How to Massage the Neck

People who sit at a desk or drive a car for a long time often suffer from neck and shoulder pain. Neck massage is a great way to relieve stress for these people. Massage can improve blood circulation, relieve headaches, improve mood and recharge people. ^{[1] X Research Source} A pleasant neck massage is a great gift for a friend, lover, or professional massage client.

Table of Contents

Massage while sitting

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Have your partner sit in a comfortable position. ^{[2] X Research Source} It is important to keep the back naturally straight. You also have to be able to reach their shoulders and upper back.

Use a stool so you can make contact with their back.
If using a recliner, make sure the back of the chair is low enough that you can make contact with the other person’s back.
If you don’t have a suitable stool or other chair, place a cushion and have the person sit cross-legged on the floor, while you kneel behind them.

Use your hands to make long, gentle strokes. ^{[3] X Research Sources} When it comes to massage, we usually think of Swedish massage. This method uses long, gentle strokes along the muscle fiber instead of pressing on the muscle like a deep tissue massage.

When you spot tight muscle points, you can apply a focused massage on that spot.
During the massage, fingers stroke the muscles with a firm but not too strong force.

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Warm up the body. If you do not warm up the muscles but go straight into the massage, it will cause the opponent to constrict when you touch them. Start the massage by using your fingers to relax your neck and shoulders. This step will help the person being massaged relax and gradually get used to the feeling of being massaged.

Place your ring, middle, and index fingers on the nape of your neck and begin to press gently but firmly.
If you feel uncomfortable, you can use whichever fingers are most convenient. You can just use your index and middle fingers.
Run your fingers to the sides of your neck, and down to your shoulders.
Make sure to apply moderate pressure and run your fingers all over the muscle.

Press your thumb into the tense muscle area. In the previous step, you may have felt areas of tension in your muscles. Those are the places where the muscles are sore, so focus on rubbing your thumb there.

Place your thumb on the tense area.
The remaining four fingers are placed in front of the opponent’s shoulder as a fulcrum for the thumb to put pressure on the muscle.
Use your thumb to apply pressure in a kneading motion, rubbing in a circular motion to release the pressure on the muscles.
Do this move through the muscles of the shoulders, but focus on the points of tension.

Run your fingers up and down the neck area. The muscles in the back and sides of the neck are also places where there is a lot of pressure. You can use one hand to warm the neck area to focus the massage on it.

Place the thumb on one side of the neck, the fingertips of the other fingers on the other side of the neck.
Begin to apply firm but gentle pressure to the same neck.
Run your hands up and down the length of your neck.
Move your finger horizontally across the neck. Run your fingers along the muscles on either side of the cervical spine, then extend your hand to relax the muscles on either side of the neck.

Squeeze along the muscle at the back of the neck. ^{[4] X Research Source} Use the thumb to apply moderate pressure like so far for both sides of the neck, but at the same time the other four fingers also participate in balancing the massaging force of the thumb. If you perform the movement at the same time with both hands, you will accidentally let your fingers wrap around the opponent’s throat, causing them pain and discomfort. Instead, do one hand at a time on one side.

Stand behind the opponent but move slightly to the right.
Place your left thumb on the right side of your neck.
The other four fingers wrap around the left side of the neck to balance the pressure of the thumb.
Just as you would a shoulder massage, use your thumbs to massage up and down the length of your neck in a circular motion.
Focus your attention on the points of muscle tension you experience.
After you have finished massaging the right side of the neck, move to the left side and use the right thumb to massage the left neck area as above.

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Run your hands up and down along your neck. It will be difficult to massage the neck area without affecting the opponent’s throat. To do this step, you need to move your hands in a downward direction from the upper neck down to the front shoulder. Start massaging from the left first.

Place your left hand on your left shoulder to stabilize it.
The right hand places the thumb on the back of the neck, the remaining fingers touch the side of the neck.
Press the hand grip in the downward direction.
At the end of the stroke, your thumb should be behind the shoulder and the rest of the fingers should be on the front shoulder.
Rub your fingers into the muscle tension you feel.

Massage the outside of the shoulder blades. Press your fingertips into the shoulder blades and press firmly. Move your hands in a circular motion to release pressure from your upper back muscles.

