The Trapezius Muscle: A Pain in the Neck?

For weeks, I've been suffering from what I thought was a very bad crick in the neck. Daily tasks such as bending, standing, sitting or climbing stairs became arduous and irritating. I finally couldn't stand the pain any longer and decided to go see my doctor.

As it turned out, my trapezius muscle had shortened, tightening up in my back almost like a charlie horse. The trapezius muscle extends from the base of the neck down the back, beneath the shoulder blade, and out toward the shoulder/arm area. It is named for its trapezium-like shape. Pain experienced in this muscle may reverberate further down into other locations of the body. The trapezius muscle is one of the larger muscles found in the human body.

My doctor informed me that spasms in this muscle can be triggered by stress, tension, poor ergonomics, lack of exercise, or maintaining a sedentary position for extended periods of time. Her explanation and diagnosis made perfect sense to me, as I had recently taken my freelance consulting business full-time and had been sitting in front of the computer for a solid ten to twelve hours a day. She also mentioned that this muscle is very sensitive to emotions like worry, anxiety or frustration; so I'm sure that also played a part in my trapezius muscle locking up.

When I arrived at home, I immediately reviewed my office space for potential improvements to its layout. I realized that my monitor was slightly off to one side, while my keyboard was at the center of the desk. I adjusted this so the monitor would be directly in front of me, aligned with the keyboard, and my head would not be turned at an angle. My eyes were now level with the top of the monitor and that felt better.