Psychosomatics of Neck Pain

Heavy physical labor, long hours at the computer, working in forced and uncomfortable positions, and a passive lifestyle – all provoke the formation of muscle tension and other diseases, such as neck myositis. However, not only lifestyle specifics are reflected in the neck, but also a person’s thinking. Psychosomatics studies the connection between health and thoughts.

What the Neck Symbolizes in Psychosomatics

The neck connects the body and the head; on a mental level, it symbolizes the balance between spiritual and material needs, soul and mind. If there’s a problem in one of these spheres, neck pain begins.

When a person wants to bury their head in the sand, they often walk with their head down. The longer this position is maintained, the more severe the deformation of vertebrae and cartilage. But the desire to run away from problems is not the only cause of discomfort in the neck. Let’s look at other reasons in more detail.

The Neck as a Symbol of Flexibility

Neck rotations and tilts symbolize psychological flexibility. If a person can’t consider others’ opinions and can’t view situations from different angles, neck flexibility weakens. This problem corresponds to a certain personality type. Characteristics of such a person:

• Stubbornness;
• Egoism and egocentrism;
• Conservatism;
• Rigid and linear thinking;
• Poorly developed adaptability;
• Rigidity;
• Narrow-mindedness.

Additionally, neck flexibility suffers from the fear of looking sideways and backwards. This, in turn, comes from the fear of judgment, the inability to accept a situation, the desire to turn a blind eye to something.

Muscle Tension in the Neck as a Prohibition

Neck pain indicates that desires and duties of the personality contradict each other. A person wants one thing but is forced to do another, resulting in chronic dissatisfaction, inability to enjoy life. Suppressed feelings, desires, and energy become causes of tension. Pain indicates that a person prohibits themselves from looking where they want. This behavior can also be associated with the fear of judgment. The more internal prohibitions, the stronger the tension.

Right and Left Side of the Neck

In psychosomatics, it’s important to consider not only the organ or body part where the pain arises but also the side. The left side represents feminine energy, relationships with the mother (women), and a person’s relationship with themselves. The right side symbolizes masculine energy, relationships with the father (men), and the external world.

Why the left side of the neck hurts:

• Lack of feminine qualities (flexibility, tolerance, softness, gentleness, sensitivity, compliance);
• Suppression of spiritual beginnings;
• Excessive rationalization of life;
• Prohibition on expressing feminine feelings, weakness, and softness;
• Rigidity, distrust. Why the neck hurts on the right:
• Lack of masculine qualities (willpower, decisiveness, goal orientation, aggression);
• Excessive softness;
• Dreaminess;
• Vulnerability;
• Lack of will and goal-setting;
• Lack of decisiveness and persistence.

For health, it’s important to have a harmonious combination of masculine and feminine energy. In men, feminine qualities should be slightly less pronounced than in women. Conversely, in women, masculine qualities should be weaker than feminine ones. But both men and women should be able to display qualities of the opposite sex when necessary. For instance, a man should be gentle with his wife and children, and a woman should be decisive and resilient at work.

Experts’ Opinion

Psychosomatics is developing so rapidly and is in such high demand that its well-known representatives have not only defined the general significance of the neck and its pain but have also given a metaphysical interpretation to each vertebra. Let’s take a closer look at these theories.

Psychosomatics of the Neck According to Louise Hay

According to Louise Hay, the neck symbolizes the flexibility of thinking. It reflects a person’s ability to look around, in different directions. If you physically cannot turn your neck, it’s worth considering psychological rigidity, stubbornness, and unwillingness to view problems from different perspectives.

There are seven vertebrae in the cervical spine. Louise Hay provides a psychological interpretation for each of them:

Neck Psychosomatics According to Liz Burbo

Liz Burbo is known for explaining diseases from both medical and psychological perspectives, considering a complex of blockages: physical, emotional, and mental.

Physical Blockage

The neck, connecting the head and the torso, causes a lot of inconvenience when in pain, hindering a normal lifestyle and work performance. Sometimes, the pain or tension extends to the shoulders and back. Physiologically, this pain and tension are caused by improper body position and sedentary work, reflecting the body’s response to physical overexertion, stress, and fatigue. Stretching and rest are necessary.

Emotional Blockage

Any discomfort in the neck area indicates a lack of mental flexibility. Neck pain occurs in people who want to control everything and cannot objectively assess situations. A stiff neck prevents turning the head, symbolizing on an emotional level the fear of hearing or seeing what is happening behind or not wanting to acknowledge something. This avoidance of problems often leads to more stress. Perversity and feelings of hopelessness are also causes of discomfort.

Mental Blockage

Discomfort in the neck suggests ignoring problems and acting incorrectly. Such a person is too focused on their opinion or old views, with many unfounded fears preventing them from viewing situations from different angles.

What to do: It’s important to share your feelings with everyone involved in the issue and listen to their perspectives. Analyze which movements are restricted by pain. If you can’t nod, it indicates a fear of agreeing with someone or accepting a situation. If you can’t shake your head, it means you are unable to refuse someone.

