Upper Back/Rhomboid Chronic Pain

[Luka2311]

Hi all. I had this for 2 years. Doctors have been useless. But private psychical therapist have give me good diagnosis. If you experience romboid pain, weight fealing that can include infected side shoulder or neck. If running, jummping or streaching on cold increse pain, if left and right side feel inequal then this may help you.

Soulution-I hope for all

Do only a core exercises laying on back , slow motion exercises ONLY, no fast movement. It is probably that your muscle on back is teared and any fast stressfull movement will disable recovery. Online doctor have described this as fibromyalgia and give me same treatment as psychical therapist in person. It will take some time maybe a week to start working. Also don't sit or lay for long time, try easy walk or standing for most of day. Losing weight also helps.

Don't streach hard that muscule, relaxing streaching only, no pain no big tension, easy.Just do movement without actual stretch, slow.

Later after month you can do slow push ups or better plank, nothing excesive.
Don't do hard or every day,this is rehabilitation. So max 40min slow pace, I do it every second or third day.

TEST CORE
I know we all think that our core is awesome but check it out anway.
Lay down on back get your legs together and rise them straight under 80degrees, don't bend them in knees. Hold for 10-15sec if you are shaking, then that means you are weak. Get over it and check some core exercises on youtube, but remember easy,slow motion exercises not those instant fit-strengt videos. This is rehabilitation not challenge,
Sry on bad english but this worked for me, pain was terrible. It was hard to work or enjoy company becuse this so in good will, just try.

[hawkpacific]

Anyone tried stretching their ribs? This helps a bit for me. I have almost exactly the same problem as OP.

Search YouTube for: "Quit Blaming The Rhomboids by Taya Countryman" by the Channel "Oakworksinc".

Use an exercise ball for better results!

[shmaiz3r]

Anyone tried stretching their ribs? This helps a bit for me. I have almost exactly the same problem as OP.

Search YouTube for: "Quit Blaming The Rhomboids by Taya Countryman" by the Channel "Oakworksinc".

Use an exercise ball for better results!

THIS METHOD FROM VIDEO WORKS!!! But the rip pain comes back whenever I have a good pushing workout [the day after] and I would have to do the method from the video again.

I have had this chronic pain [right between the scapula and the spine, at the lower part of the rhomboid] for almost 2 years now.

Strangely, it started in the left side little by little for about 6 months, then subdued for a month, then came back but on my right side [dominant side] and remained there for the remaining 18 months I've been dealing with this.

Pressing the pain point with Lacrosse ball [wall method/floor method] or massaging it gives TEMPORARILY AND QUICK relief, but the pain comes back the next day and sometimes in a more pronounced strength.

As I mentioned, the pain moves and feels different with time. For me it started only at the point where the scapula meets the spine at the lower end of the rhomboid[left side], then subdued and came back in the right side, then it extended up into the back of my rear upper right shoulder, and sometimes you feel it like a deep protruding pain on stretching from armpit to the pec head [chest].


Sometimes the pain is acute and sharp deep inside the right pec location, almost like a rip out of place, this particular one could last for days until you fix it by the mentioned video stretch ["Quit Blaming The Rhomboids by Taya Countryman"] which gives INSTANT and MAGICAL relief, but the issue could still comes back after a good pushing workout.

When I first saw a bones doctor, he prescribed "Anti-Inflammatory" pills for me and they worked 100%. The pain disappeared 100%.. And when I stop taking them the pain sneaks back, by day 3 it's at 100% strength.

I've taken 2 types of anti-inflammatory pills, all work the same way. Magic effect when on the pill, then the pain comes right back when you stop taking it.

The doctor also suggested that my rhomboids are weak compared to my chest muscles, but I have been training them 2/3 times a week [4 sets of 12-15 doing Y raises] for 5 months but the issue still persists with no change.

I have lately discovered that there is a definitive tender point that hurts when pressed by finger, it's located under my right armpit [pain side].

I also suffer from glutes weakness along with core weakness. My bench press is literally stronger than my squat and I have never focused on upper body in my workout schedules. My deadlift also is stuck at 315 for the longest time. I have always been incorporating back training throughout my training time and never slacked on back movements.

I should also mention that I spend at least 7 hours daily sitting on a computer since my early teenage [27y now].

I have absolutely no pain in my neck. No headaches also.

I'm almost certain that I have the same chronic issue discussed in this thread.

The post made by " ruggiero06" seems very logical. I will do what he says and report back if I noticed any difference in the next 6 months.

