Cervicalgia is characterized by all those pains that affect the muscles of the neck and head, often radiating towards the upper part of the arms and back.
What is commonly called torticollis and which goes to burden the upper back and neck is nothing but the result of many concomitant factors.
The primary cause is connected to wrong positions of the spine and head, muscle tension and invasions from cold and humidity blows, but it can also be due to general inflammatory states concomitantly with an unbalanced lifestyle, characterized by an acidifying diet and lack of rest and excessive or low physical activity.
Cervical pains can also be a direct consequence of tensions that are discharged from the psyche on the body to find a manifestation and an outlet.
When and how to do cervical massage
The pains due to neck pain can have various degrees, going from the slight discomfort in the movements of rotation of the neck, up to the immobility with persistent pain, nausea and dizziness.
Cervical massage is very useful but must take into account the degree of pain experienced.
Just laying hands on the painful part, without using pressure, can give relief: the temperature of the hands is transmitted to the painful part in a natural and light way.
The main objective of cervical massage is to relax the muscles which, when they are tense and inflamed, are the cause of pain.
It is necessary to start from the most distal parts, and then proceed towards the points of greatest pain and contracture.
You can start by kneading and gently stretching your arms, going up along your shoulders and lingering on the trapezoids, acting with light and progressive maneuvers, kneading your muscles. To the touch it is easy to perceive where the musculature is particularly tense and contracted, detecting as small balls or overlapping fibers.
When the area has been heated, it is possible to go deeper by increasing the pressure, always respecting the pain thresholds of those who receive the massage. In this area, whose musculature is wide, the whole hand is used, in particular the palms.
A maneuver that gives a lot of relief and allows you to relax your shoulders and arms is to act with the bones of the forearm : you position yourself behind the shoulders of the seated person, staying upright, and bend yourself by pressing lightly with the bones of the forearm on the trapezoids, as if to lean on.
After loosening the shoulders, we move on to the neck and neck area, which is particularly delicate and painful. The massage consists of a slight kneading of the muscles, avoiding to press on the vertebrae. In this area the massage is done with the fingers, lightly pinching with thumb and index finger and middle finger. The points between the nape of the neck and the neck are then pressed at the base of the skull: these reflex points are treated in acupuncture and shiatsu to unblock the neck.
If the pain permits, proceed finally by turning the head sideways and forward, or by bending the head as if the ears were to touch the shoulders, first on one side and then on the other.
The massage can be performed while sitting or lying down on a common massage table or on the futon.
For massages in the cervical area, essential oils can be used to relax and warm; the most common is the essential oil of lavender, which can be rubbed on the hands and then on the shoulders, taking care to dilute it in a base oil to the extent of two drops in 30 ml.
Also the essential oil of rosemary and the essential oil of basil can be added and used to knead the area of the shoulders and the upper part of the back.
Symptoms of incorrect posture
Cervical: other tips against pain
Rest is the first natural remedy for this condition that can lead, in the most acute cases, to the impossibility of moving the neck, the head and the arms and which has the consequence, in addition to severe pain, immobility.
It is therefore necessary to maintain a correct position during rest, without the use of a pillow or using soft and flat cushions, made of natural material and able to support the neck without bending it; in fact, the back and neck should be in line with each other .
It is then necessary to inflam the area, releasing the muscular tension in the neck, head, shoulders and back : the stone pillows allow to bring dry heat that absorbs the penetration of cold and moist energy that often accompanies the neck, giving relief.
The best help, however, to solve problems due to neck pain is the massage to the cervical area .
