Pain between shoulder blades can produce that nagging type of pain that is difficult to reach. Most often it is related to muscle problems, however, a herniated disc or pinched nerve in the neck can cause pain in this area, along with neck joint irritation. These causes usually respond to neck and/or shoulder movements. Pain between the shoulders can also be referred by the heart, stomach and gallbladder or, if you have osteoporosis, a possible compression fracture. If there has been a past injury to the area or from years of poor posture, a degenerative condition like arthritis can develop in the area between the shoulders causing upper back pain. While there are many muscles that can cause pain between the shoulder blades, the major muscles often involved are the trapezius and the rhomboid. The trapezius is a large muscle, while the rhomboid is a smaller muscle that runs between the spine and the shoulder blades. With typical poor postural habits, the head is forward and the back becomes rounded.
As the upper back becomes rounded, the rhomboid muscles stretch out. This is typically seen with a slumped posture when sitting at a computer or desk. The muscles become overstretched and weak, placing abnormal stress on the spinal bones, altered motion and, over time, can develop scar tissues from small tears which develop. Treatment of the muscles with moist heat therapy and massage techniques can help. A particular technique called ischemic compression can be used for tender areas often called trigger points, seen in the picture with the “X”. This technique uses a tennis ball or special neck muscle release tool. Place the ball or release tool on the floor and lay on your back with the ball or tool between the shoulder blades. You can control the pressure and when you find a tender area, hold it until the pain gradually fades – about 20 to 30 seconds, although it may take a minute. For those with chronic problems that need more than compression due to excessive scar tissue, the help of a professional Massage Therapist or an Active Release Practitioner can help.
Considerable involvement of the trapezius can cause what is often termed trapezius myalgia and the are exercises for the trapezius muscle that have proven beneficial. Since arthritic changes and joint problems may occur, this is a common area for careful spinal adjustments. The use of lumbar support pillows, which help maintain the normal curve of the lower back when sitting, can help to correct rounded shoulder posture, especially when driving a car or working at a desk. The back of the chair should not be pushed forward and should have a slight backward angle. These tips for the best posture when sitting at a computer can be helpful. For those who sit for long periods and get so involved in work that they forget to take breaks and change postures, a timer set for 20 to 30 minutes can be placed in a location that you must get up to turn it off and reset it can be a great solution. For some, the use of a posture support brace can assist the muscles of the upper back and spine to assume the correct posture.
A universal support will allow gradual adjustments as your posture improves, so it will be a temporary aid. When using armrests on a chair, having them too low can stress the trapezius muscle, too high can cause tension of the neck and shoulder muscles, so try to sit close to your desk with the armrests at desk level. Often, with rounded shoulder posture, the chest muscles (pectorals) can become tight and the in the door stretch can help with tight pectoral muscles and overstretched trapezius and rhomboid muscles. For those who like to sleep on their side and have difficulty finding a comfortable position due to pain between shoulder blades, a pillow can be placed under the affected arm to prevent it from rotating forward and stretching the trapezius and rhomboid muscles. There are body pillows that can help keep the back from twisting the lower part of the trapezius and can also fit under the arm at the same time. A compact body pillow can achieve this without being to heavy or bulky.
A neck pillow designed for side sleeping can add the final touch to a comfortable night’s sleep that reduces pain between shoulder blades. A facet joint problem involving the small joints in the back of the neck may cause pain between shoulder blades. The lower facet joints can radiate pain to this area. This can often be as a result of a whiplash type injury or in those who spend long periods working overhead or looking up. So, this pain might be felt more when tilting the head backward. For those who work in this position, a support for the back of the head can help. The lower discs in the neck can become herniated, torn or degenerative changes can occur which place pressure on the nerves and this may also cause pain between shoulder blades. C7 or C8 nerve pain can radiate between the shoulder blades. Typically, there will be other symptoms like pain or tingling/numbness into the arm or hand, but sometimes neck pain and pain between shoulder blades are the only sign. Difficult cases involving pain between shoulder blades may require medications and perhaps an orthopedic consultation, however, some home treatments using moist heat, posture changes and traction units may help.
Since these various conditions may occur together, a more comprehensive approach may be required to treat pain between shoulder blades not responding to basic postural modification and conservative therapies. A 2015 study in the journal Medicine (Baltimore), found coblation technology or nucleoplasty can be an effective, minimally invasive and safe procedure for chronic cervical disc herniation that is producing upper back pain. This usually requires no general anesthesia and is more like a spinal injection procedure as an outpatient procedure.Does this sound like you? After a day at work, you have terrible neck pain and shoulder pain? Do your eyes hurt? Do you have a headache? If so, then this article should be helpful for you: it's full of tips for how to avoid neck pain at the office. It will focus on making sure you are using the best computer screen for your needs, as well as positioning the screen to avoid twisted postures while working. In addition, eyestrain and headaches can be caused by uncorrected vision, poor image quality, screen glare, and by screen viewing distance.
Checking all these details can help you prevent neck pain. Tip #1: Check Your Vision Make sure your vision is properly corrected before you make changes to your computer screen set up. Natural changes in vision occur in the early 40s. Periodic eye examinations by a qualified professional are valuable. Tip #2: How's the Image Quality on Your Screen? Make sure the screen image is: If not, try adjusting the screen brightness, contrast, refresh rate, and resolution to give you the best quality image. The screen image must be a comfortable viewing size. Most software programs allow you to magnify your screen content to a comfortable size. If screen content is too small (or large), then select a different font size or use the zoom function. Tip #3: Avoid Screen Glare The screen should be free from any bright reflections (specular glare), and the screen image should not appear to be 'washed out' (veiling glare). To avoid glare, you might need to reposition the screen, dim the overhead lights, or use an antiglare filter to cover the screen.
Sometimes a hood can be placed around the screen or the screen can be slightly tilted up or down to eliminate the glare. Using a privacy filter on your screen can help because you will only be able to read your screen when you are properly aligned with it. Tip #4: Watch How Far Away Your Screen Is The screen should be at a comfortable horizontal distance for viewing. If you can't position this at a comfortable viewing distance, it is better for the eyes to have the screen too far away and zoom into the content rather than sit too close to the screen. The most comfortable viewing distance is usually is at least an arm's length away from your body. Tip #5: Make the Screen High Enough The ideal vertical position for the screen depends on the size of the screen and the size of the casing around the screen. Your eyes should be in line with an imaginary point on the screen about 2" below the top of the visible screen image when you are seated comfortably. Several research studies have confirmed the best position for most users is to have the center of the screen about 17-18° below horizontal for optimal viewing.
Tip #6: Don't Make Yourself Twist to Look at the Screen Neck pain can be caused by working in a twisted posture. To eliminate neck twisting, place the computer monitor directly in front and facing you; not at an angle to left or right side. A screen that is too high or low can also cause neck and shoulder strain. You will tilt your head backwards to look up if the screen is too high and crane your neck forwards if too low. Tip #7: Adjust Screen Position for Your Corrective Eyewear If you wear bifocals or progressive lens, you may have to make minor adjustments to the screen position. However, if you sit back in your chair in a relaxed, reclined posture and follow the above guidelines, you should be able to see the screen without an awkward neck posture. Tip #8: Get a Document Holder If you also work with paper documents, you should use a document holder that positions the paper so it can be comfortably seen. This might involve using either an in-line document holder that fits between the keyboard and screen;