Chronic neck pain doesn’t always start in your neck. Often, it’s starting elsewhere in your body: maybe your shoulders, rib cage, or even your posture pulling on your neck so hard that all the tension ends up right there. One simple trick you can do anywhere is to gently pull the mastoid process (the little bony area behind your ear and jaw) away from your heels. This stimulates the sternocleidomastoid and other muscles that support your neck, shoulders, and rib cage. Over time, these small adju

Massaging the area behind the mastoid process, near the base of the skull, stimulates the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in the parasympathetic nervous system. This activation promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and lowers heart rate, helping the body shift into a restful state. Additionally, this area contains tension-prone muscles like the sternocleidomastoid, and releasing tightness there can improve blood flow and reduce headaches or neck strain, further enhancing sleep quality. FOLLOW