1.  Stretch your arm up and slightly backward.

2.  Squeeze your shoulder blades toward your spine.  Or try to touch your elbows together behind your back.  You probably can’t really do that but it gets your muscles moving in the right direction.

3.  Place your mouse in front of your body near the midline as close as possible.

4.  Switch to your left or opposite hand.  This really is doable and will only take you a couple of days to get used to it.

5.  Roll your shoulders up and back, up and back.

6.  Keep the elbow of your mouse hand next to your waist.  No stretching forward allowed!  It’s the stretching that aggravates the muscles near your shoulder blade.

There is a little video at http://budurl.com/CircleArms that will help you learn how to balance all of the muscles around your shoulder.

And if your hands or arms are having uncomfortable symptoms, there are lots of articles and information at http://CarpalTunnelPainReliefNow.com

When you take steps to balance your muscles and stop doing the things that are causing your symptoms, you can get rid of that ‘mouse shoulder pain.’

But Mike in Miami is feeling better now and he wrote this very nice email message to me.  I want to share it with you because there is a very important message here.  I’ll tell you about it at the end:

Kathryn:

I’ve been meaning to write and tell you a HUGE “THANKS”.  Thanks for helping me
finally realize where my pain was originating and what to do to relieve it.

I’m confident I found your website through various google searches.  You see, I have
had back issues for decades.  I’m 53, tall and can still hear my mother “hold your
shoulders back”.  I didn’t.  I slouched. I had horrible posture, both sitting and
standing, and I sit at a computer 8 hours a day with my right arm up on the desk
“driving” that mouse.

I have had constant pain and muscle tightness under my right shoulder for DECADES.
I have also had alot of neck pain and stiffness that was also causing headaches.
Years and thousands of dollars of massage; lots of OTC pain relievers; prescription
muscle relaxers; yoga; heat pads; ice packs; the tennis ball in a sock trick -
NOTHING helped for more than a few days.

WELL, WELL, WELL….I found your website, plugged in my email address, read some,
read some more and did 3 of your exercises that I found for FREE:  backward shoulder
shrugs; pinching my shoulder blades; and the one where you lay on the bed and do the
windmill action with your arms.   I also am now “driving” that mouse with my left
hand/arm to give my right ones a rest…. I can honestly say that in a matter of
DAYS (not weeks or months) I found relief.  It was truly magical, amazing and I was
in total disbelief that I had found something so simple.  I surely thought that my
body was simply giving out and I would be forced to deal with this pain for the rest
of my life.

I write you obviously to say THANKS and tell you my story…but also to say that I
am sorry that I never actually purchased anything from you – and for that, I am
feeling guilty.

Please tell me how I can help you in your work.  Can you recommend something (your
own program) that I can purchase?  I live in Miami, FL and would like to help.

Thanks, Pain Coach.

Mike

That was very kind of Mike to offer to buy something from me but I am simply happy that he is feeling better.

Here’s the important message:  Mike found relief in a matter of DAYS.  He says it was truly magical and amazing because it was so simple. (Give your body what it needs and it can heal.  That IS simple.)

But here’s why it worked:  Mike took action.

He found the information that he needed and he took action.  THAT is the key and that is what you must also do to make your upper back or shoulder pain go away.

Mike found all of the information he needed for free.  It’s all here or at http://SimpleBackPainRelief.com

And if you need more help and want to check out my program to help you get rid of the knots in your back and upper back pain, please go to http://KnotsInYourBack.com

We used to swing from trees.  (Well, okay, our ancestors used to swing from trees but maybe you did when you were a kid.  At least, I hope so.)

And at that time you were using ALL of your muscles.

And now, you’re not.

And that’s the problem.

But that’s okay.

Muscles can heal.  Bodies get better all the time.  That includes you!

You can find articles here that will help you and you will find more at http://SimpleBackPainRelief.com

If you educate yourself about the real cause(s) of your upper back pain, you can get rid of it.  You will probably end up learning things that even your doctor doesn’t know. 

Why are muscles spasms such a common problem now?

Lifestyle.
Computers.
Couches.
Laptops.
Car seats.
Working positions.
Habits.
Weak back muscles.
TMS (Too Much Sitting)

But all of these can be overcome.  Honest!  It’s your body and you have to take action to get better.  No one can do it for you.  (But some people, like a skilled massage therapist, can help.)

I have faith in you.  Just start taking action and you can get rid of the muscle knots in your upper back.

That doesn’t mean that YOU are working too much–it means that some of your muscles are.

When you were a child you used all of your muscles all of the time. You have over 600 muscles! But then you grew up. Most of us adults use fewer than 100 muscles on a daily basis.

That’s how we get into pain. We get out of balance.

Some of your muscles are being stretched and are unhappy so they get knots. That’s how they complain.

They cannot hold their own against the shorter, tighter muscles in the front of your body so they try to protect themselves by developing a contraction or knot.

