Shoulder and Neck Pain – Spiritual Meaning, Causes, and Prevention

What is the spiritual meaning of shoulder and neck pain?

Introduction

Shoulder and neck pain can be classified in many different ways.

Some individuals experience only shoulder pain or only neck pain, while others experience pain in both areas.

What Causes Shoulder Pain?

Many shoulder problems are caused by the breakdown of soft tissues in the shoulder area.

Using the shoulder too much can cause the soft tissue to break down faster as people get older.

Other causes include:

  • Strains from overexertion;
  • Brachial plexus injury;
  • Tendonitis from overuse;
  • Shoulder joint instability;
  • Muscle tension or poor posture;
  • Dislocation;
  • Collar or upper arm bone fractures;
  • Thoracic outlet syndrome;
  • Frozen shoulder;
  • Pinched nerves (also called radiculopathy).

What Causes Neck Pain?

Your neck is made up of vertebrae that extend from the skull to the upper torso. Cervical discs absorb shock between the bones.

The ligaments, bones, and muscles of your neck support your head and allow motion. Any inflammation, abnormalities, or injury can cause neck pain.

Here is a complete list of neck pain causes:

  • Abnormalities in the joints or bone;
  • Poor posture and prolonged use of a computer keyboard;
  • Degenerative diseases;
  • Tumors;
  • Falls or accidents, including car accidents;
  • Muscle strain;
  • Pinched nerve. This type of pain differs from carpal tunnel syndrome, which usually involves numbness.

Shoulder Pain Spiritual Causes and Meaning

Shoulder and Neck Pain - Spiritual Meaning, Causes, and Prevention
Image source – Shutterstock

A common cause of shoulder pain is the chronic tension in our muscles, from repeated stress responses, which eventually leads to upper back and neck pain.

Anytime we experience a change in our workload or a change to the burden-bearing part of our life, we may experience a sympathetic response in the form of nerve conditions in the shoulder areas.

Bursitis

This condition occurs when the bursa, which is a small fluid-filled sac that helps protect the shoulder joint, is inflamed.

This inflammation is occasionally caused by diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or by playing sports (or during any type of physical exercise) that overuse the shoulder or by jobs with frequent overhead reaching.

An important cause of bursitis is repressed anger or wanting to hit someone. You can practice this affirmation – Love relaxes and releases all unlike itself.

Rotator Cuff Tear

Rotator cuff tendons can become inflamed from frequent use or aging.

Sports or jobs with repeated overhead motion can also damage the rotator cuff. Occasionally, they are injured from a fall on an outstretched hand.

Aging causes tendons to wear down, which can lead to a tear. Some tears are not painful, but others can be very painful.

This pain is related to not being flexible and not being able to embrace new experiences.

Neck Pain – Spiritual Causes and Meaning

Problems in the neck area can be caused by restrictive breathing.

“The neck is a marvelous combination of yielding nonresistance since it is able to turn in every direction.

In good health, the neck is flexible, strong, and bends easily.

When one has health problems in the area of the neck, he is resisting, fighting, rebelling against some circumstance of life or someone, and has probably become intolerant.” – Catherine Ponder

Cervical Spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis is a ”wear and tear” of the vertebrae and discs in the neck.

While it’s largely due to age, it can be caused by other factors as well.

The spiritual cause related to this condition is overcompensating for a lack of belief in self.

Congenital Muscular Torticollis (Wry Neck)

Congenital translates as present at birth, and torticollis translates as a twisted neck.

It is also known as a wry neck. Torticollis may also occur later in life, but this is not congenital muscular torticollis.

This condition reflects the parents’ inability or unwillingness to agree on a fundamental belief system regarding the purpose and meaning of life.

Spasmodic Torticollis (Cervical Dystonia) 

Spasmodic torticollis (also known as cervical dystonia) is an extremely painful chronic neurological movement disorder causing the neck to involuntarily turn to the right, left, upwards, and/or downwards.

Furthermore, spasmodic torticollis can be present at birth or occur after a muscle or nervous system injury.

Spiritual cause of cervical dystonia is an unstable belief system about self and one’s place in the creation.

Neck Strain (Whiplash)

Whiplash is most frequently caused by a motor vehicle accident in which the individual is in a car that is not moving and is struck by another vehicle from behind.

Whiplash can also occur after learning that a loved one holds a shocking belief system with which one strongly disagrees.

The symptoms of whiplash may include:

  • headaches at the base of the skull, which radiate toward the forehead;
  • tenderness;
  • stiffness or pain when moving the head to look over each shoulder;
  • pain when rocking the head from backward and forward or side to side;
  • a decreased range of motion, pain, and tightness in the neck.

Prevention

Exercise

Regular neck and shoulder exercises. Stretching and flexibility exercises can preserve or expand the range of motion and elasticity in affected cervical joints, thus relieving the stiffness that leads to pain.

Note – prior to exercising, you should always stretch and warm up your muscles.

Meditation

Relaxation techniques and stress management, in particular, meditation, can provide lasting and effective pain relief, and remove the underlying cause of neck and shoulder pain.

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Acupuncture

It has been proven effective in treating shoulder and neck pain caused by bursitis and other conditions.

Correct Posture

Make sure you have good posture when sitting, standing, or moving.

Tip – when standing, keep your weight balanced on both feet and avoid slouching. Your shoulders should be aligned with your hips, and your head should be level – not leaning forward, backward, or sideways.

Sleep

Sleep on a low, firm pillow at night. In addition, using too many pillows may force your neck to bend unnaturally.

Image source – Shutterstock

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