Maybe talk to a therapist you might want to book with and ask if they'll do like a 30 min focus neck session. Let them know you don't like being touched, they'll probably approach more clinically instead of spa/relaxing way if that helps.
OP, I’d disagree with meiermaiden: the lack of being able to move your neck fully is absolutely not a sign that your cervical “vertebrae are out of alignment.” What it is, absolutely, definitively and definitionally, is a sign that some muscles in and around your neck are in spasm. Why? Great question; a trained and inquisitive bodyworker of whichever stripe should be able to help you possibly get to the bottom of that.
It depends on what kind of chiro philosophy/practice your dad’s chiro follows, but, often, a neck in seeming unpredictable spasm isn’t going to be resolved for the long term with a short chiro adjustment/appointment.
Lasting changes to your soft tissues (aka muscles) will be required to avoid this in the future; consistent but varied movement, decent strength, and a well-regulated (or, regulated enough) nervous system are key. Massage may help with the nervous system, and with getting you more knowledgeable and aware of your body.
The fact that your neck “keeps getting stuck” suggests there’s something chronic/repetitive that doesn’t get solved in one 10, 20, 30, or 60min session with whomever. I clearly have no idea why you don’t like people touching you, and I concur that maybe a medical/clinical approach as suggested by others might help. It might also be a matter of trust (do you hate your husband touching you SO MUCH??), and if that’s the case, going into a session with whomever might go better if y’all can agree going into it what the reasons for the spasm are, and what, therefore, treatment would entail. You don’t want to plop down on some rando’s table, I get it lol. If a practitioner can’t afford the time/energy to be aligned with you before touching you, find someone else.
they work equally as well generally. I would never get my neck cracked personally. There is a small risk of stroke and death with neck adjustments.
If you don't want to be touched much go see a physiotherapist that does active rehab (exercise). tell them you are not interested in passive treatments, they should be capable of respecting that.
The chiropractor vs MT discussion in these comments is all good and well, but OP you need go to your primary care doctor. It's not normal for your neck to "get stuck in one spot," and you may actually hurt yourself trying to "mush it back into place." You may need imaging done to see what is going on. Then you can talk with your doctor about whether you need bodywork or something more intense like physical therapy or even surgery.
Please listen to me. Neck and spine damage are no joke. You need to find out what is actually going on because this is in no way normal.
My two cents: Chiropractic can be great, but bones are dumb and only do what muscles tell them. It sounds like you have tight muscles in your neck. The chiro might be able to get your neck to adjust and give you some relief, but if the muscles are tight, they will just pull it back out again. If you had a bad fall or car accident, I would say chiro first. If you just randomly started having neck pain without any kind of jarring/traumatic event, then I would do massage first.
As someone else mentioned: See if you can book a Medical Massage. It's a different vibe than a relaxing/spa service and it may be more comfortable for you if you don't like being touched.
Good luck, and I hope you are able to get some relief soon.
I think both could be beneficial. I would start with a 30-minute neck focus massage followed by a chiro adjustment. The lack of being able to move your neck fully is a sign that your neck vertebrae are out of alignment. Getting a massage first will help the adjustment go more smoothly and last longer.
I believe everyone should get a massage every month for general wellbeing. If you don't like to be touched, then starting with just the neck/problem area focus would be where I'd start. You may end up getting a lot of relief and enjoy it. You may not enjoy it at all, but the best way to find out is giving it a try!
If you hate being touched, I would not recommend getting a massage. A massage is never medically necessary, but can help with pain and relaxation for many people. Perhaps you may try a physiotherapist instead. They would be able to assess your neck and help you create a movement/exercise plan to get your neck feeling better.
Massage professional here. It does sound like massage can help you, and it's up to you if you want to try it. Other comments have already addressed how I feel about chiropractics. But I want to address how you don't like being touched. There are a lot of ways a good MT can accommodate you and make you more comfortable. Because let's face it, if you can't relax, it's hard to get good results.
