You may have noticed when your neck is tight, you feel somewhat dizzy or foggy too? You may be wondering, can tight neck muscles restrict blood flow to brain? Neck tightness is often dismissed as one of those harmless and trivial pains associated with stress or improper posture, but the reality is, your neck is extremely important in delivering oxygenated blood and nourishment to your brain.
In this blog post, we will explore how tight neck muscles can affect blood flow, what types of symptoms you may potentially experience and ultimately, how to release the tension in order to continue to keep your neck (and brain) healthy.
Understanding the Connection: Can Tight Neck Muscles Restrict Blood Flow to Brain?
In addition to being a structural support for the head, the neck is a busy corridor of nerves, arteries, and muscles. For example, your carotid and vertebral arteries travel through your neck and send blood to the brain!
Your neck muscles are critical for balancing the head on your spine so if your neck muscles become very tight, then they might add stresses to your posture and alignment, that may affect these arteries.
What the Science Says
There’s growing interest in how posture and muscle tension impact blood flow:
- Bad posture, particularly a “forward head position,” can alter cervical spine position and potentially alter flow in the vertebral artery.
- A study on necktie compression research, external pressure can indubitably cut off cerebral blood flow, however research has further shown that simple neck tightness rarely has adverse outcomes from restricted blood flow to the brain.
- More often than not, adverse outcomes occur due to postural and musculoskeletal system fatigue, rather than simply neck tightness.
In addition to tightness in the muscles, tightness alone usually does not block blood to the brain unless there is an existent condition that allows this to happen.
Why Neck Posture and Muscle Tension Matter
The Role of Posture and Cervical Alignment
The standard human head has an average weight of 5-6 kilograms. When that head is in good alignment, it is quite simple for your neck to hold that weight. When you think about a “forward-head” position (the head tilted forward from your body: forward to look at your phone), the weight supported by the neck muscles can exceed approximately 25-30 kg of load!
Increased weight from poor posture causes an increase in tension of the muscles of the neck and to the flattening of the natural “C” curve of the neck, which is associated with decreased perfusion of blood flow when looking at the arteries that accompany the vertebral column.
How Muscle Tightness Affects Circulation
The tight muscles of the neck, that can include the scalenes, the trapezius, or the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles, also have the potential to compress the smaller arteries and/or nerves in the head and neck. And that could lead to:
- Local decreased circulation and blood flow to the area.
- Headaches.
- Dizziness or light-headedness.
- Fatigue and stiffness of the muscle.
It is important to know that these symptoms can be similar to other reasons for decreased oxygen getting to the top of the neck/ brain area, but are not always the result of occlusion.
Common Signs Your Neck Muscles Might Be Affecting You
| Possible Symptom | How It Feels | What Might Be Happening |
| Tension headaches | Dull, tight pain around temples or back of head | Muscles compressing small vessels or nerves |
| Brain fog or dizziness | Fuzzy thinking or imbalance | Possible microcirculatory restriction |
| Neck stiffness | Limited motion or soreness | Chronic tension and postural fatigue |
| Shoulder tightness | Constant pulling around shoulders | Overcompensating for weak neck muscles |
If these symptoms sound familiar, your body might be asking you to fix your neck posture and muscle balance.
How to Improve Neck Muscle Health and Blood Flow
1. Formulate an Action Plan to Improve Movement and Decrease Sitting
Sitting still for a long time when you are doing things such as typing on a computer, or scrolling on your phone can cause tension in and tightness in your neck muscles. One way to correct this is to set a timer on your device for twenty to thirty minutes, then take two minutes to gently roll your shoulders, or slowly bend your head forward.
2. Work on Neck Strength
Chin tucks, or side bending, or abdominal exercises or gliding your shoulder blade. These are all good exercises to review to improve your alignment and to decrease muscular tension. You might also consider getting some safe exercises to improve alignment from a physiotherapist.
3. Check Your Posture
You will want to confirm your computer is at eye level to avoid leaning forward in your posture, your shoulders are relaxed, and you feel aligned. Although it will be small adjustments to your posture it will promote improved blood flow in your neck and upper back.
4. Health and Manage Your Stress & Sleep
Often we carry most of our stress in our neck and shoulders, add breathing and mediation into your health plan to get some relaxation of the muscles in your neck and shoulders as well as improved exchange of oxygen in your neck.
When to See a Doctor
If you ever experience sudden, severe neck pain along with blurred vision, dizziness, or weakness, seek emergency care. These can be warning signs of a carotid or vertebral artery issue, such as dissection or blockage (Harvard Health).
Conclusion
So, can tight neck muscles restrict blood flow to brain? Although it may be somewhat ambiguous, there is a hidden level of ambiguity. Tightness can affect your posture, your ability to move, and in reality, affect blood circulation to the smaller vessels near your neck.
The good news is that for many of these hardworking variables, good posture, stretching, or just standing up for a few minutes works. When you have a healthy neck, you’ll have a healthy brain; and in a healthy neck, the brain will also follow!
If you want to learn more about brain such as how brain prioritze fight response. Read this article.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
1. Can tight neck muscles hinder blood circulation to the brain?
Yes. Tension in the neck muscles can slightly reduce blood circulation to the brain, and that may be attributed to the position due to the muscle tightness or to the muscles compressing the neck vessels.
2. Why do I feel light headed when I have a tight neck?
The tension of the neck can affect circulation to the brain and also interfere in the signaling of the brain nerves, both can result in a feeling of dizziness or lightheadedness.
3. Can being tight in the neck cause headaches or a foggy brain?
Yes. Limited vascular perfusion of oxygen due to tight muscles can cause tension-type headaches or even a feeling of fatigue in your concentration, commonly referred to as “foggy brain”.
4. Is having less blood circulation due to tight neck muscles dangerous?
Not usually, unless you have a sudden very severe headache, neurological status change or pain associated with cardiac symptoms, this could be a medical emergency.
5. Can bad posture exacerbate this?
Absolutely. Forward head posture creates greater strain on the neck which tightens neck muscles and potentially decreases blood circulation.
