The levator scapulae isn’t thought about often, but this small, strap-like muscle does a lot behind the scenes. Its name roughly translates to “lifter of the shoulder blade,” which is one of its main jobs — but it also works with your other neck muscles to stabilize and support your head all day long.
Being active almost all the time, it’s easy for this little muscle to become stressed and overused. The good news is that if the back sides of your neck have felt sore or tight lately, massage therapy could help.
Read on to learn about levator scapulae massage, including the benefits, safety tips, and three techniques to try for relief.
The Role of the Levator Scapulae
The levator scapulae muscles are found in the back of your neck — one on each side — attaching from the upper part of your cervical spine and running down toward your shoulder blades. They’re part of the superficial extrinsic muscles, meaning they sit closer to the surface of the skin than the deeper neck muscles. In fact, the only muscle covering them is the trapezius, the large, diamond-shaped muscle that spans across your back and up your neck.
So, what does the levator scapulae do? Its main job is exactly what its Latin name suggests; it lifts the shoulder blade. However, it also helps with certain neck functions, including flexion (or side-to-side bending) and twisting. This means it’s involved in everyday activities like:
- Carrying a heavy bag or backpack
- Checking your blind spot while driving
- Reaching for something on a high shelf
- Rotating your arms while you swim, climb, or throw
What Causes Levator Scapulae Pain?
When it comes to general neck and shoulder pain, research shows that the levator scapulae can be a major sore spot for both men and women. Tension can pile up in these little pulley-like muscles for a few reasons:
Posture-Related Issues
Rounding forward is common these days, especially with how much time we spend hunching over screens. Unfortunately, this posture takes a toll on several upper-body muscles, and the levator scapulae are no exception.
When your head hangs forward, these muscles are pulled long and put under constant tension, forcing them to tighten and contract repeatedly to stabilize your head. As a result, it can cause pain, stiffness, and trigger points that may even contribute to cervicogenic headaches.
Repetitive Arm Motions
If your job or hobbies have you constantly reaching above your head, it could be putting a surprising amount of strain on the levator scapulae. In every overhead motion, these muscles have to activate in order to lift and stabilize your shoulder blades — but when that cycle happens over and over without any downtime, the muscle fibers never really have a chance to rest. In the long run, this can cause low-level tension and inflammation that manifests as a dull, deep ache.
Stress and Anxiety
Your body’s stress response is meant to prepare you for danger, and part of that response is increased muscle tension. In small doses, this usually doesn’t cause an issue — but when that stress turns chronic, the levator scapulae (and other upper body muscles) can become overactive and tight.
Eventually, this overactivity can cause deep tension and neck pain that might feel worse when you turn or tilt your head.
Health Conditions That Cause Levator Scapulae Pain
Sitting as the bridge between your shoulder blades and neck, it’s no wonder that the levator scapulae are prone to tension from things like overuse or stress. But there are a few more health conditions (some serious) that can cause — or mimic — pain in these muscles. These include:
- Whiplash, acute strains, or other injuries due to direct trauma or overexertion
- Cervical spine issues, such as herniated disks or joint degeneration
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Scapular dyskinesis (a condition where the shoulder blades sit or move abnormally)
- Trigger points in other muscles causing referred neck pain
- Nerve irritation in the cervical spine
The Benefits of Levator Scapulae Massage
If the source of your pain is muscle tension, trigger points, or stress and anxiety, massage is one tool that can make a big impact.
It works by kneading and stretching the tissue to help release tension and improve circulation. And although it seems simple, it can bring some serious relief to sore, achy neck muscles like the levator scapulae. Here are a few key benefits that you might be able to expect:
Breaks Up Posture-Related Tension
Because poor posture strains the neck, it’s probably no surprise that it’s one of the most common sources of levator scapulae pain. The good news is that massage can help by warming up the tissue, improving blood flow, and breaking up tense areas in the muscle fibers.
