. Gently massage the muscle, all the way from the shoulders to the neck. Do the same for the other side. This process should be repeated a couple of times. Then use the fingers of both hands to gently massage the neck from the base of the neck to the head. Repeat this process until you feel completely relaxed and pain free.

This same procedure can be used to give others a gentle neck massage. Make them sit or lie down on comfortable chair or table. If using oil, warm some massage oil between your hands. Then, starting from the Trapezius muscles, repeat the procedure described above. Be sure to concentrate on any painful knots that you encounter in the muscles.