Strained muscle between neck and shoulder blade (picture inside)

Hi everyone,

So I have a particular "injury" that I tend to get, and its not always weight lifting related, but the weight lifting I did this morning did injure it :)

The area (I don't know the terms) between my neck and shoulder blade often get tight/sore, usually after playing golf, sleeping, or various other reasons. My posture has a little bit of my head too forward, so I have tried to keep it back. I think the muscles surrounding my neck and back are just weak.

Anyways, I can barely turn my head to the right, and the pain runs basically in my neck only, with the severe pain right in the dead middle of the right side of my neck.

Attached is a graphic to illustrate the area that typically gets strained/sore.

I have taken 2 advil this morning and have iced it once, but I plan on taking a couple more advil, doing light stretching, and more ice.

Any other recommendations?

What can I do to strengthen this area. My workout right now is a total body workout and consists of

- Dumbbell squats
- Dumbbell dead lifts
- Swiss ball Dumbbell Bench Press
- pull ups
- calf raises
- Dumbbell bent over rows
- Overhead dumbbell press (this was the exercise this morning that injured me)
- alternate dumbbell curls
-close grip dumbbell bench
- pinwheel curls

Thanks

That is the upper trapezius muscle that you are having problems with. You might have knots in that area that are giving you the tight neck pain. A good massage therapist could prolly give you some good insight of what is going on in that area and if there are any options for treating it.

[QUOTE=King Viscera;180828901]That is the upper trapezius muscle that you are having problems with. You might have knots in that area that are giving you the tight neck pain. A good massage therapist could prolly give you some good insight of what is going on in that area and if there are any options for treating it.[/QUOTE]

Also sounds to me like tightness/knots in the trap muscle. The above advice will certainly help.

Heat will be very effective as well, especially in the morning when its stiff. Apply a heating pad for 10 minutes and then stretch deeply afterwards (a hot shower works wonders too).

Be sure to completely warm up and do light stretching before lifting.

I started diong this last night, which will be equivalent to the deep stretch:

[url]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=108647541[/url]

Call me crazy, most of my family members/close friends have at some point... but it sounds to me like you have classic TMS symptoms. TMS stands for Tension My-something Syndrome and it is a disease that has been discovered by Dr. John Sarno. I discovered his books when I was suffering with terrible low back pack. I had seen six different types of doctors/medical people who all told me something was different with my back. One said I had a fractured bone, one said herniated disc, one said muscle spasms, etc, the list goes on.

ANyways, what Sarno suggests (and is correct in doing so) is that pain is often a result stress and tension that comes from our brains. Our brain actually deprives oxygen at some parts of our body and this causes the pain. The lower back area is one common place for TMS, the other two areas are the places you marked on that image.

The cure? Really it's quite simple. You read his books and become convinced. Once you are convinced, you basically talk to your body, tell it to cut the ****, and the pain eventually goes away. The pain often moves around. RIght now I am suffering from the neck pain that describe once in a while, but I know that it is TMS and it is slowly subsiding.

I hope you don't think I am a nut, because this stuff is for real, it has changed my life. I was out of the gym for months because the doctors told me my discs were all F'ed up and i'd never be able to work out again. Now I am squatting and deadlifting like its my job. Check out his book, mind body connection. Trust me.

[QUOTE=majorchamp;180635241]Hi everyone,

So I have a particular "injury" that I tend to get, and its not always weight lifting related, but the weight lifting I did this morning did injure it :)

The area (I don't know the terms) between my neck and shoulder blade often get tight/sore, usually after playing golf, sleeping, or various other reasons. My posture has a little bit of my head too forward, so I have tried to keep it back. I think the muscles surrounding my neck and back are just weak.

Anyways, I can barely turn my head to the right, and the pain runs basically in my neck only, with the severe pain right in the dead middle of the right side of my neck.

Attached is a graphic to illustrate the area that typically gets strained/sore.

I have taken 2 advil this morning and have iced it once, but I plan on taking a couple more advil, doing light stretching, and more ice.

Any other recommendations?

