If your neck feels tense or painful, your neck muscles may be locked up in a spasm. A neck muscle spasm occurs when the cervical muscles are overstimulated. Essentially, they won't turn off.
A spasm can occur when a muscle is held in the same position for a long time. Or a muscle can be made to do repetitive movements. So, it is being trained to work extra hard at one activity.
The neck may be affected by the shoulder and upper back muscles, so it is best to treat all of the upper-body muscles if you want to take strain off the neck.
Natural treatment secrets based in osteopathy.
There are natural remedies that most doctors and health practitioners don't practice. But they can help you get instant relief, stop the muscle from its spasm, and prevent your neck from future spasms.
They originate in osteopathic medicine schools, and are also practiced by massage therapists, athletic trainers, and physical therapists. However, the training in these techniques is minimal, and the application is becoming a lost art. Who is practicing these simple, natural techniques in the wellness and medical professions? (Answer: Hardly anyone!)
* Positional Release- With the following positional release techniques, you will deactivate the muscle in spasm. It can be done with one of two ways:
Muscle Shortening- Identify the muscle which is in spasm. Then find its end points, where the muscle attaches to the bone. You will want to put the muscle on slack by bringing the two ends closer to each other. With your fingertips, press the muscle in toward itself from the ends. This signals the neuromuscular system to turn off the muscle.
This is a tricky skill with neck muscles because it is more difficult to find the ends of the muscles.
Repositioning- Another way to put the muscle on slack and send those deactivation signals is by gently moving other structures around the locked-up muscle. If you have a nasty 'crick in the neck', for example, one end of the affected muscle attaches to the shoulder blade. So, you can gently press the shoulder blade upward, toward the neck, to put it on slack.
Strain, Counter-Strain- This is the third technique that most health practitioners could be using to relieve spasms. When your neck is in spasm, you will apply a slight, gentle resistance force in the opposite direction of the spasm, and then stretch the muscle hn the direction that it was originally tight. It will stretch farther and loosen up.
If you practice these, you will eventually be able to use them very quickly to stop spasms. When you are proficient at them, you can also help others to relieve their pain and tension. Help yourself, and help others!