Pain in this area often comes from cradling a phone, straining to see your computer screen, or sleeping in an awkward position. But the main cause is usually stress. “Tension makes us unconsciously clench the muscles in our neck and shoulders,” says Troy Blackburn, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of exercise and sport science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Neck Bend (shown)

What It Does: Loosens tension in the sides of the neck and the tops of the shoulders.
How to Do It: Sit or stand up straight. Drop your right ear toward your right shoulder so you feel a mild stretch on the left side of your neck. Let your left shoulder drop. Place your right hand on your head; pull gently. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on left side.

Neck Roll

What It Does: Eases tightness at the tops of the shoulders and between the shoulder blades.
How to Do It: Keeping your chin tucked, turn it to your left shoulder, then slowly reverse and turn all the way to your right shoulder. Repeat up to 10 times. (Don’t make complete circles by tilting your head back — this can place stress on your spine.)

Shoulder Roll

What It Does: Loosens stiffness in and around the shoulder joints.
How to Do It: Sit or stand up straight. Keeping your head and neck stable, roll your shoulders back to complete a full circle. Concentrate on creating as wide a circle as possible without scrunching your shoulders toward your ears. Repeat 10 times, then repeat in the reverse direction.

Shoulder-Chest Stretch

What It Does: Stretches the chest and trapezius muscles.
How to Do It: Stand up tall with arms out to the side, elbows bent, palms forward, and fingers pointed upward. Keeping your spine straight, press your arms back until you feel a slight stretch in your chest and shoulders. Hold for 30 seconds, rest, and repeat 10 times.

To Prevent It

Use a hands-free telephone headset.

Position your computer monitor roughly an arm’s length from your face. The top of the monitor should be at or slightly below eye level so you don’t tilt your chin up to view the screen. Your desk height should be at about elbow height when you’re seated. (Go to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) online checklist to make sure your desk setup is correct: www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/index.html.)

Sleep with a pillow under your head but not under your shoulders. The pillow should be thick enough to hold your neck in a neutral position, according to the Cleveland Clinic Health Information Center. Try to avoid sleeping on your stomach, which can cause you to tilt your neck back.

Stop and stretch throughout the day. Try the one-minute-an-hour rule, or aim for a morning/afternoon/ evening routine. (See exercises, above.)