You might find it hard to imagine how the autonomic nervous system causes shoulder stiffness, but you’ll understand once you hear this explanation.
As you probably know, shoulder stiffness is caused by factors such as muscle weakness and prolonged desk work, where maintaining the same posture for long periods disrupts blood circulation.
However, the involvement of the autonomic nervous system should not be overlooked.
The muscle responsible for the sensation of shoulder stiffness is called the “trapezius,” a thick muscle. The nerve controlling it belongs to the autonomic nervous system, which controls the nervous system of the brain.
When the body detects abnormalities in specific areas, it responds by stiffening them to send a warning signal. The trapezius, which is famous for shoulder stiffness, plays a particularly important role in this.
Furthermore, the autonomic nervous system’s “nerve nodes” are densely distributed around the spine from the neck to the back. (In traditional Chinese medicine, this is where many acupuncture points for the autonomic nervous system are located.)
The main symptom of shoulder stiffness is usually the feeling of fatigue in the trapezius muscle. As the condition progresses, the “fatigue” shifts to “pain” due to poor blood circulation, leading to muscle hypoxia.
At this stage, “tension-type headaches” may occur, which are caused by poor blood circulation. In more severe cases, nerve symptoms like numbness may develop.
This pain is not caused by “inflammation” from muscle damage, so painkillers provide only temporary relief. Autonomic nervous system symptoms often include shallow breathing, dizziness, tinnitus, nausea, sleep deprivation, and jaw discomfort.