Many muscles of the neck support your head and spine.
While they all work together, some have slightly different functions and are more prone to becoming tight.
Understanding your neck muscle anatomy can help you identify which muscles affect you when you feel pain or tightness.
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Many muscles attach to the vertebrae of the cervical spine.
Spinal Muscles
Your spine, as a whole, is supported by three long columns of muscles.
These muscles are collectively called the erector spinae or paraspinals.
These muscles also help control the side bending and backward bending of your spine.
These muscles are called themultifidiandrotatores, which help rotate the spine.
These muscles help stabilize the neck and bend the neck forward.
They include thelongus capitis,longus colli,rectus capitis lateralis, andrectus capitis anterior.
These muscles help stabilize the neck and bend the neck backward.
They include thesplenius capitis,splenius cervicis,semispinalis capitis, andsemispinalis cervicis.
They help rotate the head and move the head forward and backward.
When these muscles are tight, you will feel tightness and tension at the base of your skull.
You may also experience acervicogenicheadache brought on by pain and tightness originating from the neck.
Superficial Neck Muscles
The superficial neck muscles are the closest to the surface of the neck.
They are primarily located at the sides of the neck and help with rotation.
These muscles tend to become the most tight and restricted with poor posture and neck injuries.
This helps you maintain an upright posture and keeps your head up when sitting or standing.
Many of the deeper neck muscles aid stability, while the superficial neck muscles help with movement.
These movements are needed to allow your head to move for various everyday activities.
A few physical methods can be used to help relieve neck soreness and discomfort.
Stretching
Gentle stretching of your neck can help improve the flexibility of your neck muscles.
This will help relieve tension in your neck and strain from tight neck muscles pulling on your spine.
Heat
Applying heat to your neck increases blood flow to the muscles.
This can help relieve muscle tightness and improve your range of motion.
Rest
Resting your neck can help reduce strain on muscles that are fatigued from working all day.
Conditions that affect the neck vertebrae includeosteoarthritis,spinal stenosis,bulgingorherniated discs, and cervicalmyelopathy.
Applying heat, stretching, and massage can help relieve muscle tightness and pain.
Proper upright posture decreases strain on your neck muscles and can help prevent strains from recurring.
A physical therapist may also use their hands to apply pressure to your neck to mobilize your vertebrae.
Applying heat, stretching, massage, and rest can help alleviate discomfort.
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