Do you have a knot in your shoulder blade?  Have you tried massage, or using a lacrosse ball with no long-term relief?

 

Well, this type of issue is very common in those people who are dealing with neck pain!

 

You probably think, “This is just a knot” in my shoulder blade but the truth is that this issue is typically a nerve that runs down the shoulder blade.  

 

Again, this is likely coming from your NECK!

 

That “knot” feeling is often where a few muscles overlap & when the nerve is irritated, we tend to try and roll it out.

 

In this case, rolling out the knot can provide temporary relief but have you noticed that it does not actually help long term?  

 

Most of the time, rolling out the shoulder blade can actually compress and irritate the nerve further.

 

This is because you never addressed the root cause at the neck. 

 

There is a lot of evidence that the first sign of neck nerve irritation is shoulder blade or neck pain. 

 

Now that you know this & instead of spending all your time and energy rolling out the shoulder blade try the following:

 

    1. Be mindful of your shoulder blade posture (sitting) – Pulling your shoulder blades backward can relieve a lot of neck tension into the neck.  This includes strengthening your back muscles.
    2. Focus on neck health and mobility – Do things that support your neck curvatures, such as a towel roll and gentle neck isometric strengthening.
    3. Avoid stretching – Stretching the neck can cause more discomfort or irritate the nerve.  Focus on gentle movement, rather than “pulling” on the neck to stretch

 

This type of pain or discomfort can really be frustrating or take time, so make sure you stay disciplined.  

 

Also, if you are having numbness or tingling, in these areas or going down the arm, I would recommend you seek care today!  This is a sign you need to fix this as the nerve is getting irritated at the neck. 

 

I know this type of pain & discomfort is frustrating, so if you need help, please let us know.  

Keep Moving!

Dr. Josh

PS. If you want help with your pain, sign up for a FREE Discovery Visit! Yes, it is FREE!  No credit cards are required and we’ll let you know if we can even help you.