Your Levator Scapulae muscles run from your C1-C4 vertebrae (i.e. upper neck) down to your shoulder blade. These muscles do the job of “elevating” your scapula (i.e. shoulder blade) on each side.
I see peoples’ Levator Scapulae muscles involved in many issues related to neck and upper back problems. This is mostly due to stress, looking down at our cell-phones or tablets, and sitting at a computer for too many hours.
The good news is that getting adjusted in your upper neck and making sure you’re doing your stretches will greatly improve how these muscles function and feel! One of the most common reasons I refer people to my favorite massage therapists is to release trigger points (i.e. nodules or knots within the muscles or surrounding tissues) in this muscle.
The nerves that go to the Levator Scapulae muscles come from your neck at the level of C4 & C5. In other words, if your C4/5 is out of alignment or subluxated, you can feel issues in the Levator Scapulae on either side just because the nerves are being effected!