Relief for Back and Neck Pain with Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy is one of the best choices for finding relief from back and neck pain. Most back pain is actually a result of problems in the muscles somewhere in the body especially in the low back, hip and leg are. Whether it is pain from a herniated disc or so called pinched nerve, or just from muscle tension, massage therapy can help because most pain is a result of myofascial triggerpoints.

Triggerpoints are think lumps or stringy feeling areas in the muscle that cause pain in the area and cause pain to go to other areas (referred pain). When people have a lot of triggerpoints it is called myofascial pain syndrome or MPS. Myofascial pain syndrome is a real, physical condition that is also sensitive to mental states much like high blood pressure and heart disease, asthma, or irritable bowel syndrome according to Hans Selye who was one of the first doctors to ever talk about stress and also Dean Ornish MD who talks about how stress and heart disease are related.

Herniated discs are usually a result of the deeper postural muscles being tighter on one side of the body. The tightness puts pressure on the joints and compresses the joint spaces. The pressure can become so great that it causes the disc to protrude on the opposite side causing impingement on a nerve.

Tight muscles can also cause a misalignment of the spine which can also cause back or neck pain. The slightest change in posture can cause discomfort and overuse. Think of the tires on your car and how they wear out if they are misaligned. It is the same way with your body.

While the muscles that are tight can cause pain and discomfort, one of the biggest influences on the muscles is your thoughts and beliefs. This is a really hard concept to understand especially when you are in pain, but it is often the way we think that causes our muscles to react with tension.

Trauma of course is somewhat different in that the force from a trauma like a car accident or fall will be the cause of such things. There is also the idea that we create "EVERYTHING" that happens to us for a reason so why did you get into an accident or slip and fall.

The answers to these issues is not always straight forward or even easy to comprehend.

Massage can help alleviate back and neck pain enough for you to consider your thoughts and beliefs.

There is also much research to support the idea that massage is a significant factor in healing back and neck pain and can be found at www.thebodyworker.com website. Back and neck Pain Call to make your appointment for help with your back and neck pain or other stress/injury related issues.

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