Use the back of your hand to massage between the shoulder blades. Because the spine is located in the middle of the back, it will be difficult to massage there, pressing pressure on the spine will cause pain. Instead, use the palm of your hand to create a spreading massage force.

Move to the side of the opponent.
Place one hand on the front shoulder to stabilize the pose.
Place the breast of your other hand between your shoulder blades.
Massage by pressing the palm of the hand gently from one shoulder blade to the other.

Massage underneath the collarbone. Even though massages usually focus on the shoulders, neck, and upper back, a little massage for the upper chest can help relieve neck pain.

Stand next to your opponent, placing one hand on their back to stabilize the pose.
Use your fingertips to massage in a circular motion just below the collarbone.
Make sure not to press on the bone, as doing so will cause pain.

Upper arm massage. Arms may not seem to be related to the pressure on the neck and shoulders, but they are. The muscles of the arms, shoulders, and neck all work together in an arm motion. So relieving pressure on the upper arm also helps reduce neck pain.

Place your hands on your shoulders, pressing lightly but firmly.
Keeping that pressure, massage gradually from the shoulder to the upper arm, then back to the shoulder. Repeat this massage several times.
Use your hands to rub up and down the upper arm, helping to relax the muscles.

Rotate massage movements without any pattern. If you focus too long on a muscle area with the same massage movement, the person being massaged will gradually get used to that feeling. Switch from one muscle group to another and vary their hand movements to make their experience more pleasurable. The less predictable the opponent’s movements, the more comfortable the massage feels.

The muscles in the shoulders, neck, back, and arms are all interconnected. By spreading your attention to other muscle areas instead of just focusing on the muscle that is sore, it will be easier for you to ease the pain.

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Use a combination of parts of the hand. Amateur masseurs often use only their thumbs when massaging. Although the thumb is effective when pressing the massage force, you can still cause pain to the opponent if you overuse the thumb. Instead, combine different parts of the hand when massaging. Only use your thumb to focus on the points of muscle tension.

Use the palm of your hand to gently massage into larger areas of skin and muscles.
Use your fingers to apply pressure evenly and firmly.
Use your knuckles to apply more force to the muscles.

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Do not massage on bones. Putting pressure on the bones – especially the spine – causes pain. You should only massage the muscles.

Continue the massage with a reasonable length. A massage does not need to be stretched too long to take effect. A quick 5-minute massage is enough to make a change. But if you massage for about half an hour to an hour, it will help the person being massaged feel cherished and cared for.

Neck massage while lying on your back

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Place the opponent in a supine position. This massage pose is also known as “Supine”. Ideally, lie on some elevated surface that allows you to stand or sit in a chair to give them a head massage. If they lie on the floor, you will have to bend over and be prone to back pain.

If you have long hair, tie it back so it doesn’t fall on their face.
If your partner’s hair is long, pull it to the side of the table or bed so you don’t accidentally grab it while massaging.
Ask the other party if he wants to take off his shirt and wear a shirt that shows his collarbones.
You should give the person a towel or blanket if he is afraid to show his chest.

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Choose massage oil or lotion. You can find massage oils at department stores, if not, you can buy them online.

Some household oils like coconut oil can be used as a very good massage oil.
Olive oil, almond, and sesame are also good choices, but they are quite thick and squashy. Use only a small amount when massaging with these oils.
Make sure your partner is not allergic to nuts before using almond or sesame oil.
Spread the oil or lotion evenly into your hands by rubbing your hands together with the oil. This step helps to warm up the product and help the person being massaged with them.

Gently start. Stand at the top of your opponent’s head, placing your palms on either side of your neck. Swipe long, gentle strokes in the style of Swedish massage, creating pressure from the neck all the way to the shoulders. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Place two thumbs below the neck, with the inside of the index finger touching and stroking along the length of the neck. Start at the ear and then run down to the junction of the neck and shoulders.
Spread the movement over the entire shoulder. You can use your middle, ring, and pinky fingers to massage the front of your shoulders.

Concentrate on massaging the neck area. ^{[6] X Research Source} Place four fingers of each hand “under” the neck. Start massaging gently but firmly, stroking your fingers from the nape of your neck to your shoulders.