What can I do to strengthen this area. My workout right now is a total body workout and consists of

- Dumbbell squats
- Dumbbell dead lifts
- Swiss ball Dumbbell Bench Press
- pull ups
- calf raises
- Dumbbell bent over rows
- Overhead dumbbell press (this was the exercise this morning that injured me)
- alternate dumbbell curls
-close grip dumbbell bench
- pinwheel curls

Thanks[/QUOTE]
Now you should not strain , just avoid exercises which you do with your hands, because hands have the direct connection to the neck, whatever exercises you do with your hands will affect your neck. solution i can suggest is that you need to do exercises which will relax your muscles, get good sleep with proper position while you sleep, i prefer you sleep in a flat surface, avoid pillows then within one or two weeks you can see the change your neck will start to become normal.

[QUOTE=jomillergo;416152181]Now you should not strain , just avoid exercises which you do with your hands, because hands have the direct connection to the neck, whatever exercises you do with your hands will affect your neck. solution i can suggest is that you need to do exercises which will relax your muscles, get good sleep with proper position while you sleep, i prefer you sleep in a flat surface, avoid pillows then within one or two weeks you can see the change your neck will start to become normal.[/QUOTE]

it's funny you say that...I normally sleep on a posturepedic pillow..but I have realized I think mine is a little large, meaning thick.

so last night I slept on a thinner/flatter pillow. Not much of a change today, but like you said might take a couple weeks.

One "stretch" I have started doing, which ultimately feels good but is quite sore doing..is I stand up with my feet shoulder width apart. I push my chest toward the ceiling, and I lean my head backwards while my arms are hung to my sides. This creates quite a stretch/pressure in/around the area where my neck meets my shoulder/trap.

For an extra stretch, I will hold dumbbells in my hands and let the gravity help stretch it.

I think doing this for a week or so will ultimately make it feel better...however after 2 days its still quite sore.

[QUOTE=mcohen;181094781]Call me crazy, most of my family members/close friends have at some point... but it sounds to me like you have classic TMS symptoms. TMS stands for Tension My-something Syndrome and it is a disease that has been discovered by Dr. John Sarno. I discovered his books when I was suffering with terrible low back pack. I had seen six different types of doctors/medical people who all told me something was different with my back. One said I had a fractured bone, one said herniated disc, one said muscle spasms, etc, the list goes on.

ANyways, what Sarno suggests (and is correct in doing so) is that pain is often a result stress and tension that comes from our brains. Our brain actually deprives oxygen at some parts of our body and this causes the pain. The lower back area is one common place for TMS, the other two areas are the places you marked on that image.

The cure? Really it's quite simple. You read his books and become convinced. Once you are convinced, you basically talk to your body, tell it to cut the ****, and the pain eventually goes away. The pain often moves around. RIght now I am suffering from the neck pain that describe once in a while, but I know that it is TMS and it is slowly subsiding.

I hope you don't think I am a nut, because this stuff is for real, it has changed my life. I was out of the gym for months because the doctors told me my discs were all F'ed up and i'd never be able to work out again. Now I am squatting and deadlifting like its my job. Check out his book, mind body connection. Trust me.[/QUOTE]

nice copy/paste job

SO - i read this post and I can totally relate.
I'm currently doing crossfit and this happened to me ! in the exact same spot- i have an appointment with my massage therapist tonight- im hoping she can help me because this pain is really bad!!! I get my body pump certification in two weeks and i CANNOT be out of commission!

[QUOTE=majorchamp;180635241]Hi everyone,

So I have a particular "injury" that I tend to get, and its not always weight lifting related, but the weight lifting I did this morning did injure it :)

The area (I don't know the terms) between my neck and shoulder blade often get tight/sore, usually after playing golf, sleeping, or various other reasons. My posture has a little bit of my head too forward, so I have tried to keep it back. I think the muscles surrounding my neck and back are just weak.

Anyways, I can barely turn my head to the right, and the pain runs basically in my neck only, with the severe pain right in the dead middle of the right side of my neck.

Attached is a graphic to illustrate the area that typically gets strained/sore.

I have taken 2 advil this morning and have iced it once, but I plan on taking a couple more advil, doing light stretching, and more ice.

Any other recommendations?

What can I do to strengthen this area. My workout right now is a total body workout and consists of

- Dumbbell squats
- Dumbbell dead lifts
- Swiss ball Dumbbell Bench Press
- pull ups
- calf raises
- Dumbbell bent over rows
- Overhead dumbbell press (this was the exercise this morning that injured me)
- alternate dumbbell curls
-close grip dumbbell bench
- pinwheel curls

Thanks[/QUOTE]