Question: Hello! I'm currently going through perimenopause and am also suffering from health anxiety, so unfortunately, all of the changes I'm noticing in my body (I just tuned 50) as a result of aging in general and perimenopause tend to make me worry a lot!

Last night I noticed that when I stretch my neck by tilting my head back and clenching my jaw, there is a vertical band that runs down my neck....it's more prominent on my left side (adjacent to my larynx) and almost seems to have little bumps in it along the length of it. The bumps and the band itself are very close to the surface and are easily moveable, no pain or anything of that nature. I feel something similar on the other side of my neck but it's not as prominent. I'm attaching some images, although you may not be able to even see what I'm referring to.

Do you think this is just the "platysma" muscle which I read about, and is it normal to feel little bumps in it?

Thank you for your time!