Tight muscles can be very uncomfortable. This is a good starting point. There may be a reason the serratus muscle is giving grief to you. There may be others areas to check out along the way.

I appreciate your kind words. Thank you very much!

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

Thank you and you are very welcome!

When I look at the trigger point chart, the description that you gave me in this and your previous comment appears to be muscles called serratus posterior superior. That muscle is between the spine and shoulder blade and attaches to the outside of the ribs in back. This muscle group may be what the physiotherapist inadvertently released when she worked to manipulate the ‘fused rib.’ It sounds like it may be the same area. Regardless, it worked.

Tennis Ball Therapy may help as a home treatment. (There is an article here about Tennis Ball Therapy–scroll through the articles on the right hand side.) The place to apply the pressure is where you first felt it–between spine and upper shoulder blade? Cold packs may also help. And if nerves are involved, cold is the treatment of choice for nerve related muscle pain.

I’m betting cold packs on the back of your neck, base of your skull will also help by relaxing the muscles there. It’s possible other neck muscles may be involved but that’s a good start for the neck pain. Actually, if you can, wrap the cold pack around from the base of your skull to your collarbones. Be sure to put a thin cloth between you and the cold pack to prevent burning from the cold.

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

Take care,
Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

Good question. The answer is yes, muscles can be causing the numbness. Trigger points in muscles can cause pain and other uncomfortable symptoms. But, muscles move bones and disks!

That means that muscles can pull or push your disks into the nerves and cause numbness that way, too.

Tight chest muscles, arm muscles and neck muscles can trap nerves anywhere from your neck to your hand, too.

There are several muscles that can be causing your symptoms. Please write again and tell me specifically which side of your hand (palm or back side?) and which part of your arm (crease of elbow or pointy elbow)? Do you mean below your armpit on the front side or the back?

Until I have more clues from you, my best guesses are the latissimus or the serratus muscles which cover your ribs. Those muscles can be released or relaxed by a skilled massage therapist.

Or, if you can, have someone grab the muscle below your armpit, next to your shoulder blade. And then have them pinch it and hold for about 20 seconds. You want them to pick up muscle, not just skin. If it hurts, that means it is tight and the pinching will help the muscle to relax. Pay attention about 20 minutes after the pinch and you may notice it feels much better.

And there is always a question, Jane. The question is Why? There is a reason you are having symptoms. Disks cannot move all by themselves. So it could be an injury (any car accidents?) or it could be posture or position that is causing pulling or pushing on those disks.

I hope you enjoyed the shoulder rolls and stretches. Have you been to http://CarpalTunnelPainReliefNow.com yet? Lots of articles there about the causes of pain in hands and arms.

You are welcome and let’s get to the root of your symptoms of numbness and pain in your hand and fingers.

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

Thank you for writing. When your tests come back normal that is a good thing. That almost always means that the pain is caused by muscles. Muscles are the most common cause of pain.

Exercise can also cause muscle pain. When you start a movement program or exercise program, start very slowly so you muscles can get used to it. Otherwise your muscles get overworked and will complain. Over several days you can start to add a little more movement. Eventually you will be on a full exercise program without pain.

There are muscles in your chest. The good news about that is we can massage our own rib and chest muscles! Start pressing into the areas of muscle that you can reach. Press with your hands or flat fingers. If they are tender, that means they need some pressure or massage. Hold a tender area for about 12 seconds.

Chest muscles get short and tight just because of the way we live and work. And short chest muscles are often the cause of back pain. Chest muscles and muscles in the fronts of arms can also benefit from stretching.

Sometimes pain feels like it is in bones but that is because muscles cross over joints and pull on bones.

I hope this will help you get rid of the pain in your chest and upper back.

Kathryn
The Pain Relief Coach

Thnks & best regds
Mithilesh