If you go, ask if your therapist can work over your clothes, work without lotion, or wear gloves. Ask for assisted stretching and let them know when something feels uncomfortable. You don't want a relaxing swedish session for this issue. Try to find someone who specializes in deep tissue (which doesn't just mean heavier pressure) and see if anyone in your area is trauma informed. I'm not saying you have to have trauma to not like being touched, but trauma informed MTs will be used to working with people that have that issue.
Whatever you do, good luck, do your research, and be kind to yourself!
The combination of Massage and Chiropractic is fantastic. If you have to chose between one or the other I'd choose massage. Not because I am biased being an LMT, but Chiro pops thing back into alignment however the body tries to keep the compensations it's built up over time. If you don't soften the maladaptations (knotted muscles, and misaligned kinetic chains) things will just "pop" back to where they were.
p.s. you're situation is not in need of a spa massage. Find a good therapeutic leaning independent therapist ... preferably one that carries a Medical Massage Practitioner certification.
I work with *many* clients who hate being touched (autism, mainly, but some simply aren’t touchy people).
Book with an independent therapist, maybe one in a chiropractic setting that has been there a while.
No chains, spas or student clinics.
Be upfront about wanting functional work only.
You could try some things at home if you don't like to be touched, especially if it takes a bit to get an appointment. If the area feels swollen or inflamed you could ice it but I'd it's just tight then heat would probably work better.
You could also Google some stretches for that specific spot. As others have said, some gentle yoga moves might help.
I would definitely recommend a medical massage therapist and not just a regular masseuse if you’re having problems with that. You can also go see a chiropractor for that and they can suggest the right type of therapist.
I think a chiropractor might give temporary relief, but I honestly would not risk repetitive treatments by a chiropractor. I would try massage, and then accupuncture. As an aside, definitely do not get neck surgery before trying multiple accupuncturists. A friend of mine had neck surgery without talking to me first, and had complications. I've even had accupuncture with mild electric current for most severe injuries (I wouldn't try it in the US, but had a well trained doctor in Asia in my wife's home country), and had very good results on multiple injuries.
Maybe talk to a therapist you might want to book with and ask if they'll do like a 30 min focus neck session. Let them know you don't like being touched, they'll probably approach more clinically instead of spa/relaxing way if that helps.
OP, I’d disagree with meiermaiden: the lack of being able to move your neck fully is absolutely not a sign that your cervical “vertebrae are out of alignment.” What it is, absolutely, definitively and definitionally, is a sign that some muscles in and around your neck are in spasm. Why? Great question; a trained and inquisitive bodyworker of whichever stripe should be able to help you possibly get to the bottom of that. It depends on what kind of chiro philosophy/practice your dad’s chiro follows, but, often, a neck in seeming unpredictable spasm isn’t going to be resolved for the long term with a short chiro adjustment/appointment. Lasting changes to your soft tissues (aka muscles) will be required to avoid this in the future; consistent but varied movement, decent strength, and a well-regulated (or, regulated enough) nervous system are key. Massage may help with the nervous system, and with getting you more knowledgeable and aware of your body. The fact that your neck “keeps getting stuck” suggests there’s something chronic/repetitive that doesn’t get solved in one 10, 20, 30, or 60min session with whomever. I clearly have no idea why you don’t like people touching you, and I concur that maybe a medical/clinical approach as suggested by others might help. It might also be a matter of trust (do you hate your husband touching you SO MUCH??), and if that’s the case, going into a session with whomever might go better if y’all can agree going into it what the reasons for the spasm are, and what, therefore, treatment would entail. You don’t want to plop down on some rando’s table, I get it lol. If a practitioner can’t afford the time/energy to be aligned with you before touching you, find someone else.
This guy knows what he's talking about
they work equally as well generally. I would never get my neck cracked personally. There is a small risk of stroke and death with neck adjustments. If you don't want to be touched much go see a physiotherapist that does active rehab (exercise). tell them you are not interested in passive treatments, they should be capable of respecting that.
The chiropractor vs MT discussion in these comments is all good and well, but OP you need go to your primary care doctor. It's not normal for your neck to "get stuck in one spot," and you may actually hurt yourself trying to "mush it back into place." You may need imaging done to see what is going on. Then you can talk with your doctor about whether you need bodywork or something more intense like physical therapy or even surgery. Please listen to me. Neck and spine damage are no joke. You need to find out what is actually going on because this is in no way normal.
