Neck massage - What things are there?

[Noomz]

I have a lot of neck and upper shoulder pain and strain that simply warming up doesnt' seem to do much about, so I'm curious in finding out what kind if gadgets or aid there might be that you can buy to help loosen up a stiff, aching neck?

I have one of those rice pillows you heat in the microwave, but what I need is something more akin to massage. Sadly, I have no person near me to do it for me.

Don't worry about recommending brands, I'll see if I can find it or an equivalent to it.

[Auxis]

Hot bath perhaps?

[Jakexe]

Asian Women at the local "massage centre" do a good job in my experience.

[mkultra55]

Get a weekly massage from a licensed Massage Therapist it will be the best investment you can make. Any contraption from places in the mall can't break down those deep knots.

Muscle tension usually comes from a deeper injury like a bulging disc or other nerve related irritations and a good, trained therapist can help steer you in the right direction as to exercise and care.

[Northern Goblin]

I've had neck and shoulder issues for years from excessive desk work, mkultra's right though a licensed therapist will be the best place to go to. Talk with them, explain your difficulties and they'll know where to go from there.

[Deleted]

Foam rollers are incredible, and most likely will help with most of the pain. They're not even that expensive if you just go for a basic one, and Youtube is full of videos that show you how to use it on your shoulders and neck.

[Terridon]

Not really something i have trouble with. Could take a look at massage chairs. Some of them have neck massage too.

[Deleted]

The 3 things that I use.



Icebags are incredible (don´t use heat, it makes things expand in your neck and shoulders. Ice makes them contract allowing for much richer bloodflow. After I switched to Ice I have never looked at heat again and never will)

Biofreeze - http://www.biofreeze.com/

foam roller, more specifically a rumble roller

[Deleted]

Bantokar, do you also have a foamroller without the spikes? If so, which one would you advise more? I plan on buying one, but I don't know whether I should get the one that looks like a torture-device lol.

[Deleted]

Bantokar, do you also have a foamroller without the spikes? If so, which one would you advise more? I plan on buying one, but I don't know whether I should get the one that looks like a torture-device lol.

Definently the rumble roller (with spikes, the blue one, NOT the black one). yes it´s hard at first but you quickly get used to it. A foam roller is pretty worthless at getting the pressure points. Just youtube vids. The trick is to roll very slowly and when you feel a pressure point, you stop and put max pressure on it for 1-2 mins... Rolling the lats on this however is pure torture, although it is getting better he he.

Edit - The spikes are made to be like a thumb, so you can even roll directly on your spine, although it takes some getting used to.

[Foosha]

Icebags are incredible (don´t use heat, it makes things expand in your neck and shoulders. Ice makes them contract allowing for much richer bloodflow. After I switched to Ice I have never looked at heat again and never will)

You could not be more wrong. Richer bloodflow? What is that, what does that mean? More oxygen? Nutrients? Because I.C.E. for an injury means heat that fucker up and work it out immediately right? (hint: Ice, Compress, Elevate)

Ice=reduction of swelling and inflammation
Heat=looser muscles, more bloodflow

When you are done working out, ice your problem areas, take a few NSAID's if you need to as well.

If it's something chronic, the ice wont help. It will dull the pain and relieve the inflammation only for a while. Good for immediate injuries, jack shit for chronic stuff. Heating is still your best bet here to promote better bloodflow. Other than that, try and gradually therapy it back to health. isolate the problem areas...maybe go see a doctor (if it's been chronic and over a month)

[Deleted]

Ice=reduction of swelling and inflammation
Heat=looser muscles, more bloodflow (wrong)

Sure if you don´t have pains. Ice will work better than heat in most situations and YES allow for more bloodflow. There is a reason more and more Kiropraktors are switching to ice, as well as the national back centre here

[Projali]

Ice=reduction of swelling and inflammation
Heat=looser muscles, more bloodflow (wrong)

Sure if you don´t have pains. Ice will work better than heat in most situations and YES allow for more bloodflow. There is a reason more and more Kiropraktors are switching to ice, as well as the national back centre here

Chiropractors switching to ice? For what? Also, what evidence would they have to support ice increases blood flow when every physiology text book would state otherwise?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7943521

Heat increases blood flow while cooling decreases blood flow. It's common physiological knowledge. I don't know why it would be a point of contention.

