As an executive mum, you probably know this feeling well - a stubborn sore spot in your neck or shoulder that does not quite go away. You press on it and it feels tender, almost bruised. Sometimes the pain even spreads upward into your head or outward toward your shoulder blade. Many people call these “tight knots.” Clinically, they are called trigger points. In this blog lets discuss what are trigger points or 'tight knots' in neck and shoulder muscles.
A trigger point is a small, irritable spot inside a tight band of muscle fibres. It forms when part of the muscle stays contracted for too long and does not fully relax. That small area becomes sensitive, chemically irritated, and protective. When you press it, it hurts locally and sometimes refers to pain to another area.
In the neck, trigger points commonly develop in muscles like the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, and deep neck extensors. These muscles work hard during long hours of desk focus, screen use, and mental pressure. They are postural support muscles, which means they quietly stay active all day. When load stays high and recovery stays low, trigger points form. This is not because you are weak. It is because your muscles are overworking without enough movement and release.
Here is the part most people miss. Trigger points are not just a muscle issue. They are also a nervous system issue. When your system stays in low level alert mode for hours, muscle tone increases. Shoulders lift slightly. Jaw tightens. Breathing becomes shallow. That background tension reduces circulation inside the muscle and makes trigger points more likely. That is why you can wake up with them even after “rest.”
Trigger points often cause more than local soreness. They can refer pain to other areas such as the arm, mid back, etc. They can also create headaches, neck stiffness, reduced movement and that heavy end of day fatigue across your neck, mid back and shoulders.
Relief does not come from aggressive stretching alone. Muscles release best when load is reduced, alignment improves, and the nervous system feels safe enough to let go. Gentle pressure, slow breathing and frequent movement breaks and small posture resets, are often more effective than forcing big stretches.
HERE is a free video guide on ‘Quick and Easy Desk Based Exercises to avoid spinal & joint pain’ These are simple and easy movements that can be done in under 2-3 minutes while sitting at your desk at work or from the comfort of your home.
Remember these sore spots are not random. They are your body marking overload. When you change the input, those points calm down faster than you expect.
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