How To Massage A Sore Neck

By: Catherine Butler

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Would you like to learn how to massage a sore neck? It's important to know a few things first. What has caused the sore neck? What type of work is being done (office, computer, physical labor, executive)? Is the sore neck due to stress, a recent injury or old injury still causing tension? This knowledge will indicate the type of approach. To keep this simple, let's say you have a sore neck due to general tension from working at a computer all day. Try these simple techniques.

First, think of a skein of yarn that is all bunched up at one spot. You wouldn't start pulling at the tightest part of the tangle, right? You would gently and carefully work around it and loosen it up. It's the same with massaging a tight, sore neck. Take a few gentle breaths, slowly inhaling and exhaling.
Rotate your head clockwise and counter-clockwise very slowly. Then turn your head towards the right, left, up and down, slowly and each time pause at the center, face forward.
Using your thumb, placed across one side of the neck, massage from the base of the skull down to the shoulder. Use firm pressure and keep your arm relaxed. Do this several times.
Repeat the same thing on the other side of your neck.
Using your finger pads, knead in circular motions all over the neck. Work across from the jaw to the spine with each hand, back and forth, and up and down along the cervical spine. Massaging a sore neck with the knuckles feels really good, too.
Vary the amount of pressure and use different parts of the hand while massaging a sore neck. There are many techniques to massage a sore neck as well as the entire body, but you can only do so much on yourself or someone else without proper training.
How long you want to do this basic technique depends on your endurance. Start with ten minutes, then lengthen the time on the next session. Once you become proficient enough, your spouse, child or friend will love to have you practice on him.