Why Does My Neck Hurt? 7 Common Causes of Neck Tension and What To Do About It
If you’ve been repeatedly stretching or massaging your neck trying to relieve tension and headaches there are many reasons you aren’t finding lasting neck pain relief. Our medical system has trained us that if something hurts “here” then that is exclusively where the problem must exist. More often than not I find the cause of neck pain, or any pain, is likely created by tension in other areas. And about half the time the painful area is looser than the side that isn’t hurting. So, if you continue to only massage your neck where it hurts this is likely why you’re not finding neck pain relief.
Your Sleeping Position Likely Contributes To Your Neck Pain
For most of us Sleep is how we spend 1/3 of our time — based on 8 hours of sleep. While there are countless pillow structures on the market there isn’t one universal pillow that works for everyone. Generally, you want to find a pillow designed for the position in which you usually sleep. However, if that isn’t working out, look for something that supports your neck. Lying on your back, even with just a rolled hand towel under your neck, so your head can touch the mattress encourages your cervical spine into it’s natural curvature. This could also be good if you have any bulging discs because spinal extension pushes the disc material forward.
The good news — the bigger issue I see is circulation which you absolutely CAN do something about. When you’re asleep you’re not moving too much. Lying immobile your muscles aren’t exchanging as much fluid and nutrients as they would be if you were awake and moving around. If you find that your neck pain and stiffness dissipates after the morning this is most likely the culprit — you have a circulation issue.
Along with circulation there’s a nutritional and hydration component to muscle stiffness. Massage, especially the myoskeletal alignment work I do, helps your muscles work more harmoniously. With better range of motion your tissues are better able to exchange fluids and nutrients which typically leads to better hydration.
Nutritionally most people are magnesium deficient which plays a key role in muscle relaxation and overall health. There are over 300 metabolic processes that require magnesium. We’re deficient because we’ve depleted our soils so there isn’t as much in our food. Once upon a time all water was unfiltered and today many options are lacking minerals. And lastly, the phytates in our diet bind to minerals like magnesium preventing absorption.
Tech Neck Is Very Real
The Tech Neck Posture
How often do you sit like this?
When we’re not sitting behind a computer many of us are looking down at our phone. Over time the muscles on the front of the neck grow short. This causes the muscles at the base of the skull to work overtime to hold our head up and eyes forward. It’s a classic example of how the back of your neck hurts but the problem is actually in the front.
For better overall health in general opt for less screen time. Your mental health and cellular health will both benefit. When you do need to use your phone try to hold it out in front of you, resting your elbow on a table or arm rest, instead of looking down.
NSAIDS & Ice Can Keep Neck Pain From Going Away
I’ve written about this topic before. Studies have shown that ice and NSAIDS hinder the healing process. This is the advice you’ll receive from most healthcare professionals. Heck, this is what I learned in school. Since then I’ve learned how NSAIDS negatively affect the intestinal lining. With an impaired intestinal barrier, often referred to as leaky gut, it sets the stage for autoimmune conditions to develop. It also creates a lot of systemic inflammation giving the immune system extra work to do. Don’t expect happy joints from an inflamed body.
Excerpt from that post:
Let’s stop and think about what the body does when you’re injured.
The body’s natural healing process begins with inflammation. Inflammation also means circulation. Circulation brings in fresh blood, nutrients, and white blood cells - everything the body needs to repair the area.
If inflammation is our body’s default mechanism for injury repair why are we shutting it down with ice?
Studies have shown that topical ice application not only delays the healing process it also lengthens the recovery process.
By decreasing the number of leucocytes and granulocytes as well as reducing macrophage infiltration following soft tissue injury, cryotherapy has been proved to reduce inflammation in different body parts. Nevertheless, although applying cold on the surface of the injured site may be effective in pain management or swelling, it could lengthen the recovery process. This is because, when we are injured, our body sends signals to our inflammatory cells (macrophages), which release the hormone-insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). These factors initiate healing by killing damaged tissue. However, when ice is applied topically, the cold will act as a vasoconstrictor and impede the transport of those inflammatory chemicals and cells to the injured site. We may prevent the body’s natural release of IGF-1 and, therefore, delay the start of the healing and recovery process. A prolonged period of cold on the skin will lead to a reduction of the blood flow, resulting in tissue death or even permanent nerve damage.
