Got a Stiff Neck? 13 Ways a Neck Massager Can Help

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Last year, the Daily Mail reported that back and neck pain was at an all-time high in the UK. A whopping 2 in 5 people are affected by back or neck pain. And that was up 12% from previous years. 

If you’re among this large portion of the population suffering from a stiff neck, the good news is that a neck massager can help. But that’s not all. The benefits of neck massages are seemingly endless, and that’s why we’re covering 13 of them here today.

Want to know how a neck massage can help improve your neck pain and many other complaints? Keep reading for everything you need to know! 

What Causes Stiff Neck? 

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), people living in high-income countries like the UK don’t do enough physical activity. In fact, these high-income countries saw an increase in people living a sedentary lifestyle since 2001. 

36% of the population in the UK live a sedentary lifestyle. And that comes in as the fourth-highest rate of inactivity across the globe.

But you may be wondering: what does a sedentary lifestyle have to do with my stiff neck?

Inactivity leads to a bunch of different health conditions, including high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, and even cancer. Emerging research suggests that sedentary lifestyles may also be responsible for neck pain. 

The good news is that you don’t have to change your lifestyle just to find relief for your chronic neck pain. Instead, you just need a neck massager.

Why Use a Neck Massager for Stiff Neck?

We get it: sometimes scheduling an appointment at the local massage therapist just isn’t reasonable for your lifestyle. And the stress of getting out of your house to drive to your appointment? Forget about it!

Next time you’re feeling a stiff neck coming on, get a neck massager instead. Neck massages are one of the best and easiest ways to relieve a stiff neck. That’s because a neck massager allows you to knead the muscles in your neck while relieving pain and tension without ever needing to leave your home.

But that’s not the only reason neck massagers are good for stiff neck. Here are 13 more ways you can benefit from a neck massager. 

1. Neck Massages Alleviate Acute Pain

Acute pain is a pain in a specific region of the body that comes on suddenly and severely. For example, aches located only in your neck that arise suddenly one morning would be considered acute pain. And a neck massager can help reduce that pain by massaging knotted muscles.

2. Neck Massages Help You Relax

Looking for a way to physically and mentally unwind after a long day at work? A neck massage is what you need. 

Massages help you relax physically by kneading your muscles. This relieves tension (as you’ll see next) and helps the body relax.

Meanwhile, massages also improve hormone signalling in your brain. That means a massage can help increase positive hormones and other compounds that make your mind feel calm and relaxed, too. 

3. Neck Massages Improve Your Sensory Experiences

Do you experience feelings of numbness, tingling, or a detached-like pain in your neck? Then you may suffer from disturbed sensory experiences. It’s often a result of injury to the muscles or nerves, both of which a neck massage can help treat to improve the feeling in your neck and upper back.

4. Neck Massages Soothe Tight Muscles

You may have picked up on it by now: one of the main reasons you get that pain in your neck is because your muscles are all wound up. Sitting for too long with bad posture or letting a muscle injury go untreated may lead to tight muscles. Whatever’s the case, neck massages help reduce muscle tightness by improving the elasticity of your muscle tissue.

What does that mean? It simply suggests that the improved blood flow massages encourage increases in the temperature inside your muscles. Just like a car tire on a hot day, your muscles will loosen up and relax.

5. Neck Massages Decrease Tension

As we mentioned before, neck massages help you physically relax. One of the main mechanisms by which they do this is to lower tension in your muscles. When your muscles can’t relax, it can lead to muscle fatigue plus aches and pains near the tense muscle.

Massages address this tension by helping you relax. That way, the pain or ache you’re feeling due to fatigued muscles will go away– and stay away for good!

6. Neck Massages Increase Your Flexibility

Neck massagers reduce the risk of muscle injury by keeping your muscle temperature higher. For the same reason, regular massages can improve your muscle flexibility. So if you’ve been dying to rejoin your old gymnastics class, a neck massager can help you get back on track faster.

7. Neck Massages Reduce Stress

In the same way that neck massages help you mentally relax, they can help reduce stress, too. Research shows that massages can stimulate the release of hormones in your brain. These hormones include:

  • Dopamine
  • Serotonin
  • Cortisol

While the brain hormone dopamine is responsible for making you feel rewarded by things like food and social interactions, serotonin helps with sleep, mood, and even cravings for sex. Cortisol, on the other hand, is a hormone known for its role in making you feel stressed. And massages reduce cortisol in your brain. 

Massages elevate levels of all three of these hormones, meaning you’ll feel happier, more relaxed, and less stressed after a neck massage.

8. Neck Massages Help Treat Muscle Injuries

When you pull or injure a muscle in your neck or upper back, it can cause neck stiffness if left untreated. Massagers treat this issue at the source by using techniques that encourage the muscles to release. If you suffer from trigger points because of a muscle injury, a neck massager is a cheaper alternative to trigger point injections.

9. Neck Massages Relieve Lower Back Pain

Neck massages can actually relieve pain that isn’t located in the neck, too. Muscle groups in the lower back, hips, and even knees are attached to the muscles bands of your neck and shoulders. A problem in your neck may lead to pain in your lower back or pain in your hip may lead to a stiff neck. 

But a neck massage can help reduce pain in your neck and other parts of the body, too.    

10. Neck Massages Reduce Your Risk for Muscle Injury

Regular massages increase the temperature in your muscle tissues, leading to more relaxed muscles. And what does this mean for you? More relaxed muscles mean a lower risk of muscle injury during a workout or from day-to-day activities. 

11. Neck Massages Help Reduce Blood Pressure

In a 2013 study of the impact of massages on high blood pressure, researchers found that at-home neck massages can help reduce blood pressure. They considered massage a cheaper, safer, and more effective technique than hypertension medications.

This also means that neck massages help improve your cardiovascular health. After all, hypertension is one of the leading causes or poor cardiovascular health and disease. It also means neck massages can help reduce your risk of stroke and heart attack.  

12. Neck Massages Improve Your Posture

Think that poor posture leads to neck and back pain? According to studies, it’s actually the opposite: stiff muscles lead to bad posture while healthy muscles lead to improved posture. That’s why using a back and neck massager regularly is a good idea for people who want to sit up and take note.

13. Neck Massages Alleviate Pain All Over

A neck massage isn’t just for your neck and back pain. It can help alleviate other aches and pains, too. This includes pain located in:

  • The eyes
  • The scalp
  • The upper arms
  • The shoulders
  • The face

You have a ton of different muscles located in and around your neck. Yes, they’re responsible for helping you hold your head up. But they also contribute to the movement of the eyes as well as your facial expressions. 

And here’s the kicker: neck massagers can help with migraines, tension headaches, and even jaw pain conditions like TMJ. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a treatment that can do all 13 of these things on our list– plus so much more! That’s why we think you need to pick up a neck massager to help with that pain in your neck. 

Pick Up Your Neck Massager Today!

Are you looking for a neck massager to help you feel more comfortable? Browse our selection of upper body massage chairs, back and neck massagers, and more. That way, you’ll be on your way to a happier, healthier you!

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