This pain tends to happen in the back near the spine or shoulder blades or on the outer side of the back under the arms. It also happens on the tops of the shoulders.

One of the most common causes for muscle knots is a forward-head posture.  That posture puts a lot of strain on your upper back muscles.

A knot is a clue for you to fix something.

Discover how you can heal the pain in your upper back naturally at http://SimpleBackPainRelief.com

There are lots and lots of articles there for you and you can get a free report about how to get rid of those miserable muscle spasms in your back and shoulder blade, too.

Upper back muscles get strained from being stretched and overused.  Then they get cranky and start complaining.

You might feel the complaint as muscle strain, a headache or neck ache, a muscle spasm near your shoulder blade or “knots” in your upper back.

But guess what?

You CAN get rid of upper back pain.    I have seen it happen over and over.

Once you understand WHY you have pain in your upper back you can start taking steps to STOP hurting.

You have to take steps.

Other people may be able to help on your road to natural recovery but your good health–and happy body–are in your hands.

You can’t hire someone to do your sit-ups.

1.  Claim your special report about upper back pain at http://KnotsInYourBack.com

2.  Go to http://SimpleBackPainRelief.com for lots of helpful articles about natural upper back pain relief.

Usually people have shoulder and shoulder blade pain on the side of their dominant hand–the hand you use all the time.  This is because that arm and hand are in front of you for long periods.  But sometimes it’s on the opposite side of the body.

Sometimes you have to be your own diagnostician and try to figure out what exactly is causing your pain.  (There is always a cause—it is not just “old age.”)   Sometimes it’s something as simple as carrying a heavy purse or bag over your shoulder and hiking your shoulder to “hold” the bag in place without even thinking about it.

Sometimes it’s a sitting position or sleeping position that aggravates your muscles and causes muscle knots.  Do you squash your shoulders when you sleep on your side?  Are you a stomach sleeper?  That can aggravate your back muscles and cause them to develop “knots.”

A forward head & shoulders posture can do it, too.  This posture will over-stretch your back muscles and cause them to complain.  When you see yourself in a photo or catch yourself in a mirror, is your head way out in front of your body like a stork instead of over your body?  This causes a lot of muscle strain in your upper back.

Another cause can be muscles below the pain pulling on your painful area.  Do you feel as though ‘something’ is pulling on you?  All of your muscles are attached.  That means that when one area is tight it pulls on the surrounding areas.

I am almost finished with a digital (electronic) book and program about causes of knots in your upper back and natural cures.  I’ll let you know as soon as that’s ready so you can grab the free report.  Working on it has been very exciting for me because so many people are suffering and there are simple natural ways to get rid of your knots.

In the meantime, here are some links to articles that may help.

http://simplepainrelief.com/2009/12/10/what-causes-a-knot-in-your-back/

http://simplepainrelief.com/2009/11/15/got-back-pain-muscles-cause-pain-in-your-back-heres-how/

http://simplepainrelief.com/2009/07/24/why-do-musicians-and-band-members-get-back-neck-pain/

http://simplepainrelief.com/2009/04/23/chronic-back-pain-and-muscle-strain-is-there-a-simple-pain-relief-answer/

Your body is logical.  It has pain for a reason.  When you understand the reason(s) and what to do, you can get rid of the knots in your back.  Let’s work together on that.

And here’s one more link for you:  http://KnotsInYourBack.com.  You can get a free report there about getting rid of those miserable knots in your back.

People (including professional massage therapists) often massage the rhomboid area trying to release the knot or pain there.  If it doesn’t release (relax) the knot or pain, that means the cause is somewhere else.

Let’s pretend your back pain is a dragon.  Sometimes “surrounding the dragon” will relieve the pain.  The “dragon” is the painful area.  If you pinch, roll, press or massage the latissimus or “lat” muscles on the outer sides of the back, that may help because they may be pulling on the “dragon.”  The dragon cannot relax and go to sleep while those muscles continue to pull on him.

And, there can be other causes for knots and pain between the shoulder blade and spine.

There is a muscle in the neck that causes pain in the rhomboid area. When nothing else works, that is the place to go to. If you go to http://CarpalTunnelPainReliefNow.com and look in the Video Category you will find a video that shows a massage professional treating that neck muscle. Also if you look in the Causes Category while you are there, you will find articles about the “muscle in your neck.”

If you go to http://SimpleStrengthening.com you will find articles about how to simply get strong back side muscles which will help prevent future occurrences by correcting your posture. Also, stretches to open and relax the muscles in the front of your chest and arms will help, too.

And, if you go to http://KnotsInYourBack.com you can claim a free report about how to get rid of the miserable knots in your back.

The following request for help is very specific about the location of the pain: the bottom half of the shoulder blade and the outer side of the shoulder blade near the armpit.  Using a movement with the arm in front of the body makes it worse.

