effective exercise for levator scapulae spasm / pain / tightness

Hi, I have had problems with headaches and anxiety for a while now. It would appear that the problems are related to my levator scapulae which are noticeably inflamed and painful. They hurt when I turn my head and seem to cause headaches up the sides and back of my head in the occipital muscles. A physio recommended that I strengthen my serratus and upper trapezius, which I have been doing at the gym, but I have found it difficult to target the upper trapezius - the only exercise I know for doing this is the shrug. I can never seem to feel my upper trapezius get tired with the shrug but I often feel a tightness over the back of my neck pulling my head backwards. Is this the action of the levator scapulae? I read that shrugs target both the upper trapezius and levator. Should I be trying to isolate the upper traps as the levator is already overworked?

I have been doing mostly lateral raises, upright rows and shrugs to try and work the area, sometimes I get a little relief after exercise sometimes it seems to make things worse. Id really like to get an effective routine and see some relief in the levators. Any advice would be much appreciated!

....these headaches (in case anyone may find this interesting, or have any useful information in relation to) feel like a constant tightness over the back and sides of the head and are accompanied by a vague, floaty dizziness and anxiousness. My heart always feels like it is beating hard and fast even when I am in bed and I find it very difficult to relax and sleep. This seems to be at it's worst after I eat

Hi there Philip,

A quick suggestion is to look at your breathing patterns- this may be the cause of why you are experiencing chronic tightness in your neck and shoulders and also the dizziness and anxiety. What you are describing can be symptoms of hyperventilation- overbreathing at rest, usually through shallow breathing into the upper chest will cause the shoulder and neck muscles to be constantly tense. Also overbreathing will reduce carbon dioxide levels, which can change body chemistry and lead to other feelings such as dizziness and anxiety.

The first step would be to assess how you are breathing- lie down somewhere quiet or even note how you are breathing when you are sitting. You may want to put a hand on your stomach and one on the lower ribs to see where the air goes. Note if you breathe through your mouth or your nose. Can you hear your breathing at rest? How fast are you breathing? (time it). Does breathing in and out feel easy or are there points of effort?

Anxiety is often a cause of headache and muscular tension in the upper back and shoulders. As already suggested I would look into your breathing and also into relaxation techniques. Pilates is great for both and teaches you to effectively strengthen these muscles and also how to not overuse them especially if your core muscles are weak. Hands on treatment is effective for reducing spasm and treating headaches.