Massage Techniques for Hardened Shoulders & Stiff Neck

As we get older, our muscles become less flexible, and the stresses of adult life add to the tension our muscles carry on an everyday basis. Workers who spend a lot of time in front of computers often deal with tight muscles that extend from the base of the head, down through the neck and into the shoulders. Here are a few massage techniques for those struggling to deal with hardened shoulders and a stiff neck.

Instructions

    • 1

      Gently knead the muscles, using all of your fingers, where the base of the neck connects to the shoulders. Start gently and gradually increase the pressure.

    • 2

      Go up along the sides of the neck, applying even pressure with your fingers. Gently push the muscles of the neck up towards the base of the head.

    • 3

      Apply even pressure using two fingers while making a swirling, circling motion when you reach the base of the head. Do this all along the base of the head just where it connects with the neck.

    • 4

      Using two fingers, press and pull down from the base of the head, down the sides of the neck, all the way to the end of your shoulders. Do this sweeping motion several times.

    • 5

      Knead the larger muscles of your shoulders. Start from the upper arms and go up to your shoulders, and keep kneading as you head inward toward your neck. Repeat this until you feel the muscles underneath start to soften and become more pliable.