Who Is that Pain in Your Neck?

When I was young, there was a saying, "You're a pain in the neck!" Believe it or not, some clients do come to me with a pain in the neck that has a name.

One woman came to me in severe pain. She couldn't turn her head from side to side. Not too far into the therapy session, she revealed that her neck hurt after getting into an argument with her husband and sleeping on the couch.

Years ago, I was at a party and did some impromptu work on a young man who had neck & shoulder pain. To me it was obvious that the mental and emotional worry about his responsibilities in life was hurting his shoulders. The pain in his neck was his mother, whom I had observed hovering over him and trying to direct the details of his life.

The last time I had severe pain in my neck is because I was mad about cleaning the guest bathroom. I was mad most of the day and went to sleep mad. I woke up the next morning and couldn't turn my head. It took three massages and I had to be willing to change my mind about the situation.

If you have a person in your life who is the "pain in your neck", the solution is not expecting that person to change to make you feel better. The solution is to change your mind and change your expectations of that person.