Self-Massage for Neck Pain: A Beginner’s Guide

Learn to massage away that persistent pain!

Whether you have chronic pain, want to relax, or are suffering from an injury, everyone could use a massage. The ideal scenario is you ring me up and book an appointment, but for many reasons, that may not always be feasible.

Getting a friend or partner to massage you may seem like a good idea at first, but we all have that friend that says they are great at giving massages and then go digging into your spine like they are looking for treasure. If they can’t get to the right spot and don’t have an understanding of muscular anatomy then they could end up making you feel worse. The neck can be a complex area to massage because there are a number of muscles in a small area and many of them overlap. Getting to the muscle at the root of the pain requires some anatomical knowledge. The muscles commonly involved in neck pain are the levator scapula, trapezius, scalenes, sternocledomastoid (SCM) and suboccipitals.

Manual pressure to the attachment points of a muscle can be very effective in signalling a relaxation response in the body. The attachment points of a muscle, called tendons, have little receptors called Golgi tendon organs that get activated when a muscle has contracted too far and/or forcefully.

By manually pressing on these receptors it sends a similar signal to the brain that the muscle has contracted too much and now needs to relax.

To target the smaller and overlapping muscles around the neck, manual pressure using your thumb or first finger will be most effective. By pressing on their attachment points, you can create that relaxation response without needing to massage up and down the length of each muscle. In the neck, the most efficient spot to begin applying pressure is at the base of the mastoid process (see picture).

Step 1. Using your index finger, begin lightly pressing directly behind the ear and slowly move downwards until just before the point where you roll down off of your skull.

Step 2. Find a tender point in that area, you will find it just before you roll off at the edge of the skull bone.

Step 3. Apply firm pressure and hold until the tenderness begins to dissipate (usually 30 seconds to 1 minute).

• FYI if pain does not dissipate within a minute or you begin to feel a headache, stop pressure.

Step 4. Move slowly backwards, massaging along the bottom ridge of the skull. Stop and hold at each tender point you find.

Alternatively, lacrosse balls can be useful tools for deep tissue self-massage that can help relieve pain and soften tight muscles. Unlike tennis balls, they don't squish with pressure allowing an individual to get more pressure in an area of tension. (If you don't own a lacrosse ball, any ball that is of similar size and "firm-ness" will work)

The trapezius is a muscle that spans your upper back and connects your neck, shoulder blade and spine; it can be a large contributor to neck and upper back pain. It often suffers from overstretch and gets painful from overuse and stress.

Step 1. Stand with your back to a wall. Place the lacrosse ball in between your back and the wall. Ensure the ball is to one side of the spine and is located between your shoulder blades.

Step 2. Lean back into the ball and slowly roll around until you find a tender spot.

Step 3. Relax your weight into the wall until the pressure is a 6 out 10.

Step 4. Continue to roll up and down slowly, leaning into any tender spots you find.

Step 5. Repeat on the opposite side.

Both of the techniques above can be used anywhere else in the body; the lacrosse ball will be most effective on bigger muscle groups like the chest or thigh and self-massage with your fingers will work better for smaller muscles like in the forearm and hands.

Key points to remember when trying these out is to move slowly and STOP if you feel any pain that is higher than a 7 out of 10 or if the position doesn't feel right. Consult a doctor before trying these if you have any underlying health conditions.

Happy Massaging!