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Why did I wake up with a stiff neck?

In our practice we often hear clients that describe tightness and pain in different areas of their bodies and are perplexed as to why and how this happened. Read on to learn about a few possibilities of why this happens and how you can not only fix it, but prevent it from happening again.

Regular stretching can help with stiffness!
One reason muscles act up is that they have been pushed beyond their limit of mobility. If your muscles have a limited range of motion due to stiffness and tightness, and for some reason are pushed passed their limit due to a stumble, fall or trying a new activity, that muscle is going to become sore at best and at worst tear.  There are significant tears that can happen in the muscle that are immediate, painful and require medical attention.  There are also micro-tears that happen over time and aren't as noticeable at first. These are the injuries that don't show up until you wake up one morning and are in a lot of discomfort. Often you will find yourself thinking that this pain came out of nowhere, when in fact it has been building up over time and then finally snapped, so to speak. These micro-tears require scare tissue to heal. Often our wonderfully efficient bodies are over zealous in this endeavor and your muscle becomes overwhelmed with too much scare tissue. This reduces your range of motion and can cause pain and discomfort. If the extra tissue is crowding out a nerve, the pain can be unbearable. Massage and stretching can greatly help reduce the amount of scare tissue and free up the muscle for better mobility and less discomfort. 

Our lifestyles are the culprit for many aches and pains. One way muscles become limited in their range of motion is the lack of stretching and lengthening on a daily basis. Muscle will shorten and become stiff when they are in the same position for long periods of time. Many people are working on computers all day, staring at mobile devices, commuting long distances and in other positions that over time shorten and reduce flexibility in muscle tissue, which increases the chances of tears.
 Does any of this sound like you?

The beautiful thing about being proactive with stretching is that you can reduce the chances of having these tears in the first place. Skip the scar tissue, pain and tightness. Get regularly stretched and massaged and your muscles will be better able to move with your motion, instead of straining or tearing. At Massage Extraordinaire we are all qualified, experienced therapists with extensive skills in stretching our clients. Many of us are also personal trainers, fitness instructors and have worked with athletes both professional and amateur for many years, which makes us particularly skilled in the stretching techniques that are best to keep you flexible and out of pain.

We can either include stretching with your regularly scheduled massage or you can schedule a 30 minute session if you prefer only stretching. Which ever you choose will benefit you greatly. Be sure to communicate with your therapist that you would like stretching and what areas are especially tight. You will leave feeling wonderful and with some bonus moves that can be done at home to keep you flexible.

We have both indoor & outdoor massage available
Showers, steam room, sauna & Jacuzzi available*
Massage Extraordinaire
4848 Tecolote Road
San Diego, CA. 92110
 Appointments (619) 295-3516

*There is a steam room in the men's locker room and
 a sauna in the women's locker room.

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