Massage for neck and shoulder pain

Do you experience pain in your neck and shoulders? Perhaps you suffer with headaches, have trouble sleeping or find it difficult to look over your shoulder, or it could be that your neck just feels out of place? Whatever the problem massage can help to reduce your pain, encourage your muscles to relax and improve your range of movement.

‘Stiff neck and shoulders are the most common symptoms treated at Fulham Massage & Wellness’

Understanding neck and shoulder pain

The neck and shoulders form a complex anatomical structure: the top of the upper arm bone, shoulder blade, collarbone, and various muscles and ligaments all meet at the shoulder joint. This gives the shoulder greater mobility than any other joint in the body. The downside of this, however, is that it is more susceptible to injury. Similarly, the neck has a delicate, highly mobile structure and is also prone to tension, strain and injury, especially as it supports the heavy weight of the head.

What causes neck and shoulder pain?

There are many factors. Neck and shoulder pain can be caused by a traumatic incident, such as a whiplash injury. Pain can also occur gradually, caused by routine habits such as cradling a phone, carrying a heavy bag or sleeping without proper support.

The spread of pain

Once tension and pain have set in, additional symptoms may occur.  Typically, muscles close to an area of pain will tighten up as a protective response. This can result in ‘trigger points’ - highly irritable spots that can cause pain to extend to other areas of the body, such as headaches, tension in the jaw or tingling in the arms and hands.

Massage can help

The good news is that massage is highly effective in reducing pain and restoring mobility in your neck and shoulders.

Importantly, massage eases tension and muscle spasms. This means that as the muscles relax, circulation increases and brings oxygen to the tissues, helping to reduce discomfort and promote healing.

There are numerous massage techniques that are proven to help relieve neck and shoulder pain.  Some work to relax the muscles or release areas of tension and trigger points, while others focus on fascia - the tissue that covers and connects the muscles.

All techniques practised at Fulham Massage & Wellness are highly effective in relieving pain, promoting flexibility and helping to prevent future injury.

Understanding alignment

Pain and mobility problems in the neck and shoulders are often caused by poor posture and joint misalignment. Massage is a highly effective means of relieving the muscular imbalances and tension that can cause alignment problems. It also helps to restore mobility by stretching and lengthening shortened tissues. 

Massage can also complement and aid the effectiveness of other treatments, such as chiropractic. Combined with preventive maintenance and appropriate exercise, regular massage can significantly reduce pain and help return you to full mobility.

Like this post? Share it...