All posts by Kathryn Merrow

What’s The Most Common Cause Of Upper Back Pain?

What’s the most common cause of upper back pain? Is it herniated disks?

Is it neck bones that are out of place? Is it your neighbors or your job?

Not likely any of those. It’s muscles! (Well, maybe your job is contributing, too.)

A recent commenter said the knots in her upper back are caused by a herniated disk. But that’s taking things out of sequence. (And that‘s really, really common in the medical field.)

You see, disks cannot move on their own. Neither can bones. So how do they move?

You got it: Muscles! Muscles move bones and disks. That’s their job.

So how do disks get herniated? (We will assume there is not a whiplash or other serious tossing-around injury.)

When muscles get out of balance they don’t hold the bones in a neutral position anymore. Instead the muscles pull or push the bones and disks out of alignment. They can actually push a disk out of place!

“Out of balance” means muscles on one side of your neck or back are too short or tight. On the other side they are too loose or weak.

This means pain in your upper back and neck.

What’s the solution?

In a nutshell, strengthen the muscles on the back side of your body. Stretch and lengthen the muscles on the front side.

And don’t forget you also have muscles on the sides of your body. They probably need lengthening and stretching, too!

Other things such as nutrition can also play a big part in how happy your muscles are. If you eat healthy and exercise and get plenty of water into your body your muscles will be nicer to you in return.

And posture plays a huge role in upper back pain. I created a self-help program for upper back pain and knots and in that program I actually have a video that will help you get straighter and stronger in a simple, easy way.

If you’d like to know more about the upper back pain relief program that addresses ALL of these, please click here: www.KnotsInYourBack.com

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

Testimonial For Getting Rid Of Muscle Spasms In Your Shoulders Naturally

March 14 Kathryn Merrow Leave a comment

Got knots in your upper back? An Occupational Therapist who was suffering with muscle knots in her back sent me the following email: 🙂

> Dear Kathryn, Here’s a testimonial for you:
>
> I am an occupational therapist and I know better. I have preached for
> years that we need to stretch our chests and strengthen our upper
> backs/posterior shoulder girdles. However, I have been having spasms
> between my shoulder blades and spine (mostly on the right), and I have
> spent what seems like endless hours in hot baths, on the heating pad,
> and lying on tennis balls or pushing as hard as possible against my
> shiatsu
> massage chair. These techniques often relieved the spasms, but only
> temporarily; not to mention that it left me with a bruise-type pain for
> days from pushing so hard. One day, feeling beyond frustrated, I
> started searching the web. That is when I came across your site and had
> that AHA moment (in a “duh” fashion for me). I had been missing the thing
> I preach so much about!! (We healthcare professionals are such bad
> patients). I instantly stood and did the corner stretch and doorway
> stretch, then cut a piece of Theraband and started some scapular
> strengthening exercises (specifically external roataion and horizontal
> abduction). Boy, did I feel it on the right, but I kept going and guess
> what? Within 2 days, I was FINE. Pain-free, spasm-free, and H-A-P-P-Y!
> Thanks for the reminder. We all need to be smacked upside the head from
> time to time. =)
>
> ~Katie F.

I appreciate Katie writing and sharing her story. She started out by chasing symptoms. She ended up by attacking the CAUSE of her upper back spasms. And that’s how she got rid of her symptoms. 🙂

So, you see? Look for the cause of your pain.

And, if you’re not an Occupational Therapist, like Katie, and would like an easy to use self-help program, I have just the thing for you! Click here: Knots In Your Back Gone!

You CAN have natural relief of the knots in your upper back. 🙂

Causes of Back Pain, Upper Back Pain

Do Flat Feet Cause Upper Back Pain?

February 23 Kathryn Merrow Leave a comment

Did you ever wonder whether your flat feet are causing your upper back pain? Has your doctor ever checked your feet when you complain about pain in your neck?

Well…

Your upper back pain is being caused by something and sometimes that something is as far away as your feet!

Flat feet or ‘fallen arches’ can cause the ‘foundation’ of your body to be faulty. Instead of standing up with nice posture, people without arches in their feet tend to fall forward posture-wise.

Here’s how to demonstrate this:

Stand normally. Now make an Continue reading Do Flat Feet Cause Upper Back Pain? →

Causes of Back Pain, Lower Back Pain, Self Help

Lower Back Muscle Pain Can Be Cured Naturally

February 10 Kathryn Merrow Leave a comment

Did you know that pain in your lower back is almost always caused by muscles. Why is this?

Well, muscles move the bones, joints and disks in your spine. Muscles are the prime movers of your body! You can only move because you have muscles.

Yay, muscles!! 🙂

On the other hand, when your muscles get out of balance–too strong on one side of your body and too weak on the other then we don’t say, “Yay, muscles!”

We say, “Ouch!”

Dang muscles. 🙁

Well, it’s not their fault. They wouldn’t be unhappy and complaining if you did everything perfectly in all of your movements.

But you don’t. 🙁

But you can change. 🙂 Here’s how:

You can add movements that balance your low back muscles better. You can Continue reading Lower Back Muscle Pain Can Be Cured Naturally →

Self Help, Upper Back Pain

Natural Relief For Knots In Your Shoulders

February 5 Kathryn Merrow Leave a comment

Got muscle knots in your shoulders?

You need someone to help you figure out WHY you are getting these muscle spasms in your upper back so you can get rid of them forever.

