Occasional middle back pain - feels like cramp?

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  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    edited July 2017
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    maryjaquiss wrote: »
    @stanmann571 It's below my shoulder blade, 'behind' my ribs, just to the right of my spine!

    @Spliner1969 I have been doing more push ups and inverted rows, so they may well be the culprit! Though interestingly I tried a bodyweight workout last night with the aim of stopping if my back complained, and it completely got rid of it for the whole of the rest of the day until I got back to my desk... so maybe it's a desk thing!

    I hear you. I have a desk job as well, and it's generally when I'll also feel it the most. However, lately I have incorporated some stretches/yoga into the middle of my circuit training routine which helped a lot. Matter of fact I have not had the issue in a few weeks since starting it. I'll generally do body weight circuit training for 30-40 minutes, then do a mile run, then a mile walk/run home, then go back and do another 45 minutes of circuit training. Mid-way through that last set of circuits I'll stop, do some yoga stretches for my neck and shoulders then my back and then finish the workout. It's helped a bunch. As a matter of fact it got so bad for a while that I was also starting to have pain shooting down my right shoulder and into my right arm with it. The yoga has eliminated that as well as the mid-back muscle spasms. Food for thought.
  • maryjaquiss
    maryjaquiss Posts: 307 Member
    edited July 2017
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    OK so I circled approximately where it is on this lovely vintage anatomy diagram!

    Right well this isn't working...
  • maryjaquiss
    maryjaquiss Posts: 307 Member
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    Trying again in a different browser!

    csqvlcbmxul6.jpg
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    maryjaquiss wrote: »
    Trying again in a different browser!

    csqvlcbmxul6.jpg

    Yup... that's about the spot. Probably shoulder or neck related. Especially since it's unilateral and I believe you suggested it's on your dominant side.
  • Monkey_Business
    Monkey_Business Posts: 1,800 Member
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    From your diagram, you can pretty much rule out any disk, or vertebra, or root nerves coming out from the spinal column damage (YEA). You really should stretch before exercise (even if it is supply simple).
  • maryjaquiss
    maryjaquiss Posts: 307 Member
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    Monkey_Business wrote: »
    From your diagram, you can pretty much rule out any disk, or vertebra, or root nerves coming out from the spinal column damage (YEA). You really should stretch before exercise (even if it is supply simple).

    I've always been told not to stretch before exercise? I do always warm up but it tends to be light cardio rather than stretching.
  • maryjaquiss
    maryjaquiss Posts: 307 Member
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    PS I am not particularly attached to this type of warm-up! Just wondering ;)
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
    edited July 2017
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    maryjaquiss wrote: »
    PS I am not particularly attached to this type of warm-up! Just wondering ;)

    Avoid static stretching, but strength/mobility "limbering" exercises/activities can help...

    Before lifting I go through a serious of strength mobility exercises that help wake up my shoulder and pull it into the socket a bit more tightly.

    Very similar to the series below.

    http://www.orthop.washington.edu/?q=patient-care/articles/shoulder/home-exercises-for-the-unstable-shoulder.html

  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    maryjaquiss wrote: »
    I've always been told not to stretch before exercise? I do always warm up but it tends to be light cardio rather than stretching.

    I have spinal stenosis, previous lamenectomy (L4/L5), previous herniated discs L4/L5, L3/L4, and L2/L3. If I don't stretch in the morning I can barely brush my teeth. Leaning over the sink hurts that much. But once I stretch out the shoulders, neck, lower back using some yoga poses (takes very little time) I'm fine the rest of the day. So working out without stretching is not an option for me. Personally I think all the 'don't stretch before exercise' is silly, I've always done it.

  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    edited July 2017
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    is it under the shoulderblade? diagnosing strangers online in this way is pretty iffy, but fwiw i had something in that zone (constant tenderness, not cramp) and i resolved it with a combination of releasing my pec minor and levator scapula muscles, and learning to activate (and strengthen) my lower traps.

    basically, in my case my lower scapular stabilizers were not nearly strong enough for the situations that i was putting them in, so my shoulderblade itself was sort of trying to crawl up and over my collarbone thanks to the higher muscles just taking over. that left the lower edges of it just waving around and everything that has anything to do with that part of my body got really pissed off about it. learning to release and properly settle my shoulderblades changed a lot of things in my life.

    if you haven't heard of trigger points, you might find it useful to buy a lacrosse ball and then google them. tons of anatomy lessons and maps to those particular points per muscle online. i also personally loooooooooove those little inch-wide super-bounce balls you can buy in the party favours section of loonie stores. could be bigger people don't need them, but i find there ain't nothing like them for getting into the little muscle crannies of someone my size.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
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    I get this if I twist funny, actually knock on wood Ira bee awhile since the last time

    I always attribute it to my shoulder. I've tried rolling on a tennis ball and that's helped a bit. But usually I go by the general wait a few days and it goes away....however I have driven with this pain with and ice pack on my back. I was once told ice for the first 24 hours
  • maryjaquiss
    maryjaquiss Posts: 307 Member
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    Thank you so much to everyone for taking the time to respond to this!! <3

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