Shoulder Blade Pain
What is the shoulder blade?
The scapula, aka shoulder blade, is a sizable triangular-shaped bone that lies in the upper back surrounded and supported by a complex system of muscles. These muscles work together to help you move your arm.
Your arm and scapula are connected to the body by multiple muscles and ligament attachments. When moving your arm, the scapula must maintain the proper alignment of the ball and socket in the shoulder.
When these muscles become weak or imbalanced, they may alter the position of the scapula. Any alteration in the scapular position may make it more challenging to move your arm and cause your shoulder to feel weak. A change in the scapula position may also lead to injury if the normal alignment of your shoulder joint is not maintained.
The treatment for shoulder pain or injury
Typical treatment is a regime of physical therapy to strengthen the shoulder muscles and restore the proper position and motion of the scapula.
Common symptoms may include:
- Weakness in the arm, especially when used vigorously
- Fatigue when performing repetitive activities
- Limited range of motion, especially being unable to raise your arm above shoulder height
- A crunching sound when moving the shoulder
- A noticeable protrusion of the scapula
- A forward position of the shoulder
- Tenderness or pain around the scapula.
Here are some common causes for loss of control of normal scapular motion, physiology, or mechanics (called scapular dyskinesis):
- Injuries to the nerves that supply the muscles
- Injury within the shoulder joint or to the bones that support the scapula
- Imbalance, weakness, tightness or detachment of the muscles that control the scapula
You may find some relief from the symptoms with the following techniques:
Restore the alignment of your body (My favorite topic)
- Balance your exercise routine by doing an equal number of exercises for the muscles in the front and the back of the body ‘opposing muscles’
- Your routine should also include stretching exercises for shoulder joint rotation and your front shoulder muscles
- Heat might also alleviate some symptoms by bringing more blood to those areas speeding up healing.
- Yoga can help because proper alignment and balancing the body is part of the practice.
- Body awareness. It’s hard to improve your scapula pain without better understanding how your body is functioning.
Bottom Line: Prevention is the key. It is easier to have a healthy movement practice vs. trying to reduce pain and dysfunction after the fact.
To find out more about shoulder pain, check out Common Causes of Headaches, Neck Pain & Shoulder Pain
If you’re interested in alternative techniques through my services or would like to know more information, send me a message or call (973) 476-8661.
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