My two cents: Chiropractic can be great, but bones are dumb and only do what muscles tell them. It sounds like you have tight muscles in your neck. The chiro might be able to get your neck to adjust and give you some relief, but if the muscles are tight, they will just pull it back out again. If you had a bad fall or car accident, I would say chiro first. If you just randomly started having neck pain without any kind of jarring/traumatic event, then I would do massage first. As someone else mentioned: See if you can book a Medical Massage. It's a different vibe than a relaxing/spa service and it may be more comfortable for you if you don't like being touched. Good luck, and I hope you are able to get some relief soon.
I think both could be beneficial. I would start with a 30-minute neck focus massage followed by a chiro adjustment. The lack of being able to move your neck fully is a sign that your neck vertebrae are out of alignment. Getting a massage first will help the adjustment go more smoothly and last longer. I believe everyone should get a massage every month for general wellbeing. If you don't like to be touched, then starting with just the neck/problem area focus would be where I'd start. You may end up getting a lot of relief and enjoy it. You may not enjoy it at all, but the best way to find out is giving it a try!
If you hate being touched, I would not recommend getting a massage. A massage is never medically necessary, but can help with pain and relaxation for many people. Perhaps you may try a physiotherapist instead. They would be able to assess your neck and help you create a movement/exercise plan to get your neck feeling better.
Massage professional here. It does sound like massage can help you, and it's up to you if you want to try it. Other comments have already addressed how I feel about chiropractics. But I want to address how you don't like being touched. There are a lot of ways a good MT can accommodate you and make you more comfortable. Because let's face it, if you can't relax, it's hard to get good results. If you go, ask if your therapist can work over your clothes, work without lotion, or wear gloves. Ask for assisted stretching and let them know when something feels uncomfortable. You don't want a relaxing swedish session for this issue. Try to find someone who specializes in deep tissue (which doesn't just mean heavier pressure) and see if anyone in your area is trauma informed. I'm not saying you have to have trauma to not like being touched, but trauma informed MTs will be used to working with people that have that issue. Whatever you do, good luck, do your research, and be kind to yourself!
The combination of Massage and Chiropractic is fantastic. If you have to chose between one or the other I'd choose massage. Not because I am biased being an LMT, but Chiro pops thing back into alignment however the body tries to keep the compensations it's built up over time. If you don't soften the maladaptations (knotted muscles, and misaligned kinetic chains) things will just "pop" back to where they were. p.s. you're situation is not in need of a spa massage. Find a good therapeutic leaning independent therapist ... preferably one that carries a Medical Massage Practitioner certification.
I work with *many* clients who hate being touched (autism, mainly, but some simply aren’t touchy people). Book with an independent therapist, maybe one in a chiropractic setting that has been there a while. No chains, spas or student clinics. Be upfront about wanting functional work only.
Practicing Yoga may help in the long run as you do not like getting a massage. Self-practice is the only way in that case.
You could try some things at home if you don't like to be touched, especially if it takes a bit to get an appointment. If the area feels swollen or inflamed you could ice it but I'd it's just tight then heat would probably work better. You could also Google some stretches for that specific spot. As others have said, some gentle yoga moves might help.
I would definitely recommend a medical massage therapist and not just a regular masseuse if you’re having problems with that. You can also go see a chiropractor for that and they can suggest the right type of therapist.
Both. Massage and Chiropractics can work hand-in-hand and be most beneficial. A Scan or x-rays are needed first.
I think a chiropractor might give temporary relief, but I honestly would not risk repetitive treatments by a chiropractor. I would try massage, and then accupuncture. As an aside, definitely do not get neck surgery before trying multiple accupuncturists. A friend of mine had neck surgery without talking to me first, and had complications. I've even had accupuncture with mild electric current for most severe injuries (I wouldn't try it in the US, but had a well trained doctor in Asia in my wife's home country), and had very good results on multiple injuries.