If you have sore, stiff neck muscles, you probably have tried to stretch them. You might have received natural therapies like massage or acupuncture.

The missing secret in pain treatment.
Natural treatments, such as massage and acupuncture, are effective for offering immediate relief from neck pain symptoms. Conservative western healthcare, such as medications or surgery, provide emergency treatment of neck problems. But few therapies provide:

* immediate relief of symptoms
* assessment and treatment of the cause, and
* correction of the cause of pain symptoms.

Muscle pain is a sign of imbalance. If one muscle group is overworked, then an opposing group is underworked. Usually, one set of muscles is strong or tight, while the opposite is taut or weak.

Muscle activation is a natural treatment that can provide both immediate and long-term relief, with a corrective focus.

How does muscle activation work?
Muscle activation is rooted in ancient therapies that redirect energy. Reflexology and acupressure are two older examples.

Energy is drawn away from areas that are overstimulated, and energy is directed toward areas that are understimulated. Therefore, with muscle activation methods, energy is drawn to weak muscles to make them stronger.

More recently, Applied Kinesiology (AK) has progressed muscle activation techniques toward a modern scientific formula. AK was developed mainly by chiropractors, but its application is widespread. Fitness professionals and sports medicine practitioners greatly enhance their practices by adding AK to their toolbox.

Relieve your neck pain with muscle activation self-care.
When neck muscles are overworked or fatigued, other muscles are weak and understimulated. Use muscle activation to restore balance.

You will benefit the most if you first get guidance from a health practitioner with special training in muscle activation methods like AK. You will need to learn how to contract, or flex, individual muscles.

Relieve neck tension by activating these three muscles:

1) Lower trapezius- the lower part of this muscle draws your shoulders back and down, relieving stress put on the neck by upper traps;
2) Rhomboids- centered between the shoulder blades, activating your rhomboids will improve posture and prevent slouching; and
3) Triceps- An often-overlooked piece of the postural puzzle. Tight biceps pull the shoulders forward, straining the neck. Think of arm-muscle balance and work your triceps.

By learning muscle activation methods for these three muscles, you can:

*Relieve pain in the neck,
*Improve posture,
*Prevent slouching,
*Ease neck muscle spasms, and
*Reduce tension in the upper body.