Pain Between the Shoulder Blades?

Pain Between the Shoulder Blades?

Generally symptoms of mid back pain or pain between the shoulder blades are caused by poor posture. The patient’s chest will normally be flat, if not concave and their shoulders will be pulled forward. You may also notice that they may also have a forward head carriage as shown in the photo below.

Patient may experience nagging pain between their shoulder blades, usually on just one side of their back but sometimes both sides. This type of pain symptoms arise from trigger points from affected muscle groups.

The Rhomboid muscle trigger points tend to persist longer than others. The Rhomboid muscles are located between the spine and the scapula in the mid-back region. It lies deep to the trapezius muscle and is composed of the rhomboid major and minor muscles.

The function of the rhomboid muscle is to retract and stabilize the shoulder blade during various movements of the shoulder and arm. Contracting as a whole, the rhomboid muscles pull the shoulder blade towards the spine. It also functions to elevate the shoulder blade and rotate the shoulder blade so that it lowers the shoulder joint.

The Rhomboid muscles are weakened and inhibited by the rounded-shoulder/sunken chest posture that is quite common today.

If you suffer from this pain, please call us today and ask us how we can help you. Chiropractic care and Physiotherapy may assist you with your shoulder pain.

Contact us today at Perth Wellness Centre on (08) 9321 1964 should you require treatment.

By Dr. Cheran Ruben  BChiro, BSc(Chiro)

References

Effect of Backpack Load Carriage on Cervical Posture
in Primary Schoolchildren
Work. 2012 (Jan 1);   41 (1):   99—108

Influence of Forward Head Posture on Scapular Upward Rotators
During Isometric Shoulder Flexion
J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2010 (Oct);   14 (4):   367—374

Myofascial Trigger Points, Neck Mobility, and Forward Head
Posture in Episodic Tension-Type Headache
Headache 2007 (May);   47 (5):   662—672