Help! Shoulder Blade/Back problems

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LeighAnna115
LeighAnna115 Posts: 149
in Health and Weight Loss
Since I was about 17 (I'm 23 now) I have had a recurring pain in my shoulder blade/back area. The pain will start dull and increase in intensity over a few days until it is hardly bearable. The flare will last anywhere from 6-14 days before it dissipates. It will then lay dormant for anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months. (When I was younger I would go longer between pain flares)

I will get a swell that feels like a large muscular knot along the medial side of my right scapula. Manipulation of the swell only makes the pain worse. The motor skills in my neck are also effected. I cannot touch my chin to my chest without great pain. Turning my head left to right also sends a sharp pain from my neck to my back. I can only sit or lay down in certain ways to avoid pain. It is all over miserable!!!

I have been to massage therapists, chiropractors, and my doctor. The massage therapists all say I am filled with tension and knots, but I always leave in more pain than when I arrived. Last summer I went to a chiropractor 2x a week for 3 months. They gave me electro therapy and did adjustments, but the pain did not get any better. All I ended up with was a huge co-pay bill.

I don't think my doctor or chiropractor really took me seriously. I know people come in exaggerating pains and whining all the time but I don't know what to do, it's just getting worse. I was wondering if anyone had any similar situation ever happen to them and could give some advice. I'm lost for ideas and don't want to fight this my whole life


Background on me if you need it: I'm very active, always have been. I exercise daily, sometimes certain exercises help work it out but not always. I get bad headaches, my mother thinks this is probably linked to my shoulder issue. I'm a nursing student so i do spend a good amount of time split between working clinical rounds and typing essays. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Replies

  • Kelbelle30
    Kelbelle30 Posts: 32 Member
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    I get very similar pain but I have substantial damage to my back from horse riding - I also have mild scoliosis. This makes my ribs stick out on the same side as the shoulder pain.

    Things that help:
    1. Heat patches on the effected area
    2. Stretching my arms above my head and straight across my chest
    3. Ergonic support - I cannot stress enough how much the right chair, mouse and keyboard has helped ease my pain - if you have a desk job, get reviewed!
    4. Being fit - but it doesnt seem like that's an issue!
    5. Muscle relaxants - when all else fails. There is a drug in the UK (prescription) called Baclofen which is designed for long term muscle spasm and is quite effective and, more importantly, not a benzo (avoid unless you're crying in pain in my experience!)

    I hope that helps!
  • juliec33
    juliec33 Posts: 238 Member
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    I have a similar problem after a car accident a few years ago. The pain comes and goes but can be very intense at it's worst. Massage really helps me. If you find a good therapist (and it may take a few tries to find one that works the best with you) the soreness should be minimal. If you are really sore - like you feel that your back has been beat up with a base ball bat - then the therapist went to deep. However, even then when the pain from the massage subsides the other pain usually does also. It's not an overnight fix but after a few good massages it really can make a huge difference!!!

    Google trigger points and do a little research then go find you a good massage therapist that understands trigger points! Not all do.

    Good luck!
  • justjenn1977
    justjenn1977 Posts: 437 Member
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    was there an initial injury or did it just appear randomly?
  • LeighAnna115
    LeighAnna115 Posts: 149
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    Thanks everyone for the responses. I appreciate it so much!

    One thing I meant to put in the "about me" section that I forgot...

    I have never had a back injury, but have been in plenty of collisions playing sports. I played softball and field hockey through high school, played field hockey in college. I can't remember exactly when this pain began so I'm not sure if its due to anything sports related. When I was 16 however I did fracture both of my hips. Small hairline fractures from the speed and age at which I had my growth spurt where the muscles pulled away from my growth plates resulting in many chips and a fracture. Its much more common in teen boys than girls, (lucky me! haha) but boys experience the stress in their knees opposed to hips. That was probably important to mention but my head hasn't been on straight tonight! So sorry!
  • The_Dude
    The_Dude Posts: 171 Member
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    Interesting question. I too suffer form pain in this same exact spot. I got mine from a sports injury that at the time didn't seem that big of a deal but now I trigger pain there pretty easily. Just did it today trying to to do pull ups on day 33 of P90X. I've also seen chiropractors massage therapists and doctors with no help.
  • dragonmom14
    dragonmom14 Posts: 12
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    A lot of what you are describing sounds like Fibromyalgia. My sister has this and the symptoms seem to be similar. You would need the see a rheumatoid specialist and they would have some tests to do to diagnose.
  • NHLeah
    NHLeah Posts: 48 Member
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    I had similar pain for years and did the doctors,PT and chiropractor for a bit. I would have my husband rub ice on my back every day. I thought the pain was due to poor posture. Every morning I would wake up stiff and in pain. I would take a couple of Aleve and the pain/stiffness would get better as the day went on.

