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.
Parents
Former Member
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
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
