Why You Hold Stress In Your Neck And Shoulders

I live and work in New York City. Many of us are always in a rush to catch a train, get to work, attend an event–you name it, we’re often in a hurry! I’m sure this isn’t too dissimilar to life outside the big city and, with so many things to worry about in our day-to-day lives, it may be easy to neglect some of the healthy practices that keep us feeling and performing at our best. 

I had a client come in on Thursday with a high-powered job and four children. She had reported neck and upper trapezius tightness that rarely seems to resolve. She claimed that “she holds all her tension in her neck and shoulders”. This isn’t the first encounter with someone having these complaints and I’m sure that you might understand exactly how she feels. 

Diaphragmatic breathing; https://www.foundationalconcepts.com/the-pelvic-chronicles-blog/amazing-diaphragm/

I looked at her neck and shoulder range of motion- PERFECT. She definitely is not a “stiff” person. However, it was plain to see that all of her breathing was initiated from her chest and not her diaphragm. The diaphragm is a structure just above our belly buttons that controls respiration, but that we also have conscious control over. This means that we can train ourselves to breathe in and out more through our diaphragm if we focus on expanding and relaxing our abdomen. 

With a high-paced lifestyle, it can be difficult to relax, let alone focus on breath. However, breathing has a massive impact on our performance as our bodies depend on gas exchange for all life functions. If you can take even 1 minute to lie down, sit or stand and focus on breathing through your diaphragm, you might be surprised how much less strain you will feel in your neck and shoulders. 

One suggestion for this is to place one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest. While lying flat with your knees bent, focus on breathing in for 3-5 seconds and out for the same duration of time. 

Please note that this is one of many relaxation practices that can improve your physical and emotional well-being. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, I encourage you to explore one of many other practices not limited to meditation, acupuncture or yoga.