Presented By: Medical Massage

Most of us have suffered from a soft tissue injury at some time in our lives. Soft tissues are defined as the muscles, tendons, and ligaments throughout your body. An injury to one or more of those tissues can be caused by overuse, repetitive motion, as when demand over time exceeds the tissue’s ability to recover, or a single event, such as a collision or fall.

Soft tissue injuries can be some of the most painful and difficult to treat because we can’t see what is going on under the skin with the soft connective tissue, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. If someone is in a motor vehicle accident, for example, the body may be thrown forward, backward, and/or sideways. The resulting hyper extension or hyper flexion can cause micro tears of the neck tissues (as in whiplash), back, shoulder, or other areas. In response the body immediately switches into high gear, increasing circulation to the area to facilitate healing. Regardless of the mechanism of injury, the result is the same – swelling, instability, and PAIN. Acute or chronic pain in the neck, back, or other part of the body can make daily activities much more difficult, interfering with work, family, and social life. This article will focus on injury to the neck.

Neck Pain “What You Should Know”

The neck consists of 7 cervical vertebrae connected with ligaments and supported by muscles. Together these structures provide our heads with support to maintain proper position and movement. The neck flexor muscles are located in the front of your neck and are responsible to pull the chin forward and pull the head from side to side. Muscles in the back of your neck hold it back and are responsible for the up and down tilt of the head. For all these muscles to work effectively, they need to be the appropriate length and strength for their function.

That is easier said than done! The busy lifestyles of today are full of computers, cell phones, PDAs, and long commutes; these are all tasks that force us into head and neck positions that contribute to a distorted alignment of the neck. Specifically, the forward chin posture. The more we place the chin forward the greater the pressure on the cervical vertebrae resulting in overworked, strained neck muscles. How many of you feel you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? It is recognized that for every one (1) inch that the chin is forward we put ten (10) pounds of additional weight on the neck Consequently, this added stress can cause an individual to suffer from neck and shoulder pain, headaches, tingling in the arms and hands, decreased ability to turn the neck and can lead to low back problems. This stress can also make the neck more vulnerable to injury. The injury can be from a fall, lifting an object, working hours at the computer, or taking the impact from a motor vehicle accident.

Help is on the Way

If you are an individual that suffers from acute or chronic neck pain medical massage is a treatment modality for you. In Medical Massage, the therapist utilizes a variety of techniques to restore structural muscle balance. The goal is to lengthen shortened muscles, strengthen overstretched muscles, and realign the scar tissue. Although scar tissue is a normal part of the healing process, it can constrict muscles and impinge upon blood vessels and nerves at the injury site, a major cause of pain. Knowledgeable therapists are able to identify, isolate, and manipulate the affected neck muscles, and break up and realign scar tissue. Treatment results not only in the re-alignment of the proper balance of the cervical muscles but there will be a reduction in pain, increased circulation to the affected area, and improved flexibility and range of motion. The restored muscle balance minimizes strain at the injury site. To maintain healthy soft tissue following treatment, therapists educate patients in self-care techniques. This empowers them to speed their recovery and quickly minimize and control any pain from future injuries.

Conditions Medical Massage Can Treat

Some of the medical conditions that benefit from medical massage are as follows: neck pain, whiplash, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff or other shoulder injuries, headaches, numbness and tingling, repetitive motion injuries, carpal tunnel, thoracic outlet syndrome, and sciatica or low back pain. Currently in the state of Delaware, Medical Massage treatment is covered under automobile insurance and worker’s compensation. Medical Massage specialists are working diligently to get this treatment covered by all forms of medical insurance. Private pay is always available. Contact your health care provider today for a prescription referral.