All posts by Kathryn Merrow

Upper Back Muscle Knots

Five Causes of Muscle Spasms In Your Upper Back and Shoulder

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Muscle knots in backGot pain between your spine and shoulder blade(s)?

Got painful muscle spasms in the back of your shoulder? 

Got “knots” in your upper back on one or both sides?

Below you’ll find five possible causes for your back pain:

Pssst:  Your body is trying to tell you something.  It’s complaining!

When you get “knots” or muscle spasms in your upper back, that’s one of the ways your body says, “Hey, pay attention!  I’m not happy!”

Knots in your back muscles are symptoms that there’s an issue somewhere—a cause.  Our goal is to get rid of the cause.

There are common causes of one-sided upper back pain between your shoulder blade and spine and we’re going to talk about them right here.

When you discover the causes of your upper back pain, you’ll be on the road to be rid of your painful knots naturally!

You’ll learn how to get rid of those nasty muscle knots forever in a bit.

So, what causes one or more muscle knots in your back?

1.  Thyroid issues and mineral deficiencies.  Thyroid or other immune system dysfunctions can  cause a tendency to get muscle spasms (knots.)  You’ll probably need to work with your doctor if you have this diagnosis.

Mineral deficiencies can cause muscles to be unhappy.  Magnesium makes muscles happier.  Muscles also like calcium and potassium to function properly.

2.  Posture. If you have a “forward head” posture or rounded shoulders the muscles in your upper back get stretched and strained and complain.  They go into spasms or “knots” to try to protect themselves.  This is a really common cause!

Slouching or even straining to see the computer screen can be a cause of muscle strain and knots in your upper back.  Adjusting your chair, table and screen heights can help.

3.  Weak back muscles. If your back muscles are weak, the stronger, shorter muscles in the front of your body will pull you forward.  This can be a cause OR a result of poor posture.  It strains your back muscles and causes muscle knots in your back muscles.  The goal is to get a strong back side (excepts calves.)

4.  Holding an area of your back in contraction (shortened) for a long time.  Do you tend to hold your elbow behind the midline of the side of your body?  Muscles that are held in just one position for a long period of time  think they are supposed to be in that position all the time.

You get lopsided.  And, you get knots.

5.  Tilting or rotating. This can be due to habits if you always stand or sit in the same off-balance position.  It can be caused by such things as stretching to keep your hand on a mouse or leaning to one side a lot.

Perhaps you lean on the armrest of your chair, couch or in your car?  Or, always cross the same leg over the other leg?

Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) can also have tilts and rotations.  It might be primary (the way you were born) or secondary (from habits.)  Scoliosis can sometimes be corrected naturally, by the way.

Now you know the possible causes of those nasty knots in your upper back.  If you get rid of the causes, you’ll be rid of the muscle knots.

I’d love to help you do that.   🙂

If it’s okay with you, I’d like to invite you to discover an easy online self-help course that I designed just for you!  Knots In Your Back Gone!

Knots In Your Back has all of the information you need to get rid of the gnawing pain between your shoulder blades and spine from a trusted, reliable source (me!) in just one place.

You won’t have to search the Internet trying to figure out what’s actually helpful and true and what’s not.

I’ve done all the research for you, taken all the advanced training, and have over thirty years of experience helping people get out of physical pain.

I’ve gotten rid of the miserable knots in my own upper back, too, naturally and forever!

I know how you feel because I’ve been there.  And I’ve been helping people get rid of those miserable knots in their upper back and other pain for over thirty years!  That’s a lot of years and a lot of bodies.

I’d love it if you go look and see if it sounds interesting to you. Please click >>>   Knots In Your Back Gone!

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Scoliosis

A Common Cause for Scoliosis and Natural Relief

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Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine. Lots of times the doctor will say it’s “idiopathic.” That word means there is no known cause.

Maybe sometimes there is not a known cause. But more likely the cause is simply not known to the doctor! 🙂

I love doctors and surgeons and don’t ever want to seem critical but most of them just don’t learn about the roles of muscles when they are in med school.

