Find What’s Causing Your Neck Pain
Answer 5 quick questions and see which muscles may be behind your neck pain — then get your targeted reset plan with therapist-created, self-resisted stretches.
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Why Does My Neck Feel Tight or Sore?
Neck discomfort may be influenced by muscle tension, posture, repetitive activity, prolonged positions, movement demands and other factors. The way you use your neck throughout the day — at a desk, looking at a phone, driving, or during physical work — can all play a role.
Different muscles in the neck can become tight or restricted for different reasons, and the location and quality of the discomfort you feel can vary. This is why understanding which muscles may be involved can help you explore more targeted self-care.
Neck pain can have many causes. Persistent, severe, unexplained or concerning symptoms should be assessed by an appropriate healthcare professional.
JSM Reset is an educational wellness and mobility app. It does not diagnose medical conditions and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Muscles Commonly Involved in Neck Movement and Tension
The following muscles contribute to neck movement and are often associated with tightness or restricted movement. Each card links to the relevant JSM Reset content where an approved self-resisted stretch exists.
Upper Trapezius
- Location
- Top of the shoulder and back of the neck, running from the base of the skull down to the shoulder blade.
- Movements & Functions
- Helps lift the shoulders, tilt the head to the side, and stabilize the neck during arm movement.
- How Tension May Feel
- Often feels like aching or tightness at the top of the shoulder or the back of the neck, especially after prolonged sitting or carrying.
Levator Scapulae
- Location
- Runs from the upper neck down to the top of the shoulder blade.
- Movements & Functions
- Lifts the shoulder blade and helps rotate the head to the same side.
- How Tension May Feel
- Often felt as stiffness or a pulling sensation between the neck and shoulder blade, especially when turning the head.
Sternocleidomastoid (SCM)
- Location
- Front and side of the neck, running diagonally from behind the ear to the collarbone.
- Movements & Functions
- Turns the head to the opposite side and helps tilt it forward.
- How Tension May Feel
- May feel like tightness or discomfort along the front or side of the neck, sometimes with reduced ability to turn the head.
Anterior Scalene
- Location
- Front of the neck, deep to the SCM, connecting the cervical spine to the first rib.
- Movements & Functions
- Helps tilt and stabilize the neck, and assists with breathing by lifting the upper ribs.
- How Tension May Feel
- May contribute to tightness or discomfort in the front of the neck or near the collarbone area.
Middle Scalene
- Location
- Side of the neck, between the anterior and posterior scalenes.
- Movements & Functions
- Helps tilt the neck to the side and assists with breathing by lifting the upper ribs.
- How Tension May Feel
- May feel like tightness along the side of the neck, sometimes with limited sideways movement.
Posterior Scalene
- Location
- Back of the side of the neck, connecting the cervical spine to the second rib.
- Movements & Functions
- Helps tilt the neck to the side and stabilizes the cervical spine.
- How Tension May Feel
- May contribute to tightness felt toward the back of the side of the neck.
Suboccipitals
- Location
- Small muscles at the base of the skull, at the very top of the back of the neck.
- Movements & Functions
- Help with fine movements of the head, especially tilting and rotating at the top of the spine.
- How Tension May Feel
- Often felt as tightness or pressure at the base of the skull, especially after looking down for long periods.
Splenius Capitis
- Location
- Back of the neck, running from the upper spine to the base of the skull.
- Movements & Functions
- Helps extend the head backward, tilt it to the side, and rotate it.
- How Tension May Feel
- May feel like tightness or aching in the back of the neck, especially with prolonged forward head positions.
Splenius Cervicis
- Location
- Back of the neck, running from the upper spine to the lower cervical spine.
- Movements & Functions
- Helps extend and rotate the neck, working with the splenius capitis.
- How Tension May Feel
- May feel like stiffness or aching in the back of the neck, especially when looking up or turning the head.
Where Do You Feel Your Neck Discomfort?
Discomfort can show up in different areas. Some common examples include:
- Side of the neck
- Base of the skull
- Top of the shoulder
- Between the neck and shoulder blade
- Front or side of the neck
- Pain or stiffness with turning the head
- Pain or stiffness looking up or down
Location alone does not identify a single muscle, which is why JSM Reset combines symptom location with movement questions to help narrow down the muscles that may be involved.
How JSM Reset Find My Pain Works
Tell us where you feel it
Point to the area on the 3D body where you feel discomfort or tension.
Answer questions about your symptoms and movement
Share details about the sensation, how long you have felt it, and what movements affect it.
See possible muscles highlighted on the 3D body
JSM Reset shows the muscles that may be involved based on your answers.
Explore appropriate JSM Reset self-resisted stretches
Open the recommended stretches for the muscles identified and follow the guided instructions.
JSM Reset does not provide a medical diagnosis. Recommendations are based on JSM Reset's therapist-created clinical movement framework and are intended for educational and self-care purposes.
What Is a Self-Resisted Stretch?
A JSM Reset self-resisted stretch combines a gentle muscular contraction with controlled movement or stretching. Your own body provides the resistance, so no special equipment is required.
Users should stay within comfortable ranges and stop if movement produces concerning symptoms.
Self-resisted stretching is an educational self-care technique. It is not a treatment or cure for any medical condition.
Try the Neck Reset
If you already know you want to work on neck mobility, you can go directly to the Neck Reset program and explore the guided self-resisted stretches for the muscles above.
Not Sure Which Muscle?
Start with Find My Pain. Answer a few questions about where you feel discomfort and which movements affect it, and JSM Reset will show the muscles that may be involved on the 3D body.
JSM Reset is an educational wellness and mobility app. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have persistent, severe, or concerning symptoms, please consult an appropriate healthcare professional.
Created and clinically directed by Cara Jenner
JSM Reset is an educational wellness resource based on the Jenner Structural Method™ and years of hands-on therapeutic experience.
For general education and wellness only. Not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
© 2026 JSM Reset / Jenner Structural Method™. All rights reserved.