9 Types of Massage That Can Help You With Your Back and Neck Pain

2019-08-25

We all have the ability to overwork and all of us need to relax! This is where massage comes in! It’s a good solution and may relieve your back and neck pain and bring you peace of mind. People in the USA visit massage therapists 230 million times each year and 88% agree that massage can be effective in reducing pain, especially in the back. So let’s discuss some types of massages that you can use to alleviate neck and back pain.

Bright Side shares these concerns with you and brings you 9 types of massage you can use to relieve the tense muscles in your neck and back. There is also a bonus at the end of the article!

Self-massage techniques

1. To relax and get rid of pain in the shoulders and neck with pressure points

Is it effective? The practice and research say yes. It turns out that acupressure and reflexology work at reducing pain in 9 out of 10 studies. You can massage your trigger points that are connected to your back. There are many points on your body, so before doing this have a consultation with a specialist. There are some points that you can use to relax your neck, your back, or your entire body, including the back and neck.

1. Take your time and to it when you don't need to be in a rush.

2. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.

3. Relax. Breathe deeply and close your eyes.

4. Use firm, deep pressure in small rotating or up-and-down movements.

2. Relieve back pain with a tennis ball.

Back pain can be caused due to numerous reasons that generally include muscle overuse and poor posture. To alleviate the pain, you can try the tennis ball massage. To relax your back and relieve pain you only need a couple of tennis balls!

1. Lie on your back. Knees should be bent and feet on the ground.

2. Lift your hips and place 2 tennis balls under your back.

3. Lie still for 60 seconds.

You can play with moving the balls around to target different muscle areas and find different points of tension.

For example, you can move down and up. Be careful not to roll over or press your spine into the tennis ball.

3. Get rid of pain in your neck and back with a hot towel.

For this massage you only need a towel! Just warm your towel and while it is hot use it to relieve your back. To do this you need to:

1. Take a soft towel and twist it into a thick braid-like shape.

2. Place it behind your neck, holding one end in each hand.

3. Rub the band up and down your neck, applying moderate pressure.

4. You can repeat the treatment 2 or 3 more times.

4. Soothe upper back pain.

The muscles in your upper back work really hard and you can relieve tension in them by yourself sometimes. You need to:

1. Stand straight.

2. Push your left arm slightly downward to apply pressure to the disturbing spot.

3. Keep applying pressure until you feel the trigger point release. Spend at least 30 seconds on each spot.

4. Move through the muscles surrounding the scapula and apply pressure at other trigger points. But be careful not to apply too much pressure.

Getting a massage from a therapist

1. Shiatsu

Shiatsu is part of Japanese and Chinese medicine. It translates into “finger pressure.” This is a nice ancient technique! The therapist uses their fingers, thumbs, and the palm of their hand to put varying amounts of pressure on muscle groups to help heal and correct internal malfunctions. It uses acupressure points in the strained muscles to release blocked energy, or Qi.

2. Hot Stone Massage

As the name suggests, warm smooth stones are placed on key points on your body and their warmth helps to remove tension from the muscles and soften them. The heat from the stones makes it easy for the therapist to get access to deeper muscle layers and remove pain.

You can combine this type of massage with others and pamper yourself even more!

3. Ayurvedic Potli Massage

Originating from Indian Ayurvedic medicine, Potli massage therapy involves the use of ancient herbs to help relax and heal the tissues from deep within. It is performed using heated pouches of herbs (called “potli”) along with rejuvenating oil — rubbing it through and applying pressure with the potli on the strained muscle areas. Different herbs have varying benefits. It is so relaxing and definitely worth trying!

4. Thai “Yoga” Massage

Many of us may think that this was created in Thailand. But, it actually originated in India about 2,500 years ago and only then got adopted in Thailand. It is a form of dry massage with clothes on and involves the gradual stretching of the body along with a basic massage. The technique finds strained points in the body and helps to relax muscles with yoga-inspired positions to make them more mobile.

If you would like to stretch and knead your body, this is the perfect option.

5. Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage is normally used to treat musculoskeletal problems, like strains and sports injuries. While performing the deep tissue massage, the therapist focuses on the target muscle group to release chronic tension. Greater pressure is applied to get rid of the strain using palms, forearms, and even elbows.

Important: This should only be done under the guidance of an expert therapist.

Bonus: You might enjoy the very effective technique of Swedish Massage.

Swedish massage is for people who are new to massage and it helps to relax the entire body. During this massage, therapists use kneading, passive joint massage, long strokes, and deep circular movements. These techniques are meant to relax you, stimulate nerve endings, and increase blood flow and lymph drainage.

Important: Before the session, consult with your massage therapist to customize the massage to your specific needs.

What kind of massage do you prefer? Please write your choice in the comments below!

Illustrated by Yekaterina Rogozina for BrightSide.me