Does your upper back pain feel like a “knot” or muscle spasm between your shoulder blade and spine?
Last time we talked about muscles in your torso that could cause this pain. Today we will talk about another cause, which is almost always overlooked.
The muscles that can cause that miserable “knot” in your back are on the side of your neck. There is a set of muscles on each side of your neck called the scalenes.
First, you’ll notice and feel a thick set of muscles on either side that run from the notch in your collar bone to behind your ear. Those are the sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCM). The scalenes are tucked behind the SCM’s.
When the scalene muscles get tight, or aggravated, they develop “trigger points.”
If you have a therapeutic massage to work out your knotty back problem, and it doesn’t help, then the problem isn’t in your back. (I am assuming here that your therapist worked ALL of your back and rib muscles, not just the knot.)
The problem is in your scalenes.
Trigger points in your scalene muscles are “firing” or causing pain in your upper back. If you get a well-trained massage therapist to work on your neck muscles and release the trigger points, your back pain will go away.
If you suspect this may be what is causing that knot in your upper back, you can try to release the scalenes yourself.
Press gently into the side of your neck. Using the pads of your fingertips, explore the muscles that run on the side of your spine, or neck bones.
If you feel hard, knobby things, those are probably the edges of your vertebrae, or neck bones. If you feel a pulse, move off it.
Thoughtfully and carefully explore the length of your neck from your jaw to your collarbone. If you run into a very tender area, gently hold pressure there for about 12 seconds. If it doesn’t “release” or become less painful, move on. You can come back to that tender area a few more times, after letting it rest for a few minutes, to see if it will release.
If an area refers pain into your “knot” on your back, you have found the trigger point that is causing your pain! Apply gentle pressure with your finger pads for about 12 seconds and see if it lessens. You can repeat as needed.
As you explore the muscles on the sides of your neck, you may be surprised by all of the sensations you feel.
Many of our upper body muscles refer, or cause sensations, in our head, back and arms. You may even notice sensations in your carpal tunnel area.
Don’t be afraid to explore. It’s your body. It’s meant to be touched.
You can find more information at Simple Back Pain Relief or go to Knots In Your Back Gone. (<– click here.)