Dr. V. Sinelnikov on Psychosomatic Causes of Neck Problems

Discomfort in the neck indicates a refusal or inability to see what is happening behind and around. Neck tension suggests stubbornness, rigid thinking about situations and people, and an unwillingness to view situations from different perspectives.

Neck Psychosomatics According to V. Zhikarentsev

According to V. Zhikarentsev’s theory, discomfort in the neck indicates rigidity and cruelty of character. Such a person is inflexible and stubborn in their views. Healing affirmation: “I easily and flexibly view events from different perspectives. There are many options for solving any issue. I feel safe and free.”

Psychosomatics: Raised Shoulders and Retracted Neck

Postural distortions, such as raised or shrugged shoulders, occur in people who feel threatened or guilty. These changes often begin in childhood, particularly in children who are constantly criticized or punished, leading to a desire to become inconspicuous, hence the retracted neck. Such individuals often view themselves as unworthy and fear failure.

Psychosomatics of Neck Muscle Rigidity and Tightness

People who feel cornered or helpless develop tensions in the shoulders, neck, and back, accompanied by headaches and migraines. Rigidity indicates an inability to turn the head as desired, often arising after conflict resolution. Example: A new female colleague attracts the attention of a married male colleague, who suppresses sinful thoughts and avoids looking at her. After she is transferred to another department and the inner conflict resolves, he experiences neck stiffness. Conflicts can arise in any area: business, personal life, relationships with friends, self-development, etc.

Psychosomatics of Neck Pain

Psychosomatics (neck) suggests that the cause lies in the body wanting one thing and the head another, representing a conflict between reason and control with instincts. Conflicts are often related to childhood conditioning or social norms.

Psychosomatics of Tense Shoulders

The cause is suppressed emotions, excessive responsibilities, taking on others’ responsibilities. Such individuals are accustomed to enduring hardships for the well-being of others, doing things for others without being asked, coupled with a dependence on others’ opinions. To meet others’ expectations, they are ready to sacrifice their desires.

Causes of Muscle Tensions

Muscle tensions hinder movement, reflecting an inner reluctance to do something specific or to be active in general. This may hide disappointment in life, self-doubt, fear of leaving the comfort zone, fear of failure, or the unknown. Muscle tensions arise from nervous grounds.

Neck and Shoulder Tension

You feel as if someone is “riding” on your neck. Additionally, neck and shoulder pain indicates taking on too much. You feel obligated to constantly care for, help, and support others, forgetting your own health and happiness. It’s necessary to rid oneself of hyper-responsibility, which causes muscle spasms in the neck.

Chondrosis, Pinching, Hunchback, Itch

Causes of chondrosis, pinching, itch, hunchback:

• Stress;
• Fear of dismissal;
• Suppressed creative self-realization;
• Self-criticism;
• Fear of making a mistake;
• Criticism from others;
• Lack of support;
• Engaging in disliked activities;
• Suppressed anger and rage;
• Dissatisfaction with one’s or another person’s actions;
• Lack of life’s purpose;
• Irritation;
• Feeling disconnected from life.

How to Get Rid of Neck Pain and Eliminate the Psychosomatic Cause

To eliminate neck pain, you need to address the psychological cause. Follow these stages of healing and psychosomatic neck exercises.

Psychosomatic Neck Warm-Up

1. Express all emotions and feelings. This doesn’t mean you should yell at someone, fight, or get offended. Learn to verbalize your feelings. Say if you are angry at someone or if they hurt you. If you love someone, confess your feelings. Suppressing any emotion is equally dangerous for health. If you can’t convey your emotions to the recipient, release tension in another way: scream alone, cry, laugh. The important thing is to do it consciously. Allow yourself to be a living person.
2. Train your mind, stretch and warm it up. Learn to listen, accept, and understand other people’s positions. Try to see a problematic situation through someone else’s eyes. But don’t become dependent, don’t allow yourself to be manipulated.
3. Deal with internal contradictions. Don’t force yourself to do things you don’t want to. Don’t settle for what you are unhappy with. Change your job, hobbies, social circle, or place of residence. Realize what your body and subconscious are protesting against.
4. Learn to listen to and feel your body, connecting its reactions to emotions. Observe when the pain intensifies and when it weakens. Identify what brings you joy and comfort, and what spoils your mood and worsens your well-being. This will help you understand what you want, what you aspire to, what you like. Then think about how to restore balance in your life.
5. Develop objectivity. Subjective perception distorts reality, learn to see facts. In every difficult situation, try to detach yourself and look at everything from the perspective of a passerby.
6. Exercise, stretch, massage your muscles. A sedentary and passive lifestyle slows down metabolism, worsens circulation. This causes an energy stagnation.

Important! Healing requires achieving harmony with the body, soul, and mind. Understand your desires and live in accord with yourself.