It would heal faster if you did absolutely nothing, leaving the injury at room temperature, than if you applied ice to the area.
Massaging The Back Of The Neck Won’t Fix Your Neck Pain
I continue to have countless clients come in with neck pain and assume I’ll be working on them while they’re face down.
In school we’re cautioned, quite rightly, about the delicate structures in the front of the neck. The average career span of a massage therapist is 3-8 years. Many of these young therapists don’t adequately massage the front of the neck. Instead they focus on the back of the neck, the area where they feel safe, which in turn allows the problematic muscles on the front to further overpower the back of the neck. This is one of the reasons your neck pain doesn’t improve for long after most massages.
Your Arms Contribute To Shoulder And Neck Tension
Imagine having a rubber band around your torso with your arm stuck to your side. Each time you lift your arm your body is going to recruit shoulder muscles to get the job done. This is also why just massaging the neck doesn’t provide lasting neck pain relief.
The only bony attachment for the upper extremity is where the clavicle meets the sternum.
Everything else is a symphony of muscles that must work together to keep the shoulder tracking properly and freely to help minimize tension in the neck and upper traps.
This is another reason why neck pain relief can feel elusive. You book a 30 minute massage requesting work on your neck but the relief doesn’t last. It’s a great business model but I’d rather see you feel better so you can get on with your life.
Your neck massage begins before you get on my table. I subtly check out your posture while you’re not paying attention and then I watch to where you point and how you describe the problem. All of these things are clues for what’s causing your neck pain. Then I look at how you lie on the table; this also tells me which muscles are too short and which ones are overstretched and weakened.
The reason I don’t tell people what I’m doing is because if you ask to see someone’s posture they put on their best show. I don’t want your best attempt at what you think straight looks like. I need to see how things are pulling so I can address your specific issue. When clients return I ask about the last session and how they’re feeling so that I can make modifications for today’s session. Today’s massage is tailored to you and your body today. On another day we might do something else.
Your Desk Job Contributes to Neck Pain
Humans are hunter gather mammals and in many respect we’ve forgotten that. One classic example is how we sit behind a desk for 8+ hours a day. We were never meant to stay in a sedentary position for 1/3 of our waking hours. If I had a dollar for every computer mouse arm I’ve worked I’d have a lot of dollars — I find this problem on nearly everyone.
Notice the mouse arm.
See how it’s much more forward than the left arm?
My best advice is to pull your mouse back so you’re not reaching for it. With one arm stretched forward you likely feel pain between your shoulder blade and spine. As your shoulder blade loses it’s mobility the upper trapezius and neck muscles are recruited to help you use your arm. Given it’s the right arm and most people are right handed desks help keep me employed. It doesn’t matter if you sit or stand; it’s the reaching and limited movement that’s the problem.
How To Evaluate Your Posture At Home
Standing in front of a mirror close your eyes and wiggle around. After wiggling don’t change your position and then open your eyes. (Your brain tries to keep you in line with gravity via what the eyes see. When you close your eyes you turn off a bit of your brain’s self corrective mechanism.)
Looking in the mirror what does your posture look like? Is one shoulder higher than the other? Is one shoulder closer to the middle of your body than the other? Is your head tilted or rotated to one side? Do you see more of one ear than the other? These common postural traits tell me a story about where you’re tight, but they also perpetuate asymmetry in the neck which can eventually develop into a pain pattern if it doesn’t already exist.
Ignoring Your Diet & Lifestyle Can Contribute To Pain In General
From what people say I gather that I give a pretty good massage. But I’m not magic. What you do after your massage will determine how long my work lasts. Here are lifestyle factors that I repeatedly see creating inflammation and pain symptoms:
Drinking too much water
Food choices
Poor sleep
Improper exercise
Sedentary jobs and lifestyle
Mental stress & trauma
Poor body mechanics
I created a 2 week journal with tips and planner pages so you can track your habits. Knowing what’s actually happening helps you gain insight into what might need adjustment.
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