I'm also hoping that we find the definitive solution for this issue.

Good luck and God bliss.

[jselfchicago]

Hi,

Male, 5"7, 69kg.

I am experiencing a chronic "ache" in my Rhomboid area. The specific spot is right in between the scapula and spine on the left side. Please see the attached image to get a pretty good idea of where it is.

I have now had it for around 6-7 months. It's never been a huge problem, but has also never gone away. On a pain scale, I'd say it's a 5/10 - but definitely chronic, not acute. So that's a 5/10 all day long.

Currently to treat the pain, I roll on a lacrosse ball against a wall. This provides a huge amount of relief, but unfortunately it is very short lived and the pain returns after an hour or two. I also foam roll before I workout. This doesn't provide much instant relief, as it doesn't seem to feel "deep" enough.

I lift three times a week, on a push/pull program. My main lifts are: Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Straight Leg Deadlift, Barbell Row, Barbel Curls and the odd bit of cable work for arms. I make sure my form is as strict as it can be, and to be completely honest, my numbers aren't huge, so I'm technically not shifting that much weight. In fact, this back injury now feels like it's holding me back from pushing on with the weight.

I have seen a doctor, he dismissed me almost instantly and said "carry on lifting, pains will come and go". Useful.

I am joining a new gym in a week, with a sports physio on hand. I am going to be seeing him at the earliest possible time. I'm wary of Chiro's, just because of the quack warnings I've heard. They are also really expensive.

Edit: Quick note about my posture - I do work in front of a computer all day, however my chair is pretty decent (tall back, shaped well into the lumbar). I also give thought to my posture all the time, and rarely slouch/slump. Try to keep things aligned, back arched, chest out 80% of the time.

Any advice as to what I should do next?

James

This is a great thread. I hope others continue to post on it. I've been suffering rhomboid pain in the exact same area, rhomboid major on the left side. First noticed it about 3.5 weeks ago and it was killing me. I injured it by stupidly doing a bunch of front lever raises the day after doing weighted pull ups when my lats were already depleted. I put too much pressure on the rhomboids and tore it, but sometimes it's difficult to tell if pain is from a pull or just plain soreness, so I continued to try to work through it with more front lever raises for a few days until it got to the point that it hurt to take deep breaths. I went to see my sports med doc who didn't have much more to share with me than I already knew. I couldn't even jog slowly; the bouncing was painful in the rhomboid.

I took about a week and a half off and was finally able continue working out without it hurting with deep breaths. I was even doing weighted pull ups with 100 lbs, more than I was doing before. I thought I'd test it out recently by doing 1 set of 5 of front lever raises and damn if I didn't re-aggravated it. Now it's just as painful as it was in the beginning. When I sneeze, it feels like someone is stabbing me in my left rhomboid major. These take weeks to heal if one is lucky, but often drag on for months. I don't think I'll try any front lever raises for at least 3 or 4 months. I've also noticed that stretches that specifically target the rhomboids worsen the pain the next day. I'll probably lay off that until the pain is mostly gone away. I think a good rule for the rhomboids is rest them and don't do any exercises that target or isolate them for a very long time, like rows, front levers, etc. Weighted pull ups were fine for me, despite the rhomboid tear. I use the firm rumble roller and it provides temporary relief, but the rhomboids are hard to reach since they're under the lats. I've done the tennis ball, but may have made it worse. Not sure it's good to try too hard to rub it out when the pain is so bad.

[LaraB2017]

I had much of these symptoms - turns out I have a detached rhomboid. Have a look at scapular muscle detachment I will have full use of my arm but in brief symptoms were :

Feeling like someone constantly pressing my scapula
Constant muscle spasm and trigger points in rhomboid and trap
Tenderness to touch in the rhomboid area
Burning muscle pain
I developed snapping scapula as the muscle wasn't attached to control the scapula.

[mfkaslan]

Same problem here, but MRI showed nothing and dry needling didn't help. Been on and off training for 2 years, starting to feel depressed. Can't sit normal for 2 hours.

Is a detached/torn rhomboid visible on MRI?

[hawkpacific]

Hey guys,

I've also been struggling with this issue for about 3 years now. Treatments/diagnosis include several PT visits, a CP and an MRI(which was actually for something else, but included the injured region.)

