Does anyone have advice for a muscle knot in the upper back? From my limited Internet research, these are also referred to as Myofascial Pain and/or trigger points. In my own case, it's about two inches away from the spine, near the top of the scapula. It feels like someone has stabbed me in the back with one of those bull-fighter picador gizmos. If i lean my head forward, this causes a neck muscle to tug on the trigger point, causing more pain.
It doesn't hurt as much when I lie down flat; I can also swim and weight lift without causing too much discomfort. But just sitting at my desk causes this chronic ouch sensation.
Earlier last season, I hurt my opposite shoulder and was swimming one armed for a while, which may have been the original cause of the discomfort. But now that it seems well-established, is there anything I can do to get it to go away? Note: I've had it, off and on, for weeks if not months now, but it's been particularly noticeable over the past week. I went to Y masters nationals, and it killed me on the 7 hour car drives over and back--but mysteriously disappeared during the four days of competition.
Any advice would be truly appreciated.
Jim have you ever tried magnets. put it over the main area of pain and it should go away. U can use them over and over and all you need is paper tape to keep them on with. the magnets only cost about 3 or 4 dollars each. Make sure they mark the side that it up for you. There is only one way to use them.
Jimbo,
You are experiencing exactly the same thing I have in my right shoulder. Your trapezious muscle, like Jeremy said tonight at Roma's, is all stressed out. While in our cases it doesn't cause much discomfort swimming, etc, it does cause major ouch to occur while sitting at a desk, or driving, as my case has it.
The others on this forum are unequivocably correct: have somebody massage it out. Flex-all and similar analgesics are also good at relieving the tension your trap muscle has inflicted on itself.
See you next week, after my retreat in good old Midwest obscurity.
Steph
Jim,
I had that same problem in my neck and jaw (thought I needed a root canal but no). I worked with a massage therapist who knew about Myofascial Pain and she was able to help me.
I then purchased the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook and I have put that to use over this past year with some lower back problems. One thing they recommend is to take a tennis ball and lie on it, working it into the muscle to release the trigger point.
In my case a slipped disk really pulled all of my lower back muscles to such an extent that I lay on two tennis balls to loosen the muscles.
I hope you get to feeling better.
:cool:
I get these all the time, one reason at any big meet I go to a massage therapist a week before, and then an hour a day during the swim meet.
How good the therapist is make a difference for me. My best race ever I set a national record and made All American, it was like my mide was above my body and all my muscles were working correctly.
When I have knots in the back I just can't swim properly.
I use SalonPas pads, and stretch before and after every workout and every gym visit. And not 5 minutes, a good 15 minutes is needed.
Also wet heat like steam and jacussis penetrate 3 inches, dry heat penetrates half an inch.
I had knots after most of my longdistance races eg. had to lift my arms to the steering wheel with my knees and lift my legs with my hands to get in the car, knots everywhere. I had a guy who gave me a massage. He never actuaully touched the muscles until he tweeked and worked on the tendons and release points. After the knots were gone he would massage the muscle. It sometimes would take two or three days and ten or more hours to get them all out.
George
Thanks for the advice. I signed up for a massage this coming Thursday. In the meantime, I'm using advil and wet heat. In a variation on the tennis ball concept, I've been lying down on the rounded end of a 5-lb. dumbell, which seems to hit the spot pretty well. I am hoping this knot, if that's what it is, will be gone sometime by at least 2009.
I have to have those massaged out on regular basis, once or twice a week.
Part of it is posture related and working sitting at the desk (for me), then add to that swim training, and that's an area that likes to get muscle spasms - is what I gather.
Originally posted by jim thornton
Thanks for the advice. I signed up for a massage this coming Thursday. In the meantime, I'm using advil and wet heat. In a variation on the tennis ball concept, I've been lying down on the rounded end of a 5-lb. dumbell, which seems to hit the spot pretty well. I am hoping this knot, if that's what it is, will be gone sometime by at least 2009.
Better: If you are going to use heat, follow it with ice. Always make ice the last thing you use. You can even use it exclusively, BTW.
As to pressure on the area, there is a device called a "Theracane" that works really well. http://www.theracane.com/
Really, really good stuff: Arnica Salve.
www.windriverherbs.com/.../arnica.htm
My wife used to make her living as a massage therapist and still does a bit of it. She has extensive experience with athletes and the above is what she uses.
-LBJ