Additionally, massage can help support your posture in a bigger-picture way. When you constantly round forward, your chest muscles tend to tighten up — pulling the shoulders inward and forcing the levator scapulae (and neighboring muscles) to work even harder to hold up your head. Massaging these muscles can help them loosen up, making it easier to open your chest and adopt healthier neck posture overall.
Eases Stress
The link between stress and neck pain is well-known — and as it turns out, levator scapulae massage may do more than just relieve tension on a physical level. According to the AMTA, massage therapy has been shown to soothe anxiety levels in a number of different groups, including healthy adults and those with chronic pain.
Experts believe it may provide these benefits by activating the body’s “rest and digest” response — calming the nervous system, slowing the heart rate, and easing some of that anxiety-induced muscle tension.
Targets Trigger Points
If you’ve ever rubbed the back of your neck and felt a small, tough, tender spot, you might be dealing with a trigger point. These painful bands of tissue form when a muscle is repeatedly stressed or strained — and when it comes to the levator scapulae, poor posture and overhead work tend to set them off. Your body creates these knots as a kind of protective response, but they can often end up causing pain themselves.
Luckily, massage techniques like trigger point therapy can make these tender spots easier to manage. They work by helping to boost blood flow, breaking up tension, and disrupting the pain cycle that keeps the knot firing.
May Soothe Pain
Have you ever wondered why you have the urge to rub your neck muscles when they ache? It turns out it’s for good reason. When you massage a sore spot, it stimulates the nerve fibers in the muscle tissue, which experts believe may “close the pain gate” — or temporarily interrupt the pain signals to your brain.
On top of pausing these signals, massage may also promote the release of endorphins, the body’s natural pain relievers. Together, these effects can help explain why a neck rub can feel so soothing when your muscles are sore or stiff.
How To Massage the Levator Scapulae: 3 Ways
If you’re ready to ease some of the strain that’s built up in your levator scapulae, there are a few simple ways to start — whether you prefer using your hands or gentle massage tools. And the good news is that since this muscle isn’t extremely deep, you won’t need to use heavy pressure to reach it. Here are three easy techniques to try:
Note: Neck pain can stem from many sources, some being serious. Check with your doctor before starting, and be sure to avoid any techniques that cause or worsen pain.
Gentle Neck Massage
When your levator scapulae are feeling stiff after a long day, here’s one way to massage away the tension using just your hands:
- Start by wrapping both hands around the back of your neck.
- Using your palms, apply gentle pressure in broad, squeezing motions up and down the neck muscles. Repeat for 30 seconds.
- Next, glide down the back sides of the neck using light-to-moderate pressure, following the path of the levator scapulae. (Tip: Pay attention to how this feels; it should be soothing without worsening irritation or pain.)
- Now, you can move to slightly more focused work. Tilt your head to the left to stretch the right levator scapulae muscle, and place your fingers at the top of it.
- Gently glide down and outward to massage across the muscle fibers for 30 seconds. Deepen the pressure as needed, and feel free to spend a little extra time on any knots or trigger points.
Trigger Point Release
If you suspect a knot is behind your discomfort, some targeted massage paired with gentle stretching can often bring relief. Here are the steps:
- Use your fingers to gently palpate (or feel) along the area where you think the knot is.
- Once you find the spot, use two fingers to apply pressure.
- While holding that pressure, slowly tilt your head down and to the side to stretch the muscle fibers.
- Hold for 10-20 seconds until you feel relief.
This may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but it should let up after a few seconds. If it doesn’t, it might be a sign that your trigger point is too irritated to work on right now (and in this case, it’s best to stop the massage and give it a couple of days to settle down.)
For a deeper look at how this technique works, this video from two physical therapists covers it step-by-step.
