A pinched nerve in the neck can cause pain, swelling, numbness and other symptoms. Massage can help with these problems by relieving tension and improving posture.
Massage is the rubbing or kneading of the body’s soft tissues, using hands, elbows, knees, forearms and feet. It may also include stretching.
Increased Circulation
The neck has 18 muscles and 25 ligaments that are prone to strain from the daily demands of carrying our heads around all day. Oftentimes this strain can lead to neck pain and stiffness. La clinica physical therapy can aid in alleviating this discomfort by loosening muscles and ligaments, promoting improved movement.
When your body experiences massage, the soft tissue is physically manipulated, and chemicals are released that stimulate blood flow. This is known as vasodilation. This increased circulation allows oxygen and nutrients to reach more areas of the body, resulting in improved health and wellbeing.
One type of massage technique that stimulates blood flow to the neck is effleurage. This involves applying gentle, gliding strokes with the palms of the hands and fingers to promote relaxation and increase blood flow.
Other techniques include petrissage, which consists of kneading and squeezing the muscles and deeper tissues. Research has found that this increases blood flow in a similar way to exercise, which makes sense since these movements are similar to those we would make during a workout.
Reduced Stress
Stress is often the root of neck pain, especially when it comes to work-related stress. This type of stress can lead to poor posture, muscle fatigue and a buildup of metabolic waste.
These wastes can cause swelling, muscle weakness and restrict movement, which in turn leads to increased stress as the patient becomes frustrated at not being able to return to exercise or sports.
A massage stimulates the lymphatic system to remove these wastes, decreasing inflammation and reducing stress. Regular massages can also help to prevent the formation of trigger points, which are a common source of neck tension.
Skilled therapists palpate the muscles in the neck carefully for areas that feel denser or more tender than surrounding tissue, which can indicate the presence of a trigger point.
Pressure applied to a trigger point causes localized pain, which is often felt as a “twitch” in the affected muscle. Massage therapy has been shown to reduce stress through the reduction of physiological variables such as blood pressure and heart rate.
Increased Flexibility
A massage can help loosen muscles and increase flexibility in the neck. This is especially helpful for those with a pinched nerve.
Massages stimulate lymphatic drainage, which allows your body to flush waste products including lactic acid and other toxins. These waste products build up in your muscles causing tightness and pain. Massage increases the temperature of the tissues and breaks down adhesions in your muscle which increase flexibility by realigning your muscle fibers.
The kneading and stroking movements of massage increase the friction between the skin and finger pads resulting in an increase in tissue temperature and circulation. This results in a release of the positive hormones that improve tissue elasticity and reduce pain.
The reduction in pain also decreases the negative hormone cortisol which helps to improve feelings of stress and anxiety. This provides a complete approach to improving your overall health.
Relieved Pain
A pinched nerve can cause neck pain and discomfort. Massage can relieve this by decreasing inflammation, allowing nutrients to move to the area and reducing pressure on nerves.
Using massage techniques like effleurage, which involves long sweeping strokes of the hands, or petrissage, a technique that incorporates kneading and squeezing soft tissue, a trained massage therapist can loosen up knots and tight muscles in the neck area. The therapist may also use the thumbs to gently pull muscle fibers in the neck to further release tension.
Whether it’s a pinched nerve or a chronic neck injury, massage can help to alleviate the associated pain and discomfort by promoting relaxation and stimulating the release of endorphins. The calming effects of massage also reduce stress levels, which can contribute to neck stiffness. Getting regular massages can prevent this from occurring in the first place by helping to keep your body’s posture and flexibility in check.