Injuries hurt. Whether we are injured at work, at home, or at play, injures can range from our head to our toes, from minor to severe, and from acute to chronic. Injuries cause not only pain in our bodies, but also discomfort, sleeplessness, and other symptoms that can affect our day-to-day lives. And injuries do not strictly affect our bodies. They can cost us a fortune in medical bills, result in lost productivity and pay at work, and negatively affect our outlook on life.

But there is good news. Rehabilitation serves as the tool that allows us to start on the road to recovery. Today's technology makes rehabilitation more effective than ever. However, as the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. For at least five thousands years, therapeutic massage has been used as a method for nurturing relaxation and healing in human minds and bodies. Today, massages, such as hot stone massages, can be used to treat a variety of injuries, including those to our necks and backs:

Neck Injuries

Whiplash: This is a common neck injury that results in rear-end automobile collisions. As the term suggests, the head and neck are powerfully whipped forward, and then backwards. The soft tissues in the neck (i.e. muscles, tendons, ligaments) could become damaged, due to the whiplash motion. In addition, whiplash can affect other parts of the body, including the spine, discs, and nerve roots.

Neck sprain: In this case, a ligament in the neck has been injured. Ligaments (sturdy groups of tissue) connect the seven bones in your neck. Neck ligaments can be overly stretched or even torn when the neck is moved into extreme poses.

Neck strain: In this case, injury has occurred to the muscle or tendon in the neck. Like the ligaments in neck sprains, the muscles and tendons can be stretched out too much or even torn.

Back injuries

Back strain

Lifting overly heavy objects or sudden movements can result in lower back strains or even tears. However, oftentimes back pain does not occur overnight. Instead, over time, the back muscles tighten up due to factors such as overuse or poor posture. When the muscles experience spasms their blood supply decreases, which results in weaknesses. Symptoms of back strains include quick, piercing pains in the back; bruising or inflammation where the strain happened; and difficulty in straightening, or moving sideways or forwards.

Spinal cord injury

An academic study involving various researchers at the University of Miami School of Medicine, revealed that massage indeed benefits people with spinal-cord injuries. The researchers divided the participants into two groups: an “exercise group” and a “massage-therapy group.” The massage-therapy group underwent two massages per week, for a total of five weeks. Each of the sessions lasted for 40 minutes. After the study was completed, the massage-therapy group had more muscle strength and a larger range of motion, than the exercise group had.

However, not only were the bodies of the massage group improved, but also their minds. The researchers discovered that the massage-therapy group had lower levels of anxiety and depression, as a result of the massage therapy. In other words, the massage could have positively affected the symptoms resulting from spinal cord injuries.

Massages function as one of the most efficient therapies in relieving sufferers of stiffness in muscles, and creating balance in the body's complex system of bones and muscles. A therapeutic massage, such as massages with hot stones, can provide a variety of benefits for someone who has sustained injury related to muscles, tendons, and ligaments:

• Better blood circulation

• Avoidance of scar tissue formation

• Relaxed muscles

• Improved range of motion

• Less stress and tension