Relax the muscles by gently lifting the neck of the person being massaged off the table with your fingers. Their heads will be slightly raised off the surface.
Repeat this movement with all fingers placed along the length of the neck.

Massage your neck and shoulders with your thumbs. With 4 fingers from the index finger to the little finger still placed under the neck, thumbs placed on either side of the neck, just below the ears. Gently run your thumbs up and down the sides of your neck. Run the long thumb down the shoulder, all the way to the junction between the shoulder and the arm.

Massage with your whole thumb, not just your fingertips. This way helps to diffuse the massage force, not just focus on pressing the muscle.
Stay away from the throat. The impact of massage on it will cause significant pain.

Chest massage. The muscles in the front of the chest work in sync with the muscles in the neck, so you should pay attention to them too.

Place your thumb on the back shoulder.
The remaining four fingers are placed on the front shoulder.
Perform a front and back shoulder massage and also the upper chest, just below the collarbone.
Make sure not to squeeze the collarbone or any bone, as this can cause pain.

Hand-roll massage under the neck. Place your index, middle, and ring fingers under the sides of your neck. Starting from below the ears, perform a rolling massage from the neck down to the shoulders.

Massage firmly, not forcefully. Your movement should nudge their shoulders off the surface a little, but not cause them to strain.

Justyna Kareta

Massage Therapist

Justyna Kareta is a massage therapist and owner of Lush Massage, a massage establishment in San Francisco, California. Justyna has over nine years of experience as a therapist, specializing in the Lomi Lomi Hawaiian Massage and CranioSacral Therapy to soothe the nervous system and heal emotional wounds. She trained in massage therapy at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, is certified by the California Society of Massage Therapists, and is a member of Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals.

Justyna Kareta
Massage Therapist

Place your right hand on top of your left hand, then place your hands under the nape of the person being massaged. Make sure your fingers reach the junction between the skull and the spine, hold the position for about 5 minutes. This pose helps to calm the nervous system and bring them into a state of calm, meditation.

Concentrate on massaging each side of the neck. Turn their heads to the side to reveal the side of their necks. One hand holds their head. Once they have finished massaging one side, gently turn their head to the other side and continue massaging the other side of the neck.

One hand holds the head, the other hand uses the fingertips to gently trace long lines from the earlobe to the chest.
Use your thumb to gently massage the side of your neck in a circular motion.

Deep tissue massage for the sides of the neck. Deep tissue massage can be painful, so you need to pay attention to the reaction of the person being massaged. However, the muscles behind the ear can be a sore spot, so you’ll need to massage with more force to release the pain. With this method, the head needs to be rotated to the side with one hand held underneath for stability.

With the other hand, gently squeeze and use one hand to massage the side of the neck, the position below the ear.
Press down a little deeper, making fists move slowly along the length of the neck. Massage extends to the junction between the neck and chest.
This massage method will cause pain if you move your fist too quickly, so massage at a more leisurely pace.
Carefully observe the expression of pain. Deep tissue massage in the long run will help relax the muscles, but during the massage can be uncomfortable.
Let the other person rest or take a deep breath if it hurts. Start over if they’re ready.

Use your fingertips to massage in a circular motion behind the ear. The muscles behind the ears, right where the head meets the neck, tend to be tight. Turn the opponent’s head back to the supine position so that you can massage this muscle area on both sides.

Place your fingertips on these muscles and apply firm (but painless) massage pressure.
Move your fingertips in a circular motion to release tension in this muscle.

Massage the muscles above the collarbone. You should feel a small depression just above the collarbone. Gently massage the muscles in that area with your fingertips, using both circular and massaging motions.

Advice

If you feel lumps or tenderness in your neck and shoulders, massage slowly with 1 or 2 fingers until the lump is no longer felt.

Warning

Don’t try to break your neck or back, this is something only professionals can do.
Be gentle when wrapping your hand around their neck. Don’t press on people’s necks.

Things you need

Chair
Bed or sheets
Massage oil or cream

Steps

Massage while sitting

Neck massage while lying on your back

Advice

Warning

Things you need

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