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Neck and shoulder tension: when stress settles in the body

By Marcelo Moreira, LMT (Florida massage therapy license MA103089). More than 27 years of clinical experience, Master's in Bioengineering, and PhD candidate in Health Sciences, Neuroscience track (Unisul). Orlando, FL. Published September 25, 2026.

Marcelo Moreira, LMT, author of this article

At the end of the day, you reach for the back of your neck and everything feels tight. Your shoulders seem to creep up toward your ears on their own.

Sometimes your jaw is tight too, and you didn't even notice you were clenching your teeth.

This neck and shoulder tension is very common. And it usually has more than one source. Here you'll learn why it builds up, what tends to help day to day, and when you need to see a doctor before anything else.

Posture and screens: hours in the same position

According to MedlinePlus (the NIH health library), a common cause of neck pain is muscle strain or tension linked to everyday activities. The examples it lists include spending a lot of time bent over a desk (often an hour or more) and poor posture while using a computer or watching TV.

On your phone, your head moves forward and down, and the back of your neck ends up holding that weight for a long time.

More than any single "bad" posture, what tends to matter is staying still in the same position for a long time. OSHA notes that holding the same posture at a monitor for long periods, without breaks, can tire the neck and shoulder muscles that hold up your head.

Shallow, high breathing

When we're rushed or worried, breathing tends to get shorter and move up into the chest.

In this pattern, the muscles of the neck and upper shoulders may be recruited more to help pull in air. Repeated throughout the day, this can contribute to that "loaded" feeling in the shoulders.

A simple test: place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. If only the top hand moves, it's worth paying attention to.

Stress and the body's alert mode

The American Psychological Association (APA) explains that, under stress, muscles tend to tense up almost as a reflex, a way for the body to protect itself. When the stress passes, they relax.

The hypothesis is that, with prolonged stress, this protection doesn't fully switch off. The APA describes how chronic stress can keep muscles in a more or less constant state of guardedness, and it mentions chronic tension in the shoulders, neck, and head as linked to some types of headache.

Demanding work, traffic on I-4, paperwork, missing your family. No wonder so many people feel that stress "lives" in their shoulders.

Tight jaw and clenched teeth

Clenching your teeth during the day, or grinding them at night (known as bruxism), can overload the chewing muscles. According to the NIDCR, the pain can spread to the face or neck.

The NIDCR (the NIH institute dedicated to oral health) lists pain in the chewing muscles or jaw joint, stiffness, and painful clicking among the signs of TMD (temporomandibular disorders). The institute also mentions life stressors as possible contributors and recommends cutting back on habits like jaw clenching and gum chewing.

Jaw clicking without pain is common and considered normal. If you wake up with a tired jaw or you grind your teeth, it's worth talking with your dentist.

Little movement and few breaks

Muscles like variety. Spending the day sitting, from the car to the desk and from the desk to the couch, takes away your body's chance to alternate between tightening and letting go.

A poor night's sleep can also leave your body more sensitive the next day, the topic of our article Why do I wake up tired even after sleeping?.

What tends to help day to day

You don't need to change everything at once. Pick two or three ideas to start:

  1. Take short breaks, at least once an hour. For people who work at a computer, OSHA (the U.S. workplace safety agency) suggests a five-minute break every hour: look away from the screen, stretch, stand up, or walk.
  2. Adjust your screen and chair. Following OSHA guidance, the top of the monitor should be at or slightly below eye level, with your lower back supported, shoulders relaxed, and elbows close to your body. With your phone, try bringing the screen up to your eyes, not your eyes down to the screen.
  3. Stretch gently. OSHA itself includes stretching during breaks. Slow movements tilting your head side to side, rolling your shoulders back, and loosening your arms. No forcing and no pain. MedlinePlus mentions slow neck movements as a way to gently stretch the muscles. If it hurts or tingles, stop and talk with your doctor.
  4. Breathe more slowly. For a few minutes, breathe in through your nose for a count of 4, letting your belly expand, and breathe out for a count of 6. Notice whether your shoulders drop a little.
  5. Use local heat. MedlinePlus lists heat or ice as home care for neck pain: ice for the first 48 to 72 hours, and after that, heat, with a warm shower, hot compress, or heating pad. Don't fall asleep with a heating pad or ice on your skin.
  6. Move your body. Walking, swimming, or another regular physical activity you enjoy. If the pain just started, MedlinePlus advises cutting back on your usual physical activity for the first few days and doing slow neck movements, up and down and side to side.
  7. Check in on your jaw. A few times a day, notice whether your teeth are slightly apart.

Everyone responds differently, and habit changes take time to make a difference. If the pain persists or gets worse, see your doctor.

How IFWC can help

At IFWC, in Orlando, we offer complementary wellness care, designed for people who want to understand their own bodies better. It works alongside your medical care, never in place of it.

The starting point is a 90-minute evaluation, which includes:

  • Unhurried listening to your routine, your work, and what has been weighing on your day to day;
  • Complementary wellness measurements, which are not medical tests or a diagnosis, and help organize what you're feeling and track your progress;
  • Noticing where tension builds up in your body, such as your neck, shoulders, and jaw.

From there, manual therapy may be part of a wellness plan, with the goal of easing muscle tension and supporting relaxation. It is not a treatment for chronic pain, TMD, or other health conditions. If anything in the evaluation suggests you need to see a doctor, we'll guide you to do so.

We see clients in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, so you can explain everything in your own words.

Want to better understand what your body is showing you? We see clients in Orlando in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

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References

  1. MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Neck pain. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003025.htm
  2. American Psychological Association (APA). Stress effects on the body. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body
  3. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR/NIH). TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders). https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/tmd
  4. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Computer Workstations eTool: Work Process and Recognition. https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations/work-process
  5. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Computer Workstations eTool. https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations
  6. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI/NIH). Heart Attack: Symptoms. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-attack/symptoms

This content is informational and does not replace a medical evaluation. Massage therapy does not diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. If you have questions about pain, your jaw, or medications, talk with your doctor or dentist.

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