Can anxiety cause neck pain?
Girl, the answer is an astounding yes, yes, and of course, yes!
Anxiety doesn’t only live in your mind, but in your body too.
And neck pain is just one of the ways your anxiety can show you that you’re too stressed.
Why Anxiety Can Cause Neck Pain
When we are stuck in the fight and flight response, we tense our muscles to “prepare for battle” or to “flee and live to fight another day”.
Anxiety related neck pain is caused by us holding tension in our neck and shoulders. This is called coat hanger pain.
The muscles of the shoulders and neck tense and cause not only neck and shoulder pain, but can cause headaches as well.
What Anxiety Neck Pain Feels Like
Anxiety related neck pain can feel like:
- Aches
- Pain at the base of the skull
- Tightness in the neck, shoulders, and upper back
- A burning, pulling, or “knotted” feeling in tense muscles
- Frequent urges to stretch, roll, or adjust your neck and shoulders for relief
- Difficulty finding a comfortable position when sitting, standing, or lying down
- Tension headaches that seem to start in the neck or shoulders
- Reduced range of motion or stiffness when turning your head
- Pain that worsens during periods of stress or anxiety
When Neck Pain May Be Something Else
While anxiety can cause neck pain, muscle tension, and stiffness, it is not the only possible cause.
Neck pain an also result from physical injury and illness, poor posture, arthritis, muscle strains, pinched nerves, and other medical conditions.
You may want to consider other causes if your neck pain:
- Started after an injury or accident
- Causes numbness, tingling, or weakness in your limbs
- Continues to worsen despite home care
- Occurs with a fever or illness
- Follows a medical procedure and is not relieved by home care
- Does not seem connected to periods of stress or anxiety
- Does not improve with home care such as rest, heat, ice, stretching, over the counter pain med, or stress management
If you are unsure what is causing your symptoms, it is always a good idea to speak to your healthcare provider. You doctor can determine whether anxiety may be the cause or if another condition is to blame through labs, xray, mri or cat scan, and other testing.
Read more about neck pain symptoms and causes from the Mayo Clinic.
When to See a Doctor for Neck Pain
Anytime pain interferes with your daily life or sleep, you should see a doctor.
Chronic pain can cause muscle knots, nerve issues, as well as problems like insomnia and a Tylenol habit, which isn’t good for you either.
Sometimes you may need to get referrals to other doctors for your pain depending on the cause.
You may not be able to control how and when your body tenses, but there is help for you.
As a woman with a chronic pain condition, I urge you to seek help from a doctor while your pain is more manageable. Many pain issues can be resolved if treatment is started early.
How to Relieve Anxiety Neck Pain
If anxiety is causing your neck pain, finding relief involves both addressing physical muscle tension and the stress causing it.
While there is no single solution that works for everyone, many people find that combining self care habits with anxiety relief helps reduce pain over time.
Stretch and Move Your Neck
When anxiety keeps your muscles tense, your neck and shoulders can become still and uncomfortable.
Neck stretches, shoulder rolls, and light movement through the day may help loosen tight muscles and improve mobility.
PRO TIP: For tight shoulders, try wall pushups. It helps move the muscles without the strain of too much weight on the shoulder joints.
Apply Heat up Tight Muscles
Heat can help relax tight muscles and can provide temporary relief from anxiety related neck pain. Hell, it might even stop it.
Consider using a heating pad, warm compress, warm bath or shower, or my favorite a microwavable stuffed animal to help soothe tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, and upper back.
Many people, myself included, find heat especially helpful at the end of a stressful day or before bed.
For large areas and the entire body, I like to end my day with a hot bath filled with my favorite muscle relaxing epsom salt soak.
For spot treatment, I like to curl up with my microwavable stuffed animal. It’s soft, warm, and molds so nicely to all my sore spots. Plus it’s cute!
This is my own choice for pain. He’s a cute axolotl and he smells amazing. Warm, soft, and smells like lavendar, it’s relef for the body and mind. Grab your own microwable weighted heatable scented axolotl warmies stuffed animal.
Try a Topical Muscle Relief Cream
Some find that applying a topical muscle relief cream helps ease sore, overworked muscles.
A muscle cream can be especially helpful when tension is concentrated in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. It can also help when those tight muscles cause the nerves to become irritated and cause additional pain.
One cream I love is Aromaleaf. It is my go to cream for muscle and nerve aches. It was the cream that I used to help soothe pain after surgery for my broken leg.
RECOMMENDED READING: Read my full review for Aromaleaf: The Best No Medication Cream for Nerve Pain & Fibromyalgia
Consider Over the Counter Pain Relief
For occasional pain, over the counter pain relievers such as Tylenol may provide relief.
Be sure to always follow the directions on the label and speak with your healthcare provider if you have any questions about which medications are right for you.
Improve Your Workspace Ergonomics
Poor posture can make anxiety neck pain even worse.
If you spend long hours working at a desk, consider adjusting your chair, monitor height, and keyboard placement to better support your neck and shoulders.
Tools such as a laptop stand, ergonomic desk accessories, or even an ergonomic desk chair my help reduce strain throughout the day.
Practice Calming Techniques to Manage Stress
Because anxiety often contributes to muscle tension, reducing your stress may help reduce neck pain over time.
Consider incorporating anxiety relief techniques such as:
- Deep breathing exercises
- Mindfulness practices
- Journaling
- Meditation
- Spending time outdoors
- Exercise
RECOMMENDED READING: If you’re looking for additional ideas check out my article 8 Calming Techniques for Anxiety. They can help calm the mind, reduce stress, and support your overall wellbeing.
Prioritize Quality Sleep
Poor sleep can increase both anxiety and muscle tension.
Creating a consistent bedtime routine and getting adequate sleep may help reduce neck pain.
If you frequently wake up with a stiff or sore neck, a supportive pillow may help improve neck alignment while you sleep.
PRO TIP: I am a belly sleeper so I use the Purple GridCloud Pillow to support my neck. It’s a supportive, but also thin pillow made for sleepers who sleep on their belly.
Try Massage
Massage can relieve tight muscles and improve circulation in the neck and shoulders. Plus it just feels sooooo good.
Some people prefer using a masseuse, others their own hands, and others opt for massage tools designed to target knots and muscle tension.
A neck and back massager is a helpful addition to your self care kit if muscle tightness is a frequent problem.
Consider Physical Therapy
If your neck pain is ongoing, severe or interfering with your daily activities, physical therapy is worth discussing with your doctor.
A physical therapist can evaluate your posture, muscle strength, and movement patterns and create a personalized treatment plan designed to improve your comfort, mobility, and function.
And trust me, as a clutsy girl, I’ve gone for more than one body part over my lifetime and it’s always left me feeling better.
Living with Anxiety Related Neck Pain
Neck pain can be frustrating, especially when you don’t know what’s causing it.
While anxiety isn’t the only possible cause, it can contribute to muscle tension and discomfort in the neck, shoulders, and upper back.
If your symptoms show up or follow periods of stress or anxiety, you probably have anxiety related neck pain.
To get the most out of your efforts, anxiety related neck pain benefits from managing your physical and emotional health through self care habits and anxiety relief.
So, can anxiety cause neck pain? The answer is yes.
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