Pain in the head, neck or lower back

Massage and the fallen column.

Among the most compelling reasons to seek out a massage therapist are discomforts arising from the spine: headaches, pain or tingling that travels down arm or leg, neck or back pain.

The causes of neck, back, or head pain can be extraordinary (congenital malformations, vascular head-aches, allergies), or traumatic (disc prolapse, whip lash), but the vast majority are muscular.

Asymmetric muscle tension in the shoulders, hips, limbs, and even in the feet, pull unevenly on the spine. Asymmetric vision or hearing impairments cause the head to turn slightly towards the fully functioning side, which compromises neck symmetry, causing pain. Excessive weight, or that carried disproportionately in the breast or abdomen, strains spinal muscles and ligaments. Finally, stress causes muscle tension, and thereby increases the risk of injuries and muscle spasm.

Spinal function depends on symmetry. Between the tip of the tail bone and the skull, adjacent vertebrae assemble into four coordinated curves. Asymmetric muscle tension pulls individual vertebral segments out of alignment, and disrupts the overall balance, and function. The spine attempts to restore balance by adjusting position elsewhere along its length. Balance may be restored, but not ideal symmetry, or function. Pain results.

Return to main Treatments page.