Med school is more about treating symptoms with medical procedures or drugs than getting rid of the cause of a pain, problem or dysfunction like scoliosis naturally.

I took a great deal of my training from a brilliant man named Paul St. John. Below is Continue reading A Common Cause for Scoliosis and Natural Relief →

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Natural Back Pain Relief, Self Help

Ice Can Help Get Rid Of Back Pain Due To Arthritis Or Bursitis

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Cold packs can reduce inflammation and help with back pain and discomfort.

“If it’s very painful, I sometimes tell patients to ice four or five times daily for about 10 to 15 minutes,” says Amy Humphrey, DPT, a physical therapist at Body Dynamics, Inc. in Arlington, Va.

A cold pack is easy to use at home.  And if you don’t have one a package of frozen peas works just fine.

Here’s how to use an ice pack:

Wrap a thin towel around it so you don’t burn your skin and put it where you feel the pain. If you use the cold pack over your clothes you probably won’t need the towel.

If your cold pack doesn’t cover the whole area you can re-chill it and move it to a different part of your back.

When the area starts to feel numb you are done.  Remove the cold pack from that area to prevent damage to your tissues.

Ice is a wonderful tool to help get rid of pain in your back naturally.

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Lower Back Pain, Self Help

Intense Pain in Lower Back and Legs–Natural Pain Relief

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Cool message I just got from a man who was complaining about intense lower back and leg pain just a few days ago:

“God Bless You Kathryn Merrow. 90% better already. I was in pain for 2 months and you solved it in one night. 2 visits to the ER, sonograms on my legs, and still the “Doctors” couldn’t solve it.
A blanket under one cushion, some flexing and a little massaging was all it took. I’m simply AMAZED. Thank You, Thank You,Thank You. I say 90% because I’m still a little sore but all is well. I can sleep again.  ” – Jimmy

Look at his words. He went to the Emergency Room in desperation. They gave him some serious-sounding potential diagnoses.

The important thing to know is that I didn’t see him in person! But I listened well and he asked one good key question that gave me more insight. I explained what was happening and how to correct it. He listened and followed the suggestions I gave to him. He makes it sound easy and, basically, it was. Just had to understand what was going on to cause his pain and steps to make it better.

He asked me how long it would take until he started to feel better. I told him within several days but it was just a few. 

Because bodies are logical (almost everyone has the same symptoms for similar reasons) they can heal when you just understand what’s happening and what to do to fix it.

I don’t know everything and I’m not a doctor but, as a manual therapist who specializes in pain relief from symptoms based on soft-tissue dysfunctions, I’m a pretty good “assessor.”

And, I’m available for long-distance consultations for a reasonable hourly fee. 

I always want to say, “just easy monthly payments,” but sometimes one consultation is all it takes.

 

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Causes of Back Pain, Natural Back Pain Relief

Do Nerves Cause Back Pain?

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Do nerves cause back pain?  It’s possible, but…

Doctors know a whole lot!  And naturally, patients believe their doctor because our doctors are smart.  That’s a good thing!

But sometimes they just don’t see the whole picture.  Why?

It wasn’t part of their training in med school.  There is just too much to know.  And that’s also why some doctors or therapists specialize in getting down to the root causes of back pain.

So, if your doctor says your back pain is caused by a nerve, the next question is: “Why?”  What is the structure that is pressing on the nerve?

And, the next question is:  “How come?”

Let’s say Continue reading Do Nerves Cause Back Pain? →

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Natural Back Pain Relief, Self Help, Upper Back Muscle Knots

Movement Helps Back Pain Go Away and Stay Away

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What kind of movement will help your back pain go away and stay away?

Well, here’s the deal.  We have several hundred muscles and most of us use only the same sixty or seventy all the time.  That gets us out of muscular balance.

So, mix things up!  Wake up the muscles that you haven’t been using.  Stretch the muscles in front.  Most of us have muscles in front that are way too tight and short.  That causes back pain.

Strengthen the back muscles.  Most of us have weak backs and we collapse forward.  Make those back muscles strong again.