    My husband, who had worst back pain than me decided that our mattress was old and for his back to get better we should get a new one. We bought a new mattress and lo and behold, three days later, I realized that I didn't need to take two Aleve anymore. I always thought my back problem was me. I never thought it was my bed. That was about 8 years ago and I haven't had any back pain since then.
  • akgordoa
    akgordoa Posts: 55
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    The rotator cuff is an immensely vulnerable part of the body. I remember working on countless people who complained of the same problems you have. The muscles of the scapula have a small opening between bone where they pass through to connect to the arm. When these muscles flare up they become compressed by the constriction of the bones. All associated nerves also become pinched. The most common cause for these flares are overuse and postural distinction. Since you are active, I can only assume it's overused. Whenever dealing with these injuries I always recommended the RICE method. Rest, ice, compression and elevation.

    I can understand why most therapists left you in pain. The natural response to feeling knots in a muscle is to strip it out. This releases toxins and inflammatory responses that theoretically with proper after-care will heal themselves and flush from the muscle. On the contrary, deep tissue massage is more like a good workout, by tearing the muscles so that they grow from the inflammation, therefore producing muscle tone.

    I can also understand why chiropractors didn't work. Most doctors of the field don't believe that the muscle can dictate how the bones situate themselves, and even after forcing them into place, often have to go back over their work because the muscles stubbornly shift back where they were. This goes back to the postural disfunction.

    If I were you, whenever you have those pains TAKE A BREAK from your workout routine. Ice often. Compress the area if you can--don't rub. And stretch, but not harshly. Over stretching can tear the muscle as well, and cause it to heal much in the way it does after a workout. If you feel you can't stand being inactive, try something like yoga, pilates or something low impact. If anything, something like yoga can decrease your chance of injury.

    Hope all this helps. I used to be a sports massage therapist. :)
  • grubb1019
    grubb1019 Posts: 371 Member
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    A lot of what you are describing sounds like Fibromyalgia. My sister has this and the symptoms seem to be similar. You would need the see a rheumatoid specialist and they would have some tests to do to diagnose.

    Fibromyalgia is in more than one spot on your body. To have fibro you have to have soreness in at least 11 of the 18 "tenderspots". You also usually have other symptoms such as fatigue, trouble sleeping.
  • findfan4ever
    findfan4ever Posts: 153 Member
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    The rotator cuff is an immensely vulnerable part of the body. I remember working on countless people who complained of the same problems you have. The muscles of the scapula have a small opening between bone where they pass through to connect to the arm. When these muscles flare up they become compressed by the constriction of the bones. All associated nerves also become pinched. The most common cause for these flares are overuse and postural distinction. Since you are active, I can only assume it's overused. Whenever dealing with these injuries I always recommended the RICE method. Rest, ice, compression and elevation.

    I can understand why most therapists left you in pain. The natural response to feeling knots in a muscle is to strip it out. This releases toxins and inflammatory responses that theoretically with proper after-care will heal themselves and flush from the muscle. On the contrary, deep tissue massage is more like a good workout, by tearing the muscles so that they grow from the inflammation, therefore producing muscle tone.

    I can also understand why chiropractors didn't work. Most doctors of the field don't believe that the muscle can dictate how the bones situate themselves, and even after forcing them into place, often have to go back over their work because the muscles stubbornly shift back where they were. This goes back to the postural disfunction.

    If I were you, whenever you have those pains TAKE A BREAK from your workout routine. Ice often. Compress the area if you can--don't rub. And stretch, but not harshly. Over stretching can tear the muscle as well, and cause it to heal much in the way it does after a workout. If you feel you can't stand being inactive, try something like yoga, pilates or something low impact. If anything, something like yoga can decrease your chance of injury.

    Hope all this helps. I used to be a sports massage therapist. :)

    ^^^^^^^^^^This is a very sound explanation and very well explained. You mention you played softball and field hockey, rotator damage or weakness could potentially be an issue. An MRI would be needed to determine the extent of rotator cuff and shoulder muscle damage.

    Below is a link to an article w/references regarding the relationship between rotator cuff muscles and shoulder pain:

    http://www.elitesportstherapy.com/Rotator-Cuff-Injuries-and-the-S-I-C-K--Scapula

    You can also perform a Google search: rotator cuff and shoulder pain/scapular pain, etc.

    If the pain is radiating down into your arm the problem could be linked to your cervical spinal nerve root compression and/or impingement. I had practically identical symptoms and the pain I experienced radiated down into my arm. I had spinal root impingement due to bulging cervical discs, as well as, bone spurs entering the root canal. The cause was a car accident. I had to have neck surgery to correct the problem. You may have to go through all the standard protocols to see a neurosurgeon.

    Don't let the surgery part scare you. While it was considered major surgery, it was outpatient and not very invasive. No hospital stay at all. As stated earlier, I think an MRI is warranted to help determine what is causing the pain.

    Feel free to add me as a friend and read my profile for more information regarding my background.

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