Upper Back Strain?

Upper Back Strains

If you are experiencing pain on your upper back, specifically between your shoulder blades, you may have a rhomboid strain or spasm. The rhomboids are muscles that pull your shoulders back and rotate your scapulae down. They also act as a stabilizer, positioning the scapulae onto the thoracic wall. Activation of these muscles help to maintain proper posture while standing, sitting, and walking. When not activated, the shoulders can protrude forward, leading to poor posture and upper back pain. 

 A rhomboid strain or spasm is usually caused from repetitive motions or other overuse of the shoulder. Some of these include overhead activities such as pitching, serving a tennis ball, rowing, carrying a heavy load such as a backpack, and sustained poor posture for long periods of time. A strain may cause pain in between your shoulder blades and can be assessed by your physical therapist.

Your physical therapist will help you strengthen and stretch the muscles in your upper back and shoulders in order to correct any existing muscle imbalances and to improve your posture. They also may incorporate some modalities into your treatment such as ice, ultrasound, and soft tissue work. All of these approaches will work off of one another to manage pain and inflammation.  In order to facilitate the healing process, you will need to modify your activities in order to avoid anything that aggravates your upper back pain. Your PT will most likely prescribe a home exercise program to complete between visits. You and your physical therapist will become partners in your healing; they will give you the tools you need to get yourself better in a timely manner. Following this plan is important to speed up recovery.  A mild strain should heal within 4-6 weeks while more severe strains may take longer.

There are a few actions you can take to prevent rhomboid muscle strains or spasms:

• Be sure to warm up and cool down before and after your workouts

• Perform dynamic stretches before activity and static stretches after activity 

• If you have a desk job, set an alarm on your device to remind you to take breaks and move around every 45 minutes

• Practice proper technique while playing sports

• If you wear a backpack, make sure to carry it on both shoulders

Here are some exercises that can help with upper back pain due to rhomboid sprains and spasms:

• Shoulder Retractions: Sit or stand with your arms at your sides. Draw your shoulder blades together while bringing them down and back. Hold this position for 5 seconds and repeat for 1 minute

• Rhomboid Stretch: Extend your arms out in front of you, stacking your right hand over your left. Hold this position for 30 seconds and then switch sides. Repeat for a total of 3 times on each side. 

• Neck Rotations: Sit upright at the edge of a chair. Inhale while turning your head to the right and hold at the end of your range for 30 seconds while taking deep breaths. Repeat on the left side. Do this for a total of 3 times on each side.

Got upper back pain? Call us today to make an appointment! Call- 1-718-258-3300

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First we evaluate, then we heal, then we strengthen our clients so they can reach their goals, feel better, and live happier lives. We do so by utilizing a range of core techniques and specialized treatments to reduce pain, improve mobility, enhance physical strength and deal with the underlying issues, not just the pain itself.

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