Massage for tech neck
Neck and shoulder tension is the number one thing we treat. If your job lives on a screen, we already know your pattern, and we undo it with careful, patient work. Nothing sudden, nothing forced, and nothing ever gets cracked.
Book a sessionWhat tech neck actually is
Your head weighs 10 to 12 pounds when it sits balanced over your spine. Tilt it forward to look at a laptop or phone and the load on your neck multiplies. The muscles along the back of your neck and tops of your shoulders work overtime to hold it there, hour after hour, while the muscles at the front of your neck and chest shorten and tighten.
Neck, upper back, and shoulder tension is the single most common complaint at Verdure. We see it in software engineers, students, clinicians charting at a screen, parents hunched over car seats, and athletes whose desk job undoes their training. The pattern is remarkably consistent: tight upper traps, a cranky levator scapulae that makes checking your blind spot unpleasant, knots between the shoulder blades, and headaches that start at the base of the skull.
Because the pattern is consistent, the treatment can be systematic. This is not a generic relaxation massage with a little extra neck time. It is a targeted protocol built around the specific muscles that screen posture overloads.
How we work the area
A tech neck session at Verdure moves through the full pattern in two phases, face down and then face up, so we can reach every layer from its best angle.
Phase one: face down
We start prone, working the big posture muscles that carry the load all day. The upper trapezius, the rhomboids between your shoulder blades, and the levator scapulae where it anchors to the top corner of the shoulder blade all get slow, layered work, along with the muscles running up the back of the neck. This is where most of the deep, satisfying pressure happens.
Phase two: face up
Then we turn you over for the finer work. Face up, we can cradle the neck and treat the back of it with precision, release the scalenes along the side of the neck, work the upper traps from a fresh angle, and open the upper chest when tight pecs are pulling your shoulders forward. The SCM, the prominent muscle at the front of the neck, is included only when you are comfortable with it.
Gentle traction, nothing sudden
Throughout the supine work we use slow, gentle traction to decompress the neck, a sustained, easy lengthening that most clients describe as the best part of the session. There is no sudden twisting, no torquing, and no cracking. We are massage therapists, not chiropractors, and the neck gets patient, careful hands only.
What we commonly see and treat
Headaches at the base of the skull
Tension headaches that start where your neck meets your head often trace back to the suboccipitals and upper traps. Releasing them face up, with the neck fully supported, is where the supine phase earns its keep.
Burning between the shoulder blades
That spot you press against door frames is usually overstretched rhomboids losing a tug of war with tight chest muscles. We treat both sides of the pattern, not just where it hurts.
Stiff neck rotation
Trouble checking your blind spot usually points to the levator scapulae and scalenes. Targeted work on both typically restores comfortable rotation within a session or two.
Shoulders that live at your ears
Chronically elevated shoulders mean upper traps that never switch off. Slow, repeated work teaches them to let go, and the traction at the end reinforces it.
Choose your session length
Tech neck is focused work. It does not need a full body session to treat well, which is why most clients choose 45 minutes.
45 min
$130The right length for dedicated neck, shoulder, and upper back work. Covers the full prone and supine protocol without rushing. Available with both of our therapists.
Book 45 min60 min
$160The full tech neck protocol plus time for the mid and lower back when desk posture has spread the tension further down.
Book 60 min90 min
$210Comprehensive full body work with extended attention on the neck and shoulders. For when everything needs addressing.
Book 90 minAlso available in 30 min ($95), 75 min ($185), and 120 min ($275). Recurring desk tension? Save with a 3 session package.
Tech neck massage FAQ
Can massage fix tech neck?
Massage is one of the most effective tools for the muscular side of tech neck. It releases the shortened, overworked tissue that screen posture creates, reduces tension headaches, and restores comfortable range of motion. Lasting change also requires small habit adjustments, and we send you home with the ones that matter most for your pattern.
How many sessions will it take?
Most clients feel a clear difference after one session. Longstanding patterns respond best to 2 to 4 sessions spaced one to two weeks apart, then maintenance every 4 to 6 weeks while the desk habits that caused it are still part of your life.
Will you crack or twist my neck?
We never crack the neck. We are massage therapists, not chiropractors. Neck work at Verdure uses slow, sustained pressure, very gentle traction, and slow, gentle movement only. There is no sudden twisting or torquing at any point in the session.
Is the work painful?
It should feel like productive pressure, not pain. The neck responds better to patient, moderate work than to force, and we adjust constantly based on your feedback. Sensitive areas like the front of the neck are only worked when you are comfortable with it.
When should I see a doctor instead?
If you have numbness or tingling running down your arm, weakness in your hand, pain following a car accident or fall, or neck pain with fever, see a physician first. Massage works well alongside medical care once serious causes are ruled out.
What can I do between sessions?
Raise your screen to eye level, take a 60 second break every half hour, and use the neck and upper back techniques in our free Foam Rolling Guide. Small, frequent resets beat occasional heroics.
Your neck should not be the price of your job
Focused, careful work on the exact muscles screen posture overloads. Easy online booking, evening and weekend availability, on Solano Ave in Albany.
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