Ever catch yourself rubbing your shoulders and wondering, “Why do I always get tight here?” Why not somewhere else like your bum?
Let’s unpack this mystery. The answer lies in loads, mechanics, physics, and ergonomics and how your body works hard to keep your head up!
The Load
Your neck is a long, tube-like structure made up of seven spinal bones (the cervical vertebrae), stacked neatly on top of your shoulders. Sitting right above it all is your head large, heavy, and surprisingly demanding.
The average adult head weighs around 5 kilograms, and that weight constantly presses down on your neck. To keep things stable, your neck muscles must work continuously even when you think you’re “relaxing.”
The Mechanics
Think of your spine as the framework, and your muscles as the support system.
There are two main muscle groups that keep your neck functioning:
- Deep (postural) muscles – These are your stabilisers. They quietly support the vertebrae and help the neck bear the head’s weight.
- Superficial (movement) muscles – These are your movers. They rotate, tilt, and lift your head and they can work fast or slow depending on the task.
Interestingly, some of your neck muscles also help anchor your shoulders when you lift your arms. After a workout, they even assist in breathing that’s why people often rest their hands on their heads or hips when they’re catching their breath.
The Physics
When your head is positioned neutrally (not tilted or twisted), the load on your neck muscles is balanced.
But once you tilt or rotate your head like when looking down at your phone or turning toward a screen that balance is lost. Certain muscles now must pull harder than others, creating strain and tension.
Over time, this imbalance builds fatigue, tightness, and discomfort.
The Ergonomics
Modern life doesn’t make things easy for your neck.
Our daily routines involve driving, working at desks, carrying bags, scrolling on phones, and long conversations all with minimal breaks for the neck muscles.
Even when your legs and back get to rest, your neck doesn’t. Remember: muscles can only pull, not push!
To truly rest your neck, you need to lie down or recline. Sitting eases the load a little, but not completely. It’s like swimming even if you stop moving, you still need to tread water to stay afloat.
Neck Tension the Hidden Culprit
Believe it or not, one of the biggest causes of neck tension is poor sleeping posture.
When you’re asleep, your muscles can’t actively correct poor positioning. So, if you fall asleep awkwardly on a plane, on the couch, or with too many pillows your neck might be bent or twisted for hours.
The next morning, those muscles wake up tired and tight, not refreshed.
When the postural muscles (the endurance ones) are fatigued, your movement muscles (the ones that tire easily) take over. They strain quickly which is why your shoulders start to ache during your morning commute or your first few hours at the computer.
The Cycle of Shoulder and Neck Tension
Once the neck and shoulder muscles tighten, they start overworking to hold your head in a “normal” position. That creates stiffness at the base of the neck, which in turn makes the muscles work even harder.
And so the cycle continues tension, fatigue, stiffness, and more tension.
If you’ve noticed a niggle in your neck that doesn’t go away within a few days, chances are it won’t disappear on its own.
How On Path Physio Can Help
At On Path Physio, we can assess your neck and shoulder mechanics, identify where the tension is coming from, and help restore normal movement.
Through a combination of manual therapy, postural correction, and ergonomic advice, we can help break the cycle of tension so your neck muscles can finally relax (and your shoulders can stop doing all the work!).
Still carrying your stress in your shoulders? Let’s help your body find balance again. Book an appointment with On Path Physio today.
