Have you ever experienced a pain between the shoulder blades? This type of pain often is experienced by people who either sit at a desk all day long, or perform manual labor such as a landscaper, who must pull, lift, and carry heavy bags of fertilizer or other heavy tools all day long. Pain in this region can come from the lower neck, upper back, the shoulders, or even the lower back. With so many possible causes to the pain how can we figure out what the true cause is? Let's find out!
This picture details the muscles of the back from the base of the skull all the way down to the pelvis. This highlights how different regions of the body all interconnect with other regions, and the mid back, between the shoulder blades, is like a highway for many of those muscles to cross through. It is therefore, possible for pain to occur here due to a dysfunction somewhere else! So how do we at Empower Chiropractic identify the true cause of pain in between the shoulder blades and what can we do to help?
We first start by performing a full spine evaluation which includes observing range of motion of the cervical spine (Neck), thoracic spine (mid back) and lumbar spine (Low back). Often times, a patient will say that when they turn their head in a specific direction it causes the pain in between their shoulder blades. There are multiple muscles that connect the neck to the mid back which turn the head and can place added pressure to the mid back when there is dysfunction occurring in the joints of the neck. Several orthopedic tests will also be checked and can help confirm or deny involvement of the neck in someone experiencing mid back pain.
Certain activities that will especially increase pain in the mid back include things such as lifting, pulling, carrying, or dragging
heavy objects. These activities require use of the muscles of the back and can add tension to already tightened muscles that can cause strains or even spasms of the muscles. When this occurs, there is typically joint dysfunction and lack of motion in the mid back that requires a Chiropractic adjustment to restore the motion and function to the spine.
What happens if I don't get this corrected? Typically, people will feel a "twinge" in their back and think nothing of it. But, if that "twinge" doesn't get corrected and it causes the joints to become restricted, it can cause added work for the joints above and below where the original injury occurred. This can lead to further injury, increased pain, and diminished ability to function or perform your activities of daily living. We take a holistic approach and address the entire body to identify the true cause of mid back pain and create a care plan centered around your needs to improve your function, decrease pain, and overall restore your health and happiness! At Empower Chiropractic, we work to serve you and treat you as family from the moment you schedule and all throughout your care in our office.
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