Here is what a PT gave me to do last week:

Pseudo push-ups (3 sets of 3 reps, once a day)
Specific rhomboid stretch (Youtube this - "Mid Back Stretch and Rhomboid Release")
Stretch-band exercises - Place center of band under desk corner, grab hold of both ends of the band, hold arms straight out in front of you and pull in opposite directions, keeping arms straight.

Only thing that's given instant relief is the specific rhomboid stretch.

Has anyone else had any success with any of these exercises?

Thanks for this! Very good stretch and hits the right area. I have a type 2 morphology AC joint in R. Shoulder, tight pecs, tight R. Lat. I get the horrible Rhomboid/Lower Trap trigger point as well. Releasing it allows the true area of pain to surface (R. Shoulder), but the pain in the shoulder is much more manageable.

I would highly suggest finding a good Yoga instructor and adding that to your weekly workout. I used to balk at Yoga. But, if you find a good instructor, it will really sharpen your mind and put you in better touch with your body. Also, a good bouldering gym!

[hawkpacific]

THIS METHOD FROM VIDEO WORKS!!! But the rip pain comes back whenever I have a good pushing workout [the day after] and I would have to do the method from the video again.

I have had this chronic pain [right between the scapula and the spine, at the lower part of the rhomboid] for almost 2 years now.

Strangely, it started in the left side little by little for about 6 months, then subdued for a month, then came back but on my right side [dominant side] and remained there for the remaining 18 months I've been dealing with this.

Pressing the pain point with Lacrosse ball [wall method/floor method] or massaging it gives TEMPORARILY AND QUICK relief, but the pain comes back the next day and sometimes in a more pronounced strength.

As I mentioned, the pain moves and feels different with time. For me it started only at the point where the scapula meets the spine at the lower end of the rhomboid[left side], then subdued and came back in the right side, then it extended up into the back of my rear upper right shoulder, and sometimes you feel it like a deep protruding pain on stretching from armpit to the pec head [chest].


Sometimes the pain is acute and sharp deep inside the right pec location, almost like a rip out of place, this particular one could last for days until you fix it by the mentioned video stretch ["Quit Blaming The Rhomboids by Taya Countryman"] which gives INSTANT and MAGICAL relief, but the issue could still comes back after a good pushing workout.

When I first saw a bones doctor, he prescribed "Anti-Inflammatory" pills for me and they worked 100%. The pain disappeared 100%.. And when I stop taking them the pain sneaks back, by day 3 it's at 100% strength.

I've taken 2 types of anti-inflammatory pills, all work the same way. Magic effect when on the pill, then the pain comes right back when you stop taking it.

The doctor also suggested that my rhomboids are weak compared to my chest muscles, but I have been training them 2/3 times a week [4 sets of 12-15 doing Y raises] for 5 months but the issue still persists with no change.

I have lately discovered that there is a definitive tender point that hurts when pressed by finger, it's located under my right armpit [pain side].

I also suffer from glutes weakness along with core weakness. My bench press is literally stronger than my squat and I have never focused on upper body in my workout schedules. My deadlift also is stuck at 315 for the longest time. I have always been incorporating back training throughout my training time and never slacked on back movements.

I should also mention that I spend at least 7 hours daily sitting on a computer since my early teenage [27y now].

I have absolutely no pain in my neck. No headaches also.

I'm almost certain that I have the same chronic issue discussed in this thread.

The post made by " ruggiero06" seems very logical. I will do what he says and report back if I noticed any difference in the next 6 months.

I'm also hoping that we find the definitive solution for this issue.

Good luck and God bliss.

Glad that video worked for you. I have tried it and get little results. If you YouTube "Mid Back Stretch and Rhomboid Release (HOW TO TARGET THIS!)", that works a good amount for me. Keep me updated! I'm gonna send you a request.

[Thetrainer222]

Awesome article

[hawkpacific]

Since I have struggled with this issue for over 6 months, and had it completely destroy my weight lifting ego, I have some more insights for this thread.

I kept avoiding doing what I sort of knew I needed to be doing. Bottom line, once you start getting shoulder issues...the ONLY way to get rid of them is educate yourself on core/stabilization exercises. Gone are the days when I would just hit the gym 3x a week and do little core/stretching/any other exercise.

I see most bros at the gym do the exact thing. Some have great genetics and never get hurt. Others, like myself, are not so fortunate.

Save yourself the pain/irritation/sedentary months that I suffered through. As I said above, see a good PT, go to a GOOD Yoga class (not overcrowded, instructor you like), and start those stabilization exercises.

There is no easy fix for this problem!

