When we experience pain, tension, or limited mobility in the neck and shoulders, our first response is often to stretch the areas where we are experiencing discomfort. While this may bring a feeling of temporary relief and even that, “hurts so good” sensation you may not be addressing the root of your discomfort, and you could actually be contributing to the imbalance that is causing your pain.

Common pain patterns in the neck and shoulders reside in the posterior (back) portion of the neck and shoulders. Think of the area between the scapula (shoulder blades), the top of the shoulders (upper trapezius), and the base of the skull (suboccipitals).

The upper fibers of the trapezius muscle can develop trigger points that refer pain to the head and face.

It may sound counter intuitive, but these areas become painful and tense as a results of being “over-stretched” and over-worked. Imagine for a moment your posture as you are reading a message on your phone; the chest tightens as the head and shoulders round forward, causing the posterior portion (back) of the neck and shoulders to stretch and contact to support the wright of the head as you look down. When we repeat this posture over and over the body will begin to develop an imbalance, causing the muscles and connective tissue of the posterior neck and shoulders to become over-stretched and strained. Although it may feel great at the time to stretch, this may actually be causing more harm than good.

Trigger points in the upper fibers of the trapezius can refer pain to the head and neck and a a major culprit of tension type heachaces. — Trigger points in the upper fibers of the Trapezius muscle can refer pain to the head and are a major culprit of tension type headaches.

Might I offer a different approach; addressing the root of forward head carriage by first tending to the chest. Myofascial release is a great way to begin the process of opening the chronically short/tight Pectoral muscles in the chest.

Find a comfortable seat or even lie down with your head supported and first find a gentle stretch for the chest to get a gauge of how tight or open this area is (we love a before and after).

Next, using either a tennis ball or myofascial release tool (I love RAD Recovery Rounds) starting on one side of the chest, find your sternum just below the collar bones and from here press the ball gently down into the chest then roll out towards the shoulder.

This back and forth rolling across the chest is designed to run the opposite direction of the fibers in your most superficial (closest to the skin) layer of your pecs, your Pectoralis Major.

After about 1 minute of this cross-fiber rolling move the ball over to the upper quadrant of the chest in the soft tissue just below and slightly medial to the head of the humerus. This is where a key postural muscle lives, your Pectoralis Minor.

The pec minor lies just below the pec major so you will need to find a stronger level of compression to find this “deep” muscle. Your pec minor attaches to the scapula via the acromion process and inserts to your 2nd and 3rd ribs and 4th ribs.
When these deep postural muscles become short/contracted they will begin to pull the scapula forward resulting in a collapsed chest and rounded shoulders

Through self myofascial release we can begin to break down adhesions and restrictions that develop here and release this tug of war between the chest and the shoulders, allowing the chest to stretch with more ease and less tension.

Once you find Pec minor hold here with a firm/steady pressure for 30-60 seconds while taking slow deep diaphragmatic breaths. Before moving to work on the other side find a chest stretch, opening the arms out wide to a t-position and notice the difference between one side and the other. WOW!

Just a couple short minutes a few times a week can have a huge impact on improving posture and reducing tension in the neck and shoulders. Follow the myofascial release up with a yummy supine twist, placing the arms open in a T-position to create a gentle stretch in the chest. Support yourself so that you can hold for 1-2 minutes, allowing the deeper layer of the pectorals (Pec Minor) to slowly be invited open.

When it comes to approaching long term rebalancing of the chest and shoulders strength is key. We can roll out our chest to our heart's content but until we re-establish strength around the thoracic spine and posterior cervicals we will continue to deal with areas of tension and pain surfacing in the neck and shoulders.

Here are some great posterior thoracic & cervical strengtheners to get you started

Cobra
Sphinx
Shalabhasana
Bridge pose
Cactus arms
Side plank
Scapula push ups

Combine the powerful benefits of myofascial release and Yin Yoga to open the chest and ease tension in the neck and shoulders. All you need for the short, yet highly effective practice is a tennis ball our myofascial release tool.

Got Neck Pain?