Ever felt your neck suddenly move better after just one session? What if tight muscles, not joints, are blocking your neck movement?

A hospital study tested this on real neck and shoulder pain patients. They used electrical muscle stimulation, also called EMS. Results were measured immediately after one session.

Neck side-bending range increased significantly after EMS use. Movement improved more than placebo treatment. This happened in just 20 minutes.

Pain relief and movement are not the same thing. This study showed EMS helped movement more than pain signals. That detail surprised many researchers.

People with trigger points had tighter upper trapezius muscles. EMS caused visible muscle contractions. Those contractions helped release muscle tightness.

For many participants, neck movement felt less restricted. This effect happened immediately, not weeks later. That’s why this study still matters today.

However, EMS was not a cure. Severe pain cases sometimes felt discomfort. Intensity and timing mattered.

This research explains why stiff necks may loosen before pain fades. Movement can return before pain fully settles. That idea changes how people think about neck stiffness.

Want the numbers, tables, and full findings? We link the original research paper at the end. You can fact-check everything yourself.

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