Muscle knots or muscle spasms in your shoulder blade area can be really painful and really annoying, too!
Here’s the simple solution to getting rid of your “knots.” Just figure out why you have them and then get rid of the cause. (smile)
I’m not really being a smart aleck. That actually IS how you can get rid of them.
Knots are tight areas of muscle. They are spasms or contractions.
There are generally two likely causes of knots in shoulder blades.
1. You use the muscle that has the knot in it a lot. It has become used to being contracted (used in a short position) and “forgets” to relax and be long.
2. You stretch the knotted shoulder muscles a lot. And the muscle is complaining because it doesn’t like being stretched all the time. It gets a protective muscle contraction to try to keep from being ripped by the stretch.
If the knot comes from being contracted the simple fix is to get the circulation–the blood flowing–back into the area. This can be done with pressure or massage.
If the knot comes from being over-stretched, the fix is a little less simple. You must figure out what you are doing or why the shoulder muscle is being over-stretched. Secondly, you must fix it.
>>It could be tight muscles in the front of your body pulling on your shoulder.
>>It could be muscles below your shoulder blade that cause knots in your back.
>>It could be the way you sleep or sit.
Sometimes a “shot-gun approach” works best in this situation: When you treat all around the painful knot you just may hit the target muscle(s) that are causing the muscle to contract.
But just blasting away on the knot caused by over-stretching will rarely work. It’s like trying to teach a pig to sing: It annoys the pig and won’t work, anyway. You’ll end up quite sore and still have the knot!
The plan is: stretch the muscles in the front of your body. You can do this by stretching or with a massage therapist. Secondly, your back needs to be stronger so strengthen those muscles.
You’ll find lots of information to help you get stronger and more muscularly balanced at Simple Strengthening. It’s another of my natural pain relief websites.
i have scoliosis in my upper back any relief would be great thanks
Hi John,
Is your scoliosis from front to back or from side to side? Does it involve your shoulder blade(s)? Do you have pain on the top of one shoulder near your neck or elsewhere? Looking forward to hearing back from you. Thank you for writing.
Kathryn
Hi
I been having a very painful knot in my left upper shoulder for about a month or two. I went to the doctor and he told me that i had my muscles knotted up like a really big ball. Ive been getting massages and it does help. Im a waitress and carry my trays and my left arm. Might that be causing my pain? Because i do notice that when im off for to days the pain goes away and im comfortable and i notice that when i go back the pain comes back and it comes worst.What can i do?
Hi Bibiana,
I’m glad your massage is helping! Yes, the position that you carry the tray can be a cause.
If you can possibly push the tray on a wheeled table, that would help.
But if that is simply not an option, do this: Strengthen the muscles of your back, especially the ones between your shoulder blades.
When you are not at work or during any break you have, stretch both your arms in every direction. Roll your shoulder blades up and back, up and back.
And place your right hand in the same position as your left hand. Pretend you are carrying a tray with BOTH hands at the same time. Feel how that makes both sides of your body work?
The idea is to keep all of your muscles working and moving and flexible and strong. That way just the tray-carrying muscles won’t be the only ones working.
I admire you for carrying those heavy trays. I don’t think I could do it!
I hope this helps and feel better soon!
Kathryn
hi
i have this Paine in my lower/mid back on the left and it feels like a knot. i cant bend or turn and it hurts to sit as well. i play alot of sports and i dont know if thats the cause but my coach told me to put heat on it? would that help and what would you recommend the fastest treatment to be? it does kind of feel better if i massage it but it hurts.
Hi Alisa,
If you JUST got the pain, use ice instead of heat. Cold therapy is the best choice for newer spasms or injuries of muscles. That’s what this sounds like. But if you have had it for a long time, then heat is okay. You can use cold packs or packages of frozen peas or corn with a thin cover between the cold pack and your skin. You don’t want to freeze-burn your skin. Twenty minutes on and off. Repeat. Do it several times a day.
It sounds like the muscles that are along your spine are in spasm. It could also be a muscle that is underneath your big spinal muscles. The Quadratus Lumborum attaches to your hip bone, lower ribs and spine and it is a twisting/tilting muscle.
Yes, tight muscles can be very uncomfortable to massage. That’s just because they are tight. If you can get someone to help you by warming and rubbing the area with their hands that may help. Or maybe you can have a professional massage?
Pressing into the area and looking for tender and tight areas is a good way for you to start releasing that knot or spasm.
Cold therapy and massage are your two best bets. If you do the massage yourself, you won’t press too deeply. If someone else helps, keep good communication. Let them know if it’s too much pressure or if more would be better. It is okay if it hurts but you don’t want it to kill. If it feels like ‘good pain’ then you are in the right place.
I hope this gives you some ideas of how to get rid of the pain in your lower/middle back on the left.
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach