What Shoulder Muscle Causes Pain In Upper Back And Neck?
Muscles are the most common cause of pain in the upper back and neck.
The levator scapulae muscle is also called the ‘shoulder hiker.’ It lifts or hikes your shoulder blade. The levator scapulae is responsible for a lot of upper back and neck pain.
Trigger Points Cause Upper Back and Neck Pain
Trigger points are hyper-irritable areas of muscle that cause pain elsewhere, sometimes at a great distance from the trigger point. Trigger points can be in the shoulder hiker muscle and, when they are, they cause pain around the upper back and shoulder blade.
In this picture, you can see the shoulder hiker muscle. You are looking at the back side of a body.
The muscle attaches to the bones of your neck and to your shoulder blade on the innermost top part.
- If trigger points develop in this muscle it will cause pain where the muscle is.
2. It will also cause pain along the spine side of your shoulder blade down to the bottom of the shoulder blade.
3. And it can cause pain at the back of your shoulder on the top of your arm.
If it always feels like your shoulders are creeping up to your ears, this guy is the culprit. The levator scapulae has become shortened because you held your shoulders hiked and the muscle got used to being in that position.
It may also have developed trigger points that need to be released. If you do not help the muscle relax and/or release the trigger points you will continue to have pain in your upper back and neck.
What can you do to help this muscle relax?
1. You can use a pressure tool or finger to press into the levator scapulae muscle. Press at the crook of your neck where your neck meets your shoulder.
Look for very tender areas. That is where you want to apply pressure. Also press where the muscle meets the top of the shoulder blade. Those are the two areas where trigger points tend to be.
2. You can go to a professional massage therapist who can warm and relax the muscle (and others around it) with manual pressure and massage. He or she will work the length of the muscle to help it stretch and settle it down.
A trigger point therapist can get rid of the triggers that are causing the pain in your neck and upper back. They can also help you get rid of the CAUSES of your trigger points!
3. You can lift your shoulders to your ears.
Hike them waaay up and hold for twenty seconds or so. This will tire the shoulder hiker muscle so it will start to weaken and relax. You can do this several times. (But use sense. Too many times can make the muscles ache from overuse just as any new exercise program can.)
What Activities Cause Pain In Upper Back And Neck?
The stress of poor, collapsed posture will cause the shoulder hiker muscle to complain. So can Continue reading Shoulder Hiker Muscle Causes Pain In Upper Back And Neck
