Can Massage Help Neck Pain?

Why Neck Pain Happens

It is inevitable, we have all sufferered neck pain at some point in our lives and likely will again in the future. While it may seem random at times, there are some very predictable causes, including:

• Poor posture (especially forward head posture from phone or computer use)

• Muscle strain from repetitive motions or awkward sleeping positions

• Joint restrictions which prevent full, pain free range of motion in your neck

• Whiplash or car accident injuries

• Arthritis or degenerative disc disease

• Stress and tension that cause chronic muscle tightening

• Overcompensation from shoulder, mid-back, or even hip imbalances

For many people, the pain becomes chronic because the underlying causes are never addressed—only the symptoms.

Conventional Treatments for Neck Pain

Typical medical approaches include:

• Over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers

• Muscle relaxants

• Physical therapy focused only on local muscles

• Cortisone injections

• Surgery (in severe structural cases)

Limitations: While these can help manage symptoms, their success rate varies. Many patients find that the relief is temporary, especially if the pain is caused by postural imbalances, scar tissue, or tightness in connected muscle groups that are never treated.

The Kinetic Chain: Why Neck Pain Often Starts Somewhere Else

Your body works as a kinetic chain—a system where joints, muscles, and connective tissues influence one another from head to toe. When one area is restricted or imbalanced, other parts of the chain compensate. This can mean:

• Tight hips or hamstrings pull your pelvis out of alignment, affecting spinal posture all the way up to the neck.

• Rounded shoulders from weak upper back muscles create forward head posture, straining neck muscles and compressing your spinal cord.

• Jaw tension or TMJ dysfunction can send pain upward into the head or downward into the neck and shoulders.

In short, neck pain may not be a “neck problem” at all. Treating only the neck often misses the true source.

How Medical Massage Helps Neck Pain

At True Health Centers, our medical massage therapy focuses on more than just relaxation—it’s targeted, therapeutic, and often integrated with chiropractic or physical therapy for the best results.

Why it’s different from a spa massage:

• The session is guided by clinical assessment, not just preference.

• We address both local pain points and contributing areas elsewhere in the kinetic chain.

• Your massage therapist works alongside chiropractors and physical therapists for coordinated care.

Benefits for Neck Pain:

• Releases chronic muscle tension and trigger points

• Improves circulation to damaged tissues

• Restores mobility and range of motion

• Alleviates postural strain through muscle balance

• Reduces stress, which can directly lower muscle guarding and pain

Why Combine Medical Massage with Other Therapies

Our bundled membership options allow you to combine massage therapy, chiropractic adjustments, and dry needling—all of which address different aspects of neck pain.

For example:

• Chiropractic restores spinal alignment.

• Medical massage releases soft tissue restrictions.

• Dry needling targets stubborn trigger points that massage alone may not resolve.

This whole-body approach leads to better and faster results than any single therapy alone.

Get Lasting Relief from Neck Pain in Westminster, CO

If you’ve tried other treatments and your neck pain keeps coming back, it may be time for something different. Medical massage at True Health Centers is designed to uncover the why behind your pain, not just mask it.

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