Do you have pain between your shoulder blades, like you’re being stabbed in the back?

This uncomfortable feeling can be caused by many things, such as a pinched nerve, tight muscles and vertebral or rib misalignment. The problem muscle is named the Levator Scapulae and it attaches in the top of your neck and top of your shoulder blade. It works to elevate and lift your shoulder blades as well as your arm to its highest point. Trigger points can form through that muscle and a multitude of symptoms can occur:

 Neck pain and stiffness
 Pain with neck rotation
 Pain bringing your ears to your shoulders
 Pain between your shoulder blades

This kind of pain can prevent normally simple activities, such as turning to look behind you while pulling out of a parking spot, trouble with upper body workouts, carrying backpacks, pain with posture, etc.

What causes this?

 Poor posture
Whiplash injury
 Stress
 Repetitive motion/overuse injury
 Poor sleeping support from mattress and/or pillows
 Carrying heavy backpacks and bags.

There is help in sight! Several great treatment options are available to relieve pain and restore proper nervous system function, including chiropractic adjustments, trigger point therapy, meditation technique, active release technique and instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization.

 Trigger point therapy targets specific manipulations to the muscles, fascia and connective tissues to promote healing.
 Meditation decreases your stress level and will naturally allow your shoulders to relax and lower.
 Active release technique is a soft tissue method that relieves tissue tension and removal of fibrous/adhesions by pressing down on the trigger point of the muscle and bringing it through its certain ranges of motion.
 Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization works like a standard massage, but specialized instruments are used in place of hand massage. These instruments allow more direct treatment of the soft tissues involved with movement.

If you’re experiencing pain or know someone else who is and would like to take the first steps toward getting relief, just call Atlas Chiropractic in Boulder at (303) 442-5911 and we’ll gladly get you scheduled for an appointment, or feel free to fill out a web form here on our website. We look forward to helping you heal and get moving!

– Dr. Cort Musolf