[mikedog87]

Im a Male 6ft.
19 years old, martial artist, who loves to work on cars & be very active

One day I was working & was doing 12 hour shifts at a factory of repetitive work I start to get a soreness in my upper trap muscle so I ignored it got home slept repeated to the next day well that next day I ended up leaving because I felt a almost tearing or instant pinching pain coming from my rhomboids. So I decided to go see a chiropractor done near 2 months of manipulation & cortisone shots plus massage therapy... The pain continued so I went to the hospital he said looks like I have poor posture & a bit of winged scapula so he sent me to a PTD so done therapy for near 8 weeks nothing got better so went met with a surgeon who believed I had a torn rotator cuff well finally got a MRI of my upper left shoulder it shown I had a tear in one my rotator cuff muscles... So got arthroscopic surgery done wake up he has images & said the MRI shown wrong I only had a huge slap tear with 3 bone spurs. So I recover & the pain is still there! So he said to do therapy more see if it's just weak done it nothing is better. So finally after trying cervical traction & realized it eases up my pain & feels like I got a new neck each time my surgeon & PTD come down to I need a neck MRI which ill have done very soon. My regular internal rotation is gold and a external but I literally can't do the more advanced rotator cuff work do to both of my shoulders feel unstable to the upper shoulder to my elbows and I realize in both elbows I get a aching pain. Now I only get pain to my left trap/ rhomboids that kills my neck almost. Well your c4/c5 nerve even possible c6 nerves are trapped, being compressed its neurological the c5 actually supplies blood to the rhomboid minor & if any bulging/herniation/tumor or even bone spurs press that nerve you'll have this pain the eats your upper back/neck. If cervical traction feels good at all I'd say can I get a neck MRI or how can I get one. All the nerves run everywhere once one is pinched the blood supply is cut causing the muscle to starve which triggers constant spasms. I also hear things like crack rocks when I turn my neck, sometimes random numbness in both hands, elbows hurt doing any labor work, & left side rhomboids constant hurt which affects my traps that cause even more neck pain/upper left side. Im healthy active teen 19 years old, run all the time, train martial arts, I'll keep you all updated once my MRI is done here in a week. Just stretch, strengthen & move never sit or stand in one area that is when it becomes tender. It's been a long 2 years of this pain so far done from massage therapy, to ice therapy, chiropractic work, Physical therapy, tens unit therapy, to cervical traction-seems to take tension off a bit, to seeing surgeons, medications, & cortisone shots. Your cervical spine nerves will more in likely be the culprit!

[LaraB2017]

Hi All

Just wanted to post here because back when my rhomboid issues started this is one of the posts I was scouring. I found the cause and it wasn't a pretty one, but it may help someone else out there who comes accross this.

I started with a nagging feeling constantly in my rhomboid like someone was pressing a thumb in it, it was more irritating than painful but I wanted to almost cut my scapula out my self is only way to describe this intense nagging / spasm. My rhomboid and traps were like a bag of marbles, lots of trigger points that only got temporary relief. I then also developed snapping scapula. All MRIs clean.
I then came accross another post on this site about someone tearing their rhomboid. Eventually I found out I had done the same - torn my rhomboid off my scapula bone. I had the surgery to correct this in America and I am now pain free on that side. Anyway it was called 'scapular muscle detachment'. Good luck

[LaraB2017]

No it isn't. My MRI was clean apart from some swelling. I had detached my rhomboid minor.

[hawkpacific]

Hi everyone,

I think I finally found a solution for this issue. First off, after seeing a more experienced Physical Therapist (PT), he stated it was my Trapezius that was cramping. He also mentioned that what was happening was that the Trapezius was overcompensating for the lack of stability in the shoulder, which it is not designed to do. Therefore, once I am finished with the activity, the Trapezius then goes crazy.

The PT gave me all sorts of stuff for my serratus anterior, but they all hurt in the biceps area & then later the trapezius (serratus punch, etc.).

Anyway, this PT is really good. After a couple sessions, he started trying other things. He finally recommended 'Wall Clocks'.

Here they are: Search 'Wall Clocks Ron Krit' on YouTube. Was uploaded April 8th, 2011.

These things are great because they REALLY help to stabilize the shoulder, even when you have pain.

I am still early on in getting back from daily pain, so I do them very slow, often holding my arms at 3 & 6 o'clock against the wall. Make sure you don't let your body sink in abnormally & keep your core & glutes tight. If you are like me, you should feel your serratus anterior ignite. It feels really good. You will need to do these a lot before some sort of stability comes back. Go slow!

