Splenius Capitis Pain: What Causes It and How to Find Relief
If you’ve ever felt soreness at the base of your skull or along the back of your neck after looking up for too long, your splenius capitis muscle may be to blame. This muscle helps you extend, rotate, and tilt your head—and when it’s strained or tight, it can cause pain that radiates into the shoulders, head, or even trigger tension headaches.
What Causes Splenius Capitis Pain
While occasional muscle fatigue from watching a show or event outdoors can contribute, more common causes include:
- Poor posture while working at a computer or driving
- Repetitive overhead activity or looking up for long periods
- Whiplash or sports injuries
- Stress-related muscle tension
- Joint restriction or spinal misalignment in the cervical spine
When the splenius capitis becomes tight or overworked, nearby muscles often compensate, leading to stiffness, headaches, or pain that feels deep in the neck and upper back.
How Chiropractic Care Helps
At Aligned Modern Health, our Chiropractic Physicians use gentle adjustments and soft-tissue techniques to restore alignment and mobility in the neck. This helps reduce inflammation, improve range of motion, and relieve the muscular tension behind splenius capitis pain. Many patients also benefit from posture education and rehabilitative exercises to strengthen supporting neck and shoulder muscles.
Learn more about our Chiropractic Care services.
How Acupuncture Can Support Recovery
Acupuncture is another effective, evidence-based way to ease splenius capitis strain and tension headaches. By improving blood flow, releasing tight fascia, and calming the nervous system, acupuncture promotes natural healing and relaxation. Many patients find combining acupuncture with chiropractic care provides faster, longer-lasting relief.
Explore our Acupuncture therapy options.
Try a Simple Neck Stretch
When your neck feels tight, gentle stretching can help prevent discomfort from returning. Try this quick movement:
- Sit upright with your shoulders relaxed.
- Tuck your chin slightly to make a “double chin” while keeping your eyes forward.
- Place one hand on your chin to stabilize it, and use your other hand to gently pull the top of your head forward until you feel a stretch along the back of your neck.
- Hold for 15–20 seconds, then release.
Repeat several times throughout the day, especially if you work at a desk or frequently look up.
When to Seek Professional Care
If neck pain persists, limits your range of motion, or causes headaches or shoulder discomfort, it’s best to get evaluated. Our clinicians can help identify whether your pain stems from muscular tension, nerve irritation, or cervical joint dysfunction.
We offer comprehensive chiropractic and acupuncture care across our Chicago-area clinics to help you move freely and feel your best. Find a location near you.
Schedule an Appointment
Fill out the form below and our team will get back to you as soon as possible. For immediate assistance, please call 773-598-4387.
