The purpose of your neck muscles is obvious; they let you move your head around, and they keep it upright so you can see where you’re going. But did you know they also help regulate blood flow to your brain and assist your breathing? Your neck muscles are incredibly important, and life would be difficult without them. There are four general movements in neck muscles. These are hyper-extension, rotation, lateral flexion, and flexion. The first lets you look up at the sky by tilting your head upwards. The second lets you give a decisive ‘no’ by shaking your head side to side.  The next one, lateral flexion, lets you drain water from your ears after swimming, and the final movement, flexion, lets you look down at your feet so you don’t trip.

Connecting the base of your skull to the upper section of your back, these bands of fibre are controlled by electrical signals from your brain, and as with the rest of your body, ensuring neck muscles are kept in top working order fosters proper functioning and prevents injuries. That said, neck pain is a common ailment, caused mainly by tension and stress. If you’re feeling sore, there are many things you can do for relief, chief among them the application of hot and cold packs, drugstore pain medication, massage, and stretching.