I found this one on my own. It has helped this trap issue a lot as well. I do it 1 minute each side, 3 times. I do that 2 times a day. I am attaching a picture of the stretch.
To find the webpage that talks about the stretch, search: 'posturemovementpain are my lats tight'. It is a Physical Therapists website.

Make sure you grab onto something that is not too low, as my PT says this puts strain on the shoulder. I find anything that is lower chest height works good.

I think the real reason the "Quit Blaming the Rhomboids" video worked for some is that it is stretching the Lats & possibly the serratus anterior as well.

Best wishes!

[hawkpacific]

I would also like to add another exercise that hits the serratus anterior. The wall slide:

Search "Foam Roller Scapular Wall Slides by Rafal Matuszewski" on YouTube.

I have found the traditional 'arms at 90 degrees' wall slide seems to put pressure on the front of my shoulders. Using a large foam roller seems to engage the serratus anterior even more, especially when you flare the arms outwardly (as shown in the video).

And, please dont forget posture for every other moment of your life. Shoulders set in proper alignment & do neck pullback isometrics. These help a lot.

Update: Also wanted to add another serratus anterior exercise which is really good and hard to mess up, the side plank (picture attached).

This should all be in addition to a standard shoulder stabilizing routine: wall angels, external/internal rotation w/ band normal & at 90 degrees, etc.

[itw02]

Hi Lara I have the same terribly annoying nagging rhomboid pain (and have tried so many things PT, massage, trigger point injection, MRI clean etc). Wondering how is your recovery going? and who was the doctor you saw? Thank you! Ian

[Samurai100]

Stretch pec and pec minor for min 45 sec till you feel it spasm. Stretch also the bi's.

Do 10 sets of natural grip cable rowing going up in weight peaking on your 3rd or 4th set then lighten the weight down to complete the 10 sets to get the rhomboids stronger.

[bredbin]

I've just found this thread as well. I had MRI scans for the pain but there's no problem structurally.

The stretch in the attached pic has been helping tremendously. I kind of lean my side over as well as hold the shoulder in the overhead position. This is giving me more than just temporary relief, overall my rhomboid pain has been subdued the past week.

[JCBourgeois]

Hey folks, I just found this thread as well and have been having the same issues. I basically took an entire year off weights trying to let this heal and played hockey instead in the meantime in an effort to stay fit. Been to multiple PT's and chiros to no avail. Went back to the gym last week and bam, it's back, except on the other side this time. My routine typically consists of chest press, military press, bat rows, pull downs, and traditional rows. I could hardly move my neck for two days and had a hard time sleeping. I did fracture my scapula in 2012 and my pain first came on my right so believed the two were related. Now it's on the left side so I am ruling out residual scapula issues. I feel like I am doing too much chest and maybe not stretching my chest afterwards is contributing? I could have a muscle imbalance and need to work on my back more? Maybe I need to eliminate miltary presses for a while or just consider going lighter for a while (I'll admit that I was at about 90% of where I was a year ago on my second workout so maybe too much too soon). Initially it feels like nerve issues but that could be due to inflamed rhomboids putting pressure on the nerves that run through there. Anti-inflammatories may help which I have never tried. I'm very much open to suggestions folks as this has really got me bummed out and I am debating whether to invest in a new gym membership becuse I feel like it will be wasted money if I am constantly injured...

Thx, JC

Edit: I forgot to add that I am 43, and have only been working out routinely since 2012. Also, I have an office job and will concede that I don't have great posture while at work. During my last workout I also did a full body workout and did the following (warmed up on treadcimber for 5 mins before workout):
Flat chest press (machine)
Incline chest press (dumbbells)
Bat rows (dumbbells)
Regular rows (machine)
Pull downs (machine)
Bicep curls (dumbbells)
Military press (machine) <-- I am fairly sure that my form on this one sucks and I generally go too heavy
Arm raises (dumbbells)
Skull crushers (barbell)

[Ineedtrt]

Hey folks,

for anybody reading this I will share what i have found to relieve pain in my rhomboid area.
Mine is weird because I have distal clavicle osteolysis or "weightlifters shoulder".
And this back pain came at the same time. That being said take into consideration that i still do not know if the 2 are related or if it was just a coincidence.
My logic was the osteolysis was inflaming the end of my collar bone pushing on the acromion causing my scapula to be slightly out of place and causing back pain.
But lately im thinking its 2 different issues.