If you take on a program of movement that is too far different from your usual activity, you will be sore tomorrow.

  • Start gradually.
  • Move thoughtfully.
  • Pay attention to what feels tight.
  • Look in the mirror to check your posture.  (You used to have great posture when you were little!)

Even simple, subtle movement will help your back muscles start to feel better.

A weak back can develop muscle “knots” and make your life miserable.

Did you know that even walking can help strengthen and normalize your back muscles?  How?  Because your legs are attached to your back!

If you feel the problem is a weak back, there is a program designed to help you get rid of those knots and muscle spasms in your upper back.  I’ve included lots of movements in it to help you get rid of that achy upper back, for good!

Click here to learn more:  Knots In Your Back.

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Causes of Back Pain, Natural Back Pain Relief, Self Help

Does Your Car Seat Cause Your Back Pain?

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Does your back hurt more when you drive?  Do your neck, back or even hands start to hurt when driving?  Does your car seat give you a pain in the neck?

It’s not a surprise to me because I’ve sat in lots and lots of car seats and I don’t like ’em.

Some designers seem to think that car seats are for lounging.  C’mon now.

Drivers are supposed to be alert and able to see the road.  I’d like to be supported rather than reclined.  It’s not a movie theater.

1.  Lumbar support.  Sometimes car seats don’t have anything to support your lower back while you are reclin…I mean, driving.  If you don’t have a lumbar support you can create one easily and cheaply.  Fold a hand towel into quarters or eighths or whatever thickness fits between you and your car seat.  It goes behind your waist.

If you have access to a small baby pillow or a batt of fiberfill that will work, too.  You might even find a nicely shaped lumbar support at the dollar store.  When I found a bin of them at a dollar store I bought several.  Those are some of the best dollars I have ever spent!

2.  Sometimes car seats recline so much that your head is forced to jut forward.  That strains upper back and neck muscles.  If you can put your seat into a more upright position that will help.

If you cannot adjust the seat to be more upright, pad the back of the seat.  You can pull a t-shirt over the seat and place padding behind it.  The t-shirt will help the padding stay in place.

3.   Lots of headrests stick out too far.  All I can figure is that the designers are trying to support the heads of people who are really dysfunctional and are ignoring the folks with nice, neutral, straight posture.

It’s really annoying for someone with nice posture to sit in those cars; they cause head and neck pain and knots in your upper back in short order.  What can you do if your headrest sticks out too far?  Well, you could throw it out the window like one older gentleman told me.  Or you could just pad up the seat back so your whole body will move forward.

And in some cars adding a lumbar pillow or support like we talked about above can move you forward just enough so the headrest won’t bug you as much.

So your back pain might not be your fault.  If you hurt when you drive it could well be your seat.  If your car seat isn’t comfortable for you, give yourself some props, cushions or supports.  Create your own custom seat so you can drive without back pain.

Here’s another idea:  Sometimes use the lumbar support and sometimes don’t.  Or use differently sized back supports.  Switch it up so you keep flexing your muscles and spine in different ways.  That will keep things flexible.

We like flexible, relaxed backs.  They don’t have pain.

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Lower Back Pain

What Causes Bulging Disks In Your Lower Back?

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What causes bulging disks in your lower back?

And what are bulging disks, anyway?

Imagine this:

The bones of your spine are stacked one on top of another.  In between the bones are jelly donuts.  The donuts are tough on the outside and have jelly on the inside.  Those jelly donuts are your disks.

If the jelly squeezes through the tough outside of a disk it is called a rupture. The jelly can press on nerves and cause pain down your leg or hip.

If the jelly stays inside the disk but the disk shifts out of place it can also press on nerves.  That’s called a bulging disk.

What causes disks to rupture or bulge?

Well, it could be from a violent accident such as falling off a bridge.  But, more often (thankfully!) a disk is moved by your muscles and by things that we just do.

Why do your muscles move disks?

