The best levator scapulae stretch on planet earth.

Dr. John Sarno, a pioneer in the treatment of chronic pain in the 80s and 90s, discovered that 99% of his patients experienced tension in the levator scapulae muscle.

Sarno believed that mild oxygen deprivation to muscles was the culprit behind chronic tension, which he attributed to the unconscious brain and repressed emotions.

I’m not a Sarno absolutist but it is undeniable that he was onto something. There is no other area of the body that is as commonly associated with stress, tension and stiffness than the side of the neck - or the levator scapulae.

I feel tension here from time-to-time and I’m sure you do too. That’s probably why you’re here.

This is normal and VERY common. You don’t need to “fix” the levator scapulae or do anything drastic.

Having said that, there are strategies and exercises you can implement to reduce tension in this muscle.

This will not only help relax the levator scapulae but also reduce global tension in the nervous system. In this article, I’ll share a few simple exercises to help accomplish just that.

The Best Levator Scapulae Stretch in the World

I want to give you the good stuff right away. If you get anything out of this tutorial, let this stretch be it.

Hanging out and breathing in this stretch for a few minutes a day will relax this muscle. But the levator scapulae or any other muscle you stretch won’t relax if you don’t relax.

How you stretch is as important as which stretch you choose. If you bring all of your daily stress and worry into the stretch and get lost in thought the whole time, you won’t get what you’re looking for.

You might even make things worse because you’re placing an already irritated muscle in a sensitive position without caution and mindfulness.

Follow my cues in the video. Take it slow and steady.

A proper stretching protocol requires calm consistency, not an all out effort. It’s better to do a little bit every day than to try to hit a home run the first few times you do it.

Daily Levator Scapulae Exercises

In addition to the passive stretch above, I also recommend incorporating some gentle mobility movements for the neck.

These kinds of dynamic mobility exercises are best done in the morning, while static stretches, like the one demonstrated in the above section are best suited for the evenings. 

Any time is better than no time though so don’t worry too much on getting this perfect. This recommendation is just to help you think about how to integrate these exercises into your day.

As you’ll notice, you’re also mobilizing the shoulders which is very important. The levator scapulae connect the neck to the shoulders. Getting the shoulders moving better will pay huge dividends in how your body moves and feels on a daily basis.

Levator Scapulae Pain

Muscular pain and tension, especially when it’s chronic, is not just about a lack of flexibility. Stretching a muscle that feels tight and tense will help but it’s not the magic fix.

This is especially true for a muscle like the levator scapulae which is so often associated with rapid and shallow breathing - a breathing pattern that accompanies stress.

I’m not here to tell you that you need to start breathing differently or even worse, to avoid stress. Modern life is stressful and a life with purpose and meaning has stress in it.

What has helped me tremendously over the years is building resilience in the body and mind. Learning the psychological and physical skills to reduce tension, build strength and dance with pain and tension, rather than avoid it.

When it comes to movement, the low hanging fruit for many people is building more strength in the shoulders and back.

This will take some time and it likely won’t give you immediate relief like relaxed stretching will but it is what will build more long-term resilience.

Strong and capable muscles are less likely to feel tense than weak and incapable ones. How is your pulling strength? Is it similar to your pushing strength?

What is your vertical pulling strength like compared to your horizontal? Are you able to feel your back and shoulder muscles working?

These are some questions to reflect on if your neck continues to flare up despite stretching and mobilizing your neck.

Closing Thoughts

Every one reading this experiences tension in the neck and levator scapulae for slightly different reasons.

There are patterns and commonalities for sure. We are all human beings living in the modern information age. But we are also individuals with different dispositions and lifestyles.

I find that most people often take a very one-sided approach to feeling better.

They decide that their neck is always tense and painful because of stress, or weakness, or a lack of flexibility or whatever else.

This usually results in tunnel vision and the inability to see the forest for the trees. We try to get the reason and solution just right instead of zooming out and taking a more global approach to exploring our bodies.

I love going deep into different modalities but I also find that you usually don’t need to. When it comes to healthy pain-free movement, balance is better than specialization.