Try a Neck Massager for Everyday Relief
Another good way to soothe the levator scapulae (and other neck muscles) is to try a gentle, restorative neck massager. The MedMassager Neck Massager is one HSA/FSA-eligible option with multiple speed and heat settings to soothe stressed muscles – and unlike more general massage tools, it’s specifically built to fit comfortably along the neck’s natural curve.
To try it:
- Wrap the massager around your neck muscles using the hand straps.
- Set it to the lightest setting. (Optionally, you can switch on the heat setting for more tension relief.)
- Allow your muscles to warm up to the massage.
- After one minute, you can increase the massage pressure if desired.
- Use for a total of 5-10 minutes.
Safety Tips To Keep in Mind
Gently rubbing the neck is a natural response to aches and tension, and it isn’t likely to do any harm for most people. But if you have any health conditions — or if you want to try more targeted massage techniques — it’s important to keep a few safety tips in mind. Here’s what to remember:
- Avoid using pressure over any swelling, bruising, or recent injuries — massage at this point can often worsen pain or inflammation.
- Check with a healthcare provider first if you have any underlying health conditions.
- Avoid using deep pressure near the front of the neck to help protect delicate structures like the throat and arteries.
- If you want to try deeper pressure, remember to start light and gradually increase as needed to avoid overworking your muscles.
- Stay in tune with your body. If massage hurts or isn’t bringing relief, it’s a sign to lighten up on that spot (or avoid massage in general) for now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about self-massage or the levator scapulae in general? Here are a few answers to help you protect your neck muscles and get more relief:
Are There Any Ways to Boost the Effects of Massage?
Yes! There are a few simple strategies you can use to increase massage’s benefits, including:
- Using it regularly. One massage can be helpful, but consistent use can help counteract the everyday strain that tends to build up in the neck muscles.
- Combining it with some gentle warmth. Heat on its own is great for chronic, dull muscle tension, but it can work even better paired with massage.
- Stretching beforehand to help boost blood flow and warm up your muscles. Since a tight levator scapulae tends to limit neck mobility, this can also be a good way to restore some range of motion.
How Do You Know if Your Levator Scapulae Is the Problem?
The back sides of the neck contain many overlapping muscles, and it can be hard to pinpoint when your levator scapulae is actually the problem. But because it connects to the scapula, one telltale sign is pain that extends to (or starts from) the shoulder blade. You might also notice some discomfort when you tilt your ear down toward your shoulder, or feel a tight spot or trigger point in the levator scapulae area.
How Often Should I Use Massage?
A few times per week (at 5-10 minutes per session) is a good place to start if you want to try regular massage. At this frequency, you shouldn’t have to worry about overworking the muscles, and you’ll likely reap some noticeable benefits. That said, be sure to look out for signs of overdoing it — like worsened soreness, sharp pain, or increased inflammation.
Additional Tips for Levator Scapulae Health
As a final step, here are a few practical, everyday tips that can help you prevent tension and keep your levator scapulae muscles healthy over time:
- Be mindful of your posture during the day. Imagine that there’s a string gently pulling on the top of your head to keep your spine in alignment, and try to watch out for forward head posture when using phones or computers.
- Loosen up your muscles often. Start a morning (or nighttime) stretching routine that involves a few shoulder rolls and side-to-side head tilts.
- Pay attention to your shoulders when stressed. Stress can often have people “wearing their shoulders like earrings,” which can be hard on the neck muscles. So, when you feel overwhelmed or tense, try to relax and roll your shoulders down and back.
- Take breaks when doing repetitive tasks like overhead work, and build in rest days if you regularly play a sport (or do another activity) that strains the levator scapulae.
The Takeaway
The levator scapulae does a lot of work each day, so it’s no wonder that it’s often at the root of neck and shoulder pain. Fortunately, massage can bring some surprising benefits to this little muscle’s health, helping to break up deep-seated tension, boost blood flow, and ease everyday strain.
To get started with restorative massage at home, pick up the MedMassager Neck Massager today, or explore the full line of HSA/FSA-eligible tools here.