That’s how bodies work.  Bones and disks cannot move on their own but when muscles get ‘too tight’  or ‘too weak’ or out-of-balance the muscles allow the bones and disks to slip or move out of place.

Muscles attach to bones.  Muscles move bones and disks.

The disks don’t really ‘slip.’  It’s more like they are pulled or pushed out of place by muscles.  They actually are!

There are strong muscles on either side of your spine and along the length of your spine.  There are muscles that attach from your thighs to your spine.  If they get too strong or tight on one side or the other they pull on the disks and spine bones.

If those same muscles get weak or stretched, they cannot hold the spine bones and disks in place.

Too strong or too weak means out-of-balance.  So the goal is to keep all of your muscles in use and in balance.

Yoga is a very good way to use all of your muscles.  The movements of yoga make muscles long and strong all over your body.

Any type of balanced movement program can help you get rid of your bulging disks.

Wait!  Movement can help a slipped disk?

You bet!  Disks can move back into their natural location if you take the pressure off them.  If the too-tight muscles are stretched or relaxed, the pressure on the disk and spine gets less.  Movement is a way to do-it-yourself.

But can a ruptured disk heal naturally?

My understanding is that often after a period of time the Continue reading What Causes Bulging Disks In Your Lower Back? →

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Natural Back Pain Relief

Brilliant Book Review: End Back Pain Forever

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Can you get rid of your back pain forever?  Yes, says Norman J. Marcus, MD, in his 2012 book End Back Pain Forever –A Groundbreaking Approach to Eliminate Your Suffering.

Dr. Marcus has Pain Centers and medical experts from all over the world praising his work.

But I have a problem with it…something ‘funny’…

Here’s one review:

“The Treatment of back pain in American has suffered from weaknesses of diagnosis and a poverty of effective treatments.  This volume…brings intelligence and clarity to an area that profoundly needs such an activity.” – Robert Cancro, MD, Lucius N. Littanuer Professor of Psychiatry and chairman emeritus

Here’s another:

“Your back pain can be cured.  Read this book.  Dr. Norman Marcus eliminates low back pain by focusing on the major problem–muscle pain.  His treatment and prescribed exercises work–I know because he treated and cured me.” – Thomas J.J. Blanck, MD, PhD; Dorothy Reaves Spatz, MD Professor of Anesthesiology, Physiology, and Neuroscience chairman, Department of Anesthesiology, NYU Langone Medical Center

Wow!  This book is regarded as breakthrough treatment for back pain by highly regarded authorities and pain clinic experts.

There’s just one funny thing…

Here are some things from the book:

1.  Dr. Marcus says muscles are the primary source of 75 percent or more of all back pain, not the spine.  (But you knew that if you read here much.  I would have estimated 90 percent.)

2.  He says medical tests make you more likely to have surgery because they show such things as herniated disks but they may–or more likely may not–be the cause of your back pain.  (And this is true, too.  Most of us have abnormalities in our spines and disks but no pain.  Just because something is seen on a test does NOT mean it is the cause of your back pain.)

3.  He treats Continue reading Brilliant Book Review: End Back Pain Forever →

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Natural Back Pain Relief

What Causes Pain Along Your Spine?

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Do you have pain or discomfort on one side of your spine?  It’s probably muscles that are tight.

There are several layers of muscle next to each side of your spine.  The largest, longest muscles are closest to the outside of your body.  The smaller, shorter ones are closest to your spine bones.

And any of them can go into spasm or contraction.

Your muscles all belong to the same union.  When one of them becomes unhappy they invite their brothers to join them in complaining.  What does this mean?  You might not have only one muscle causing your pain.

When one muscle is ‘tight’ it pulls on bones and other muscles.  One muscle in contraction can cause other muscles to also go into contraction.

Sometimes it’s a more serious problem but most often back pain is muscle-related.  (And remember:  I’m not a doctor and I’m not giving you a diagnosis.)  (But if I were and I did, I’d probably say, “It’s just muscles!”)

What helps get rid of muscle pain next to your spine?

1.  Professional Continue reading What Causes Pain Along Your Spine? →

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