You wake up with neck stiffness and probably wonder how in the world you could end up with a stiff neck over night. Oh well, why not blame it on the pillow or the wrong sleeping position.

Fact is that there are tons of reasons why you could have a pain in the neck. Being a Massage Therapist and Holistic Healer I come across many clients on a daily basis. Just about everyone will tell me to help them find relief with neck and shoulder stiffness. Experiencing a stiff neck could have a number of reasons but a lot of time it is due to emotional and/or physical stress. Another important aspect is poor posture, shoulders pointed forward. The muscular system has been thrown off balance. This is usually due to the pectoral muscles having been shortened and the upper back muscles stretched to its limits. Other reasons for experiencing neck and/or shoulder pain could be an accumulation of toxins due to bad lifestyle choices.

Before starting a body-balancing plan, you need to answer a few questions.

Am I drinking a good 3 liters of water a day? If your answer is no, you'd better get into the habit of supplying your body with plenty of water. Your muscles depend on fluid and so does your entire body.

What does my diet consist of? Am I eating lots of salads, vegetables and fruits or am I a junk food lover?

View your body in the mirror, front view and then side view. Are my shoulders tilted forward? Most likely they will be. Start a body-balancing muscle program. Stretch your pectoral muscles at least 60 seconds each side on a daily basis. At the same time challenge your upper back muscles to a strengthening exercise. Rowing is good. You have to do some exercise that forces you to squeeze the two shoulderblades together. This will increase circulation to painful trigger points and shorten the already elongated muscles, positioning the shoulder blades correctly. This will also pull back your shoulders again.

What about your stress level? What can I do to reduce it? Don't ignore this one. Stress can cause a lot of toxin build up in the body, especially in the neck and shoulders. We have so many choices when it comes to stress relief. Have you tried an advanced massage technique that focuses on stress relief?

How often do you stretch your muscles on the side of your neck? Put a dumbell in your left hand and pull your head to the right side. Hold this stretch for 60 seconds, then switch sides.

Don't live with a pain in the neck. Keep your neck healthy.

To learn more about holistic healing and massage therapy with regard to finding relief with certain ailments and conditions, please visit

www.advanced-massage-therapy.c om

Learn more about this author, Silvia Dekumbis.
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