[Mongo42]

The inversion tables that let you hang upside down help a good bit with back pain by relieving compression on the spine. I don't have one myself, so I use an old pair of crutches we have to hold my body in the air, upper back against a wall, and let that knot between my shoulder blades stretch out a bit. You can VERY gently push up under your jaw for a few seconds at a time to help decompress your neck. This should relieve any pinched nerves and allow the spinal fluids to flow correctly. Don't push hard, and don't sit there for hours trying to rip your own head off.

[Deleted]

Press your fingers and palm at the places where there are pain.

Gaining muscle strength helps avoid excessive strain anywhere and balances the load on your body.

If you have deeper problems causing this neck pain, then it might be wise to seek some professional help, of course.

(Self-)massage and an increased muscle strength (which straightens one's body up, the key here are the basic exercises without machines) tend to get rid of most such problems, though, I'd say. The pain pretty much occures from a lack of balance and a bad body posture most of the time.

The magic and wonder of massage is really just to, literally, massage the areas that are painful. Massage shouldn't feel straining but instead more like relieving. You activate the tissue and help it repair itself.

[Nikkosan327]

Speaking as a licensed massage therapist...

Where are you located? There are therapists EVERYWHERE. Go find one. Every therapist is different, so you may have to hop from LMT to LMT to find the right one for you.

Regarding heat and ice...

Both cold and heat can increase AND decrease circulation. The differences lie in the time length of treatment.

Cold
- Short (Less than one minute) - increase in circulation; The body reacts to cold (locally) by an initial shrinking of the blood vessels in an effort to send the blood supply to the core of the body. The body then dilates the vessels in an attempt to warm up the tissues threatened by the cold.
- Long (More than one minute, 20 minutes MAX) - decrease in circulation; As the cold stimulus continues, the body recognizes the need to protect the core and, once again, shrinks the blood vessels. This is a very quick process that takes place in under a minute.

Heat
- Short (Less than 5 minutes) - increase in circulation; The local reaction is vasodilation (opening of blood vessels).
- Long (More than 5 minutes, up to 30 minutes) - decrease in circulation; Venous Stasis - the blood vessels remain opened, but circulation slows down dramatically. Compare the heat effect to opening of flood gates: the water surges through at first, but eventually slows to a calm flow.

Given that you're posting on MMOChamp, you probably sit at your desk way too much and forget about your posture. Take a break every once in a while, check your posture constantly, start stretching 6-8 times a day (not kidding, do it), and look into a weight lifting program. Too many of my clients that sit at a desk all day have next to no muscle mass, and THAT is why they are in pain.

[Aldred]

Do you really have no one nearby to do it for you? I mean even if it was a couple of hours drive to see an osteopath once - I'd highly recommend it. Depending on what's wrong, they could make a massive difference for you in one session. It could well be you have muscles that have tensed up due to bad posture, sitting at a desk all day, etc. They won't be cured just with some hot and cold therapy, although that will help make them feel better. But releasing all those trigger points will definitely be beneficial.

If you can't get to see anyone, then use something to treat yourself. A foam roller is good for general work on your back. Or to get a more specific area a ball like a tennis ball or - better yet - a lacross ball works very well. In essence, you roll over the foam roller or ball until you find a spot where it's particularly sore, and either hold it there or keep working over that point. It can be very painful the first few times - but that just means you're doing something right.

There's a ridiculous amount of information on what you can do here:

http://www.mobilitywod.com

That guy (Kelly Starrett) has made hundreds of videos. If you can take the time to find the ones you need and work out what you think is wrong, those will make a massive difference for you. He's also got a book called Becoming a Supple Leopard. Silly title, but great book!

Edit: Looks like they made that site partly subscription-based since I was last there. Well, there are lots of free videos on the youtube channel instead:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnn...ZHhQ4uLTAX8eYA

[stevecarve]

Perhaps massage will help you. It has been proven that massage is the best for pain relief. You should try it once.