The Steps I'm Taking To Relieve Muscle Spasms In My Shoulders & Neck

Relaxed is not a word I reach for when describing myself. Whether I'm trying to sink into a savasana pose or settle into writing an article, letting go of tension has always been a struggle for me. I thought my regular exercise, magnesium supplement before bed, and (of course) working on my mental health were enough to calm my mind and muscles. But I severely underestimated the physical pressure my body was enduring—specifically, my poor shoulders and neck. 

"One reason someone may feel tight is due to spasm—where muscle tissue has become guarded and unwilling to relax from being overworked," says Joshua Blatt, P.T., DPT, ATC. 

And, oh boy, did I fall into that category. Years of poor posture (a downside of remote work), inadequate recovery from exercise, and stress had my upper traps and levators (the muscles on the side of the neck) working more than their fair share.

Not only did these areas feel tight, but my range of motion was so restricted that I couldn't move with ease. Blatt also notes that tightness can occur if muscle tissue is not frequently pushed to its full lengthened position, which is more common for folks with sedentary behavior and limited physical activity. So when I did exercise, I likely wasn't getting the most out of my workouts because extending through your full range of motion is essential for building strength and stability. 

If you're feeling chronically tight and no amount of exercise or stretching is taking a load off of your shoulders, other therapies can be incredibly helpful in resetting your baseline. 

For me, this included massage and cupping to improve blood flow to the parts of my muscles that were basically locked up. Adequate and efficient blood flow1 is vital to optimal muscle function. Blood carries nutrients and oxygen to tissues and helps sweep metabolic waste (that's detrimental to the muscle) away. So limited blood flow hinders muscle health. 

Massage therapy is a compressive technique to manually break up adhesions in the fascia to relieve spasms2. Cupping is a complementary decompression technique. 

Optimizing muscle health has been top of mind for me this year. I upped my protein intake to 100 grams a day. I also started taking mindbodygreen's creatine+ to enhance my muscular stores of this energy-supporting compound as well as my mental resilience.* (Ladies, it's one supplement you should definitely consider adding to your routine). Now, it's time to add in daily stretches and exercises to care for my most overworked (and forgotten) muscles. 

Don't shrug off tight shoulders as a passing problem. Because if you do nothing about it, it'll sneakily turn into something long term (like it did with me). In these cases, something more drastic—like massage and cupping—can be beneficial to realign the blocked fascia.