Here is the email:

“I really need your help for my shoulder problems from which I am suffering from past many years.

I am getting pain on my right shoulder, on the lower half of the scapula muscle(Teres minor and major area) of my shoulder. The pain exists at approximate all the time but increases if I repeatedly do an activity (A simple activity like holding a book will aggravate the pain). I can always feel their is a difference between my right shoulder and left shoulder because of the pain.

I have shown to many doctors and had done many tests but they could not come out with any conclusive results. Their advice was just to strengthen my shoulder muscles and to do some physical activity.

Whats the best way to strengthen my shoulder. Will joining gym will be a good option or doing Aerobics .

Please suggest if something better can be done.

Thanks,”

Here is my response:

Based on the information you gave me, here is my best thought.  You did not say you are right handed, but I bet you may be.  This area often becomes aggravated on the side of the dominant hand.

Thank you for your kind words about my website.  I appreciate the opportunity to be helpful to people.

Here’s what I suspect:  (a)  The muscles in the area you have pain can get “tight” because they are being overstretched (your arm is not next to your body, rather it is stretching forward to reach) OR (b) they can get tight because you hold your elbow slightly BEHIND you.

The solution for (a) involves:

• strengthening your back and there are simple directions at http://SimpleStrengthening.com
• stretching the muscles in your chest and the front of your arm
• bringing your arm into neutral when you work rather than reaching forward, and
• massaging the painful area and the area that surrounds it.

Massage and changing the position of your arm will also help (b).

So, what kind of massage will help?

In this case, the muscles that are involved are usually where the pain is so that is the area to treat.  You can use ice massage or ice packs, you can go to a professional massage therapist, or you can ask a friend or family member to “pinch” that area.

As the tissues have become tight, contracted, or bound together, pinching is an easy way to release them and get the circulation flowing again.  Yes, it will hurt a bit.  In fact, if it isn’t uncomfortable your helper isn’t pinching enough.

The idea is not just to pinch the skin but to grab as much of the muscle and tissue as possible and pinch or compress it for several seconds up to 30 seconds.  If they can do this to the whole area, that would be ideal.  Do several pinches.  Later, after perhaps 10 minutes or so, you will notice that the original pain has diminished or is completely gone.

You may also press into the area of the teres (armpit near shoulder blade) and yes, it will also be tender.  Tender or uncomfortable means it is tight and needs to be released.  You may be able to do this yourself or you may be able to accomplish it by laying on a tennis ball and using that as a tool to press against your lateral scapula (outside of your shoulder blade).  Again, ice massage is an option.

There is a lot of information about how to find a massage therapist who can specifically help you at http://CarpalTunnelPainRelief.com Just scroll through the Categories to Massage.  Look around at the other Categories, too, if you wish.

If you look at the Self Help Category, you will find more info that will be helpful even though you don’t have carpal tunnel syndrome.  Why?  Because all parts of our body are attached to every other part!

Here is one article that I think will help:

http://www.carpaltunnelpainreliefnow.com/2009/05/action-steps-to-reduce-relieve-carpal-tunnel-pain.html

This article covers a lot of what you need to get rid of the pain in your shoulder.

Please write again if you need more detail or want to add any additional comments or symptoms about your shoulder pain.

Best wishes to you for speedy pain relief,

Kathryn Merrow
The Pain Relief Coach

If the “knot” between your spine and shoulder blade “won’t” go away, blame the scalene muscles.  It can’t go away until the scalene muscles are released (relaxed.)  The knot is a symptom; the scalenes are the cause.

If your carpal tunnel symptoms “won’t” go away with conventional treatment, blame the scalenes.  The symptoms can go away when the cause (the scalenes) are released.

Nerves run from your neck bones to your upper body and arms.  If those nerves get compressed, or pressed on, by the scalene muscles they can cause uncomfortable sensations in the areas that the nerves serve (enervate.)

If your doctor thinks your pain is “all in your head,” boy, is he or she ever wrong!  It’s all in your neck!

Most doctors are not muscle therapists or specialists.  That’s why the scalenes are rarely suspected as a cause of knots in backs, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and carpal tunnel symptoms.

If you go to Carpal Tunnel Radio you can find an episode called “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Is It All In Your Head? Or In Your Neck?”  It’s only 15 minutes and you will discover what you can do about your scalenes.

Pain happens for reasons.  When you understand WHY you hurt and discover WHAT to do about it, you are on your way to becoming pain-free and getting rid of your knots and carpal tunnel syndrome forever!

And if you go to http://SimpleBackPainRelief.com you will find more information (and a free report) about how to get rid of the muscle knots in your back.

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 “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.

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.

You can find more information at Simple Back Pain Relief.com.  And I’d also like to invite you to pick up your free copy of “Five Steps To Get Rid Of Those Miserable Knots In Your Back.“  Just go to Knots In Your Back.  (<– click here.)