Neck and shoulder tension prevents you from performing your best. The pain, stiffness and headache accompanying neck and shoulder tension make it difficult to cope with the stress or anxiety that brought on the tension in the first place. Tension headaches caused by tense neck and scalp muscles are among the most common forms of headaches, according to the National Library of Medicine. Neck and shoulder tension are moderately easy to identify and relieve.
Definition
The National Center for Emergency Medicine Informatics, states that tension refers to a patient's muscle spasms rather than to life stress. According to the Sports Medicine Patient Advisor, these spasms are involuntary contractions that cause neck muscles to become tight, hard and painful. Anxiety and emotional strain can cause a person to tense the muscles in his neck and shoulder in a way that leads to muscle spasms, and muscle tension in the neck and shoulders can occur from overuse, injury, poor posture or even sleeping in an unusual position the night before.
Prevention
Engage in regular exercise, especially those activities that stretch the neck and shoulder muscles. Maintain good posture when sitting for long periods of time, such as watching television or working on the computer. Take frequent breaks and move around. Stop what you are doing when you feel your neck and shoulder muscles tensing and perform whatever treatment seems to work best for you. Treating symptoms early prevents them from growing worse and more difficult to manage.
Stretching Exercises
Spasms are best treated with stretching exercises. Stretch the muscles in your neck and shoulders by flexing and rotating your head and neck. For example, sit in a comfortable chair and use good posture. Flex your neck forward and try to touch your chin to your chest. Use your hands to stretch the muscle, if necessary. Hold this position while you count to 10, then return your head to the staring position. Perform similar stretches by flexing your head to the left and right, moving your ear toward your shoulder, to stretch the muscles on the sides of your neck. Turn your head left and right to stretch the muscles on the front of your neck.
Treatment
Combine stretching exercise with other therapies for best results. Apply ice packs to a muscle that has just begun to spasm, and warm, moist towels on recurring or chronic neck and shoulder tension. Ask someone to massage your neck and shoulder muscles. You can rub your own neck and shoulders or seek help from a professional massage therapist. Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medicine or muscle relaxants. Acute or chronic cases of tension may require the use of cortisone or an anesthetic. Chronic neck and shoulder tension responds to physical therapy.
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