Why Coaching and Massage is the Perfect Blend for Chronic Neck Ache

Chronic neck ache is one of the most common reasons clients book in for a massage with me. It’s often triggered by physical strain—poor posture, screen time, or sleeping awkwardly—but just as often, it’s what’s going on in the mind that’s feeding the tension.

As a Wellbeing Practitioner for Body and Mind, I regularly see clients tick “stress/anxiety” on their intake forms, even if they’ve come in for low back pain or a stiff neck. Massage, particularly remedial, deep tissue or sports, can do wonders to ease and resolve that discomfort. But if that pain keeps coming back… we need to look deeper.

The Mind and Body Connection is Real

So let’s talk about the link between stress and chronic pain.

Stress doesn’t just live in your head—it lives in your body too. Science backs this up. In his ground-breaking book The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explains how unresolved stress and trauma can quite literally embed themselves in our muscles and nervous systems. It’s no wonder you feel knotted up when life feels overwhelming.

That lingering neck ache? It may be your body whispering what your mind hasn’t yet voiced.

And that’s where coaching comes in.

Why Massage Alone May Not Be Enough

With my certified Life Coach hat on, many of the clients I see for coaching are navigating:

• A loss of direction or purpose in life

• Work/life balance that's slipped out of sync

• The leap (or the fear of it!) from corporate to self-employed life

• Difficult conversations or decisions they’re avoiding

• Sudden shifts in life like grief, redundancy or unexpected change

These are the exact things that can create internal stress — often the very kind that manifests as physical tension. So, while massage can soothe the muscles, coaching helps to untangle the mental knots causing the physical ones.

Coaching: The Key to Getting ‘Unstuck’

Here’s how we’d work together to help reduce stress and get you moving toward your goals:

1. Identify your stressors – Understand what’s really causing the tension.

2. Uncover your ‘why’ – Clarify what truly matters to you.

3. Bridge the gap – Reduce the stress gap between where you are and where you want to be.

4. Take a 360 view – Gain a holistic perspective of your life and wellbeing.

5. Map out your path – Discover the steps to achieve your goals.

6. Shift your mindset – Release negative limiting beliefs and build positive resilience.

7. Put practical habits in place – Improve time/stress management, create healthy boundaries and boost wellbeing.

8. Find your flow – Get clear, focused and confident in your direction, with accountability to keep you on track.

9. Thrive – Enjoy a harmonious blend of professional ambition, personal life and health.

   
   

You don’t have to live with constant tension —physically or mentally. The coaching process can be game-changing, restoring calm, direction and confidence into your life.

"Your problem is to bridge the gap which exists between where you are now and the goal you intend to reach" - Earl Nightingale

Ready to Start Untangling?

If you’re feeling stuck, tense, or like your mind and body are out of sync, I’d love to invite you to book a free 30-minute Breakthrough Coaching Session with me.

You can join me from anywhere in this relaxed yet focused online session where we’ll:

• Uncover what’s really bugging you

• Clarify what you actually want

• Begin mapping out how to make it happen

Book a Free Breakthrough Session

Let’s work together to get your life flowing in line with your body again.

Do get in touch if you have any questions for me, want to explore coaching and massage for your neck ache or simply book a sports / deep tissue massage here.

You can also subscribe to my Momentum for Life monthly newsletter here. It’s an exciting source of positive mindset, wellbeing and health tips and links to any blogs I’ve published (like this one) so that you don’t miss any.