Anyway. I have pain in my middle and slightly above middle back. When its bad and i roll on a lacrosse ball its like there are rocks under my scapula.
What makes it hurt i have found is mostly SITTING (WTF?). especially with a pillow behind my head pushing my neck forward.
I did try a low row and my back hurt for a couple days after, however i did a few different exercises that day so i dont know for sure.
Havent taken the risk to try it again.

So i learned that surfing helps for me. so i tried to replicate that. And also got a couple ideas from youtube and 1 from a PT.

The number one exercise that helps me is to workout the LATS.
The way i do it is with a cable. set it up as high as i can and as close together as i can and pull down with medium weight about 15 reps 2 or 3 times. I try to pull down from above my head keeping my arms in front of me. I am fairly tall so i usually have to bend forward a little to be able to pull down from above my head.
Almost like the opposite of lifting dumbbells in front of you to work your shoulders.
If i cant get to the gym, I use a resistance band. Hang it over a door. get on my knees and pull down with one arm on either side of the door. Silly as it sounds this has saved me a couple times.
I do not know exactly why, but if i dont do this every couple of days i am in really bad pain.
I also do the I's Y's and T's. They help but not as much.
I tried scapular push ups and some other scapular exercises with mixed results. My problem with them is that they aggravate the osteolysis.

As for stretching. First things first you need to loosen up your pecs and your lats. Especially where they connect to your arm.
For the pecs i grab them under my armpit and pinch them pretty hard while i raise my arm up and down (saw dr bough hightower doing it while torturing someone on youtube). This seems to be the most successful way for me.
For the lat i use the lacrosse ball and just roll it out against a wall then right up by the armpit i do the same technique by raising my arm up and down.
I guess this probably gets deep into the muscle at different points of activation and probably loosens up some fascia (i really dont know). Oh and that last part HURTS. Just do it.

I actually starting noticing that for the rhomboid area, light stretching seems to be helping more that more intense stretching, I think i was over stretching. I was doing this before i had the idea that it might be strained. I would stretch my shoulder blades so far forward that there was a slight pop in the muscle. I try not to do that now.
I usually hang from the pull up bar at least once during the stretch routine. not sure if it helps.
Oh and stretching my hammies. sitting on ground have one leg bent in front, keep core engaged (flex abs and butt) to increase the effectiveness, lean forward over bent leg. Not a huge alleviation from that but it seems to help everything.

Basically. Tight pecs will pull your shoulders forward elongating the rhomboids. I do not know why the lats help me so much as they also can pull the shoulder forward a little. Maybe its because they pull down as well.
This could all still be related to the clavicle but i figured id share it. Maybe i can get some answers for myself as well.

Hope this helps someone.
Let me know if you try it and it does.

[Ineedtrt]

Hi Lara I have the sa...

Stretch pec and pec minor for min 45 sec till you feel it spasm. Stretch also the bi's.

Do 10 sets of natural grip cable rowing going up in weight peaking on your 3rd or 4th set then lighten the weight down to complete the 10 sets to get the rhomboids stronger.

Im a Male 6ft.
19 years old, martial artist, who loves to work on cars & be very active...

Same problem here, but MRI showed nothing and dry needling didn't help. Been on and off training for 2 years, starting to feel depressed. Can't sit normal for 2 hours....

I feel your pain!!!

This is a great thread...

Not sure if quoting notifies on this forum but did anybody figure out any solutions or diagnose the problem?

[Jeff Rocker]

I feel your pain!!!



Not sure if quoting notifies on this forum but did anybody figure out any solutions or diagnose the problem?

I just started getting Graston. I've only had 4 visits so no real change at this point. I can feel that the therapist is working the spots as she uses the graston tool on the areas. I was told 6-12 visits for results.

[SamTheClam]

Did you ever solve this riddle? My symptoms are the exact same and I've been to 3 doctors, had an MRI and Sonogram to check for Gallstones etc.... I've lived with this on off pain for 3 years. I want to say its from benching but just cant be sure. Rehab doc said my front was overpowering my back but for 3 years? Pain pills dont work and it just kind of comes and goes. Never during a workout. If you solved your issue I would really appreciate any wisdom you could share.

I have exactly the same - it's quite debilitating - they've thought for the last few years I've had escalating digestive issues - and it is just this left side Rhomboid muscle - did you ever sort it out?

Any advice on what works for you would be good - this thing is invading my life!