I resolved the majority of my chronic (3.5y) neck pain two months ago. Now it’s obvious to me that I was creating the tension all along. Here’s my model of what was causing it:
1. There would be a feeling in my neck.
Like all feelings, the sensation in my neck represented some piece of information meant to be communicated to the rest of my nervous system. Being aware of the feeling seemed to be equivalent to being aware of that piece of information.
And I don’t know why, but it happened to manifest spatially within my neck.
2. Some part of me wanted to not feel that feeling.
Some part of my system predicted (locally optimal) that being aware of this feeling/information would be bad.
3. It created muscle tension around the feeling.
In order to avoid the feeling, that part of me created muscle tension around the location of the feeling in my neck.
4. So the feeling grew.
Like all feelings, this one was (and often still is) there in order to be noticed and integrated. Unsurprisingly, the feeling responded to being covered up by tension by making itself more intense.
5. So the tension grew.
To avoid the stronger feeling, the part of me creating the tension tensed my neck even more.
6. A feedback loop!
So the feeling became stronger… and tension became stronger… and the feeling became stronger……
Yeah, there have been some days in the past few years where my neck was so tense I couldn’t turn my head.
What do you mean “I was creating the tension all along”?
While I had my neck tension, it did not feel like I was (consciously) doing the steps above.
However, a few times since the tension resolved, I’ve caught my neck beginning to tense again in the old way. But I notice as this is happening. And then I notice that I’m labeling the feeling as “harmful” and that I’m trying to avoid the feeling inside my own mind.
Because I notice this, I choose to stop labeling the feeling as “harmful”. And instead of avoiding it, I bring my attention into it more.
That last mental motion feels like being warm and dry on a beach, then slowly and deliberately wading into even colder water, feeling each inch of my body as I go deeper.
After I do that, the feeling actually recedes, and so does the tension.
Because of this introspection, I can see that I create the tension — and I must have always been creating it. I’ve become reconnected with the part of me that was afraid of that feeling.
What did the unwanted feeling represent?
In my particular case, I suspect the feeling in my neck represented the information “I have the choice to leave the social situation I’m in right now” and/or “I am disliking/suppressing myself.”
I had noticed a year ago that my neck was most commonly tense in social situations I found uncomfortable, so that makes sense now.
I suspect there was an additional feedback loop like “I dislike something about myself” → *tensing my neck* → “I dislike that my neck is tense” → more tensing → …
What was the avoidance for?
Besides the feedback loop above, I still don’t know what the full incentive structure was. However, I’m aware of one big one: The feeling represented the awareness that I was insecure, and avoiding acknowledging this had a payoff. Explanation of this here:
Fortunately, I’m not insecure like I used to be, so this incentive was easy to dissolve once noticed.
Where was the tension, exactly?
In my neck and upper back. And before it resolved it even started to pinch my vagus nerve.
Did you also try physical therapy, etc.?
Yes, I tried physical therapy for the first few months. It helped a little, maybe? And I kept doing the PT stretches, but they didn’t solve my tension. Ultimately my tension seems to have been almost entirely emotional.
I also tried non-trivial amounts of exercise, stretching, self-massage, and professional bodywork. None helped significantly.
Details
My neck still gets tense sometimes, but it never reaches the point of pain anymore. When it does get tense, I'm much more aware of it and can relax it more easily.
I haven't resolved all bothersome tension in my body yet, so this theory may not be a complete solution for all muscle tension issues. That said, my body has very little muscle tension overall.
UPDATE 2025:
And I don’t know why, but it happened to manifest spatially within my neck.
from https://orgonomictherapy.com/2013/10/30/reichs-body-armor-cervical/ (just a theory):
"Have you noticed at times that your throat feels tight and squeezed? This is likely because you have a block, or armoring, in the third segment, also known as the cervical segment. This segment includes the tongue and all neck muscles.
We can also experience armoring in this segment as tension or rigidity in our neck. When we hold back feelings and expressions, we can experience a lump in our throat; a lump of pain as we swallow down crying, sobbing or anger. Sometimes our neck can feel stiff, reflecting stubbornness in attitude. We hold our neck rigidly as a way of saying “I won’t give in” or “You won’t get to me”.
Our breath and voice can also reflect this armoring. Our breath can sound harsh as it blows through our tight, narrowed throat and we may cough often to regain a feeling of openness. We might have a raspy voice or a strained quality when we speak. Sometimes, our voice is barely above a whisper as we continue to contain, over a lifetime, our big sound.
The sternocleidomastoid muscles (whew!) are thick superficial muscles on each side of the neck that help us bend, rotate, flex and extend the head. When armored, they can be very tender to the touch and inhibit our vocal sound and neck flexibility.
When the cervical segment is armored, it can affect us in a variety of ways. For example, we may have a fear of choking because our throat feels chronically closed. Some individuals have chronic panic regarding a fear of choking on food. Or, one might have a fear of being choked by another person.
When we are healthy and the cervical segment is free, our voice reflects our feeling of personal authority and a deep commitment to our life expression. As we relate to others in the many roles we inhabit, we need to communicate effectively and we want our voice available in all its intonations. Also, for full contact with others and ourselves, we need our tears and our anger to be accessible."