The answer is not to attack only the area where the muscle knots are because those are just symptoms. The solution is to get to the cause of your pain.

You have to figure out the cause of your knots and get rid of it (or them).

The reason for those miserable muscle spasms in your upper back could be posture-related.

>>Do you slouch or slump?

>>Or do you always lean into the same corner of the couch?

>>Or does your heavy book bag cause you to lean forward or your purse makes you hike your shoulder?

It definitely is something and that something needs to be changed so you will stop getting these knots.

And did you know that muscles need minerals to function their best?

Do you eat a good diet that supplies lots of vitamins and minerals or do you eat mostly pre-packaged, highly processed foods and fast foods? They cannot supply what your muscles need.

You cannot fool your muscles with fake foods. Your muscles (and brain and other parts of your body) like REAL food. 🙂

One more thing: The knots in your back may be caused because of tight muscles in the front of your body. Most of the time we humans have our hands and heads in front of our bodies and this shortens the muscles in the fronts of our chests, abdomen, arms and neck.

Are you a sloucher?

That means the muscles in the front of the body need to be stretched. They are most often the culprit that causes poor posture and upper back pain and muscle spasm!

The muscles and soft tissues in the front of your body have shortened and pull you into slouching posture. They need to be lengthened.

At the same time, the muscles in the back of your body need to be strengthened. Part of the reason they’re complaining is because they’ve become weak.

If you can give your body movement, nutrition, stretching and strengthening in the right directions and good posture you can get rid of the muscle knots in your shoulders naturally.

The directions that you need are in this natural, self help, easy-to-use, do-it-yourself program: Knots In Your Back Gone!

Click the link for more information.

Scoliosis

What Is The Cause Of Scoliosis And How Can You Get Rid Of Your Scoliosis

February 5 Kathryn Merrow 12 Comments

Are you confused about your scoliosis? You aren’t alone. Most doctors don’t understand what causes it or know much about it, either.

In fact, they often say it is idiopathic. That means ‘no known cause.’

Well, maybe. Sometimes.

Here are some thoughts:

1. Everything has a cause. It just requires digging to find the root of the problem.

2. Pain medicines will not help you get rid of the curvature in your spine.

3. If you do not get rid of the original causes of your scoliosis your curves will continue to Continue reading What Is The Cause Of Scoliosis And How Can You Get Rid Of Your Scoliosis →

Self Help, Upper Back Muscle Knots, Upper Back Pain

How To Get Rid Of Muscle Pain In Rhomboid

January 6 Kathryn Merrow 17 Comments

Do you have burning in your back between your shoulder blade and spine? That area has a muscle called the rhomboid. There’s one on each side of the spine.

The rhomboid muscle gets blamed for pain all the time but it is usually NOT the muscle at fault!

Poor rhomboid.

Rhomboid area pain is typically caused by that area being over-stretched. The burning is a symptom. You have to figure out the cause and get rid of it.

Your neck could be involved if the scalene muscles on the sides of your neck are causing you to have a ‘knot’ in your back. The scalene muscles in your neck can have trigger points Continue reading How To Get Rid Of Muscle Pain In Rhomboid →

Causes of Back Pain, Self Help, Upper Back Muscle Knots

What Causes Knots In Your Back & How To Get Rid Of Muscle Knots Naturally

January 1 Kathryn Merrow 2 Comments

Get rid of muscles knots in your upper back naturally! — You can get rid of muscle knots in your upper back naturally!

Are you tired of suffering with miserable muscle ‘knots’ in your back? Would you like to know how can you get rid of the muscle spasms in your back naturally and forever?

The first thing is to figure out WHY you are getting these muscle knots. I’m not being silly here.

There are always reasons why you have pain. Usually the reasons involve muscles.

Muscles move bones. Without muscles, we go nowhere. But sometimes muscles get unhappy and cause symptoms like pain and knots.

It’s a big deal that muscles are usually overlooked as being causes of pain. They shouldn’t be overlooked because they are responsible for probably 90% of all soft tissue pain.

So the answer is not to attack only the area where it hurts because those are just symptoms.

The answer is to get to the root cause of your knot. Figure Continue reading What Causes Knots In Your Back & How To Get Rid Of Muscle Knots Naturally →

Natural Back Pain Relief

9 TipsTo Keep Your Back Pain From Getting Worse

December 3 Kathryn Merrow 16 Comments

Is your back pain getting worse? Here are nine tips that can start to help you feel better:

1. Hold in your stomach muscles (that’s the best and easiest way to strengthen them.) Just suck them back to your spine.

2. Lift your chest (this strengthens your back.)

3. Create a small hollow behind your waist if you don’t have one (you should have one.)

4. Try to use ALL of Continue reading 9 TipsTo Keep Your Back Pain From Getting Worse →

Upper Back Muscle Knots, Upper Back Pain

What Causes Muscle Pain Between Your Shoulder Blades?

November 28 Kathryn Merrow 27 Comments

What causes the pain between your shoulder blades?

Could it be stress? Overwork? Old age? Arthritis? Or maybe your nerves or bones?

Would you be surprised if I told you that the cause was most likely cause of pain between your shoulder blades is…in most cases…muscles?

But not any old muscles.

Overstretched muscles cause most back pain, especially pain between the shoulder blades.

Pain between your shoulder blades and spine can Continue reading What Causes Muscle Pain Between Your Shoulder Blades? →

SIMPLE BACK PAIN RELIEF