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Focusing on the Sympathetic nervous system (SNS), the Parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), and the Vagus nerve (10th cranial nerve).

 * The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) acts as the "fight-or-flight" system, increasing heart rate, dilating pupils, and inhibiting digestion during stress.

~Imagine you are crossing the road and see a car coming quicker than you had anticipated. Your heart rate increases, breathing speeds up, pupils dilate, there is a release of adrenaline, digestion slows in prepartion to make a quick getaway across the road.

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* The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) acts as "rest-and-digest," lowering heart rate, stimulating digestion, and conserving energy.

~You've now crossed the road, most likely berated yourself or the car driver, and with sharp breaths, you start to slow your breathing. You tell yourself that you are ok and the body is now beginning to calm down and conserve energy. Interestingly, digestive activity returns, and your bladder contracts!

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The principle is that once an immediate episode of adrenaline rush happens, your body SHOULD return to the calm and restful homeostasis and happy days,  you continue on your merry way. This does not always happen and often life takes its toll with hit after hit of things and the body can remain in a fight response, ready for action, ie pain can be increased to levels that the brain and body cannot continue to cope with and what might have been a 2 to 3 out of 10 pain response,  seems to feel like a 10 out of 10 pain response.

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* Vagus nerve is the 10th cranial nerve and the longest cranial nerve in the body, affecting several organ systems and regions of the body, such as the tongue, pharynx, heart, and gastrointestinal system. We have a left and right vagus nerve and go from the brain, to the throat, lung, and to the stomach. This nerve connects the brainstem to these organs. It plays a crucial role in managing stress, inflammation, and the gut-brain axis. It is a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system, and also controls reflexes like swallowing and coughing, and influences mood. It will help the parasympathetic nerve slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure and calm the body. It will signal muscles in the gastrointestinal tract to move food (peristalsis action) and stimulate digestive juices. It regulates the resting heart rate and controls bronchial muscle contraction in the lungs. It carries sensory information from the ear, throat, and organs to the brain, while controlling muscles involved in swallowing, speaking and breathing. It plays a role in regulating inflammation within the body. It transmits messages between the brain and the gut, influencings 'gut feelings', emotions and stress responses (Brain-Gut Axis).

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Back to my theory - use techniques to help flip the switch of the vagus to trip the parasympathetic nerve and calm the sympathetic nerve. There are many things you can do for yourself, talk a walk and the dog, go enjoy nature, the beach, find your happy place! Meditate, do yoga, pilates, spend time with grandkids. 

I have many techniques that may help assist you. Please reach out and discuss to find a way that you can settle yourself and turn off the sympathetic nerve when it doesn't need to be in Ready mode.

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Here is a video to help you access the vagus nerve. Most often we can reduce neck and shoulder pain/discomfort you are experiencing and also improve the range of motion of your neck, upper body/shoulders. You may need to try this exercise a few times.