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Five Causes of Muscle Spasms In Your Upper Back and Shoulder

Muscle knots in backGot pain between your spine and shoulder blade(s)?

Got painful muscle spasms in the back of your shoulder? 

Got “knots” in your upper back on one or both sides?

Below you’ll find five possible causes for your back pain:

Pssst:  Your body is trying to tell you something.  It’s complaining!

When you get “knots” or muscle spasms in your upper back, that’s one of the ways your body says, “Hey, pay attention!  I’m not happy!

Knots in your back muscles are symptoms that there’s an issue somewhere—a cause.  Our goal is to get rid of the cause.

There are common causes of one-sided upper back pain between your shoulder blade and spine and we’re going to talk about them right here.

When you discover the causes of your upper back pain, you’ll be on the road to be rid of your painful knots naturally!

You’ll learn how to get rid of those nasty muscle knots forever in a bit.

So, what causes one or more muscle knots in your back?

1.  Thyroid issues and mineral deficiencies.  Thyroid or other immune system dysfunctions can  cause a tendency to get muscle spasms (knots.)  You’ll probably need to work with your doctor if you have this diagnosis.

Mineral deficiencies can cause muscles to be unhappy.  Magnesium makes muscles happier.  Muscles also like calcium and potassium to function properly.

2.  Posture. If you have a “forward head” posture or rounded shoulders the muscles in your upper back get stretched and strained and complain.  They go into spasms or “knots” to try to protect themselves.  This is a really common cause!

Slouching or even straining to see the computer screen can be a cause of muscle strain and knots in your upper back.  Adjusting your chair, table and screen heights can help.

3.  Weak back muscles. If your back muscles are weak, the stronger, shorter muscles in the front of your body will pull you forward.  This can be a cause OR a result of poor posture.  It strains your back muscles and causes muscle knots in your back muscles.  The goal is to get a strong back side (excepts calves.)

4.  Holding an area of your back in contraction (shortened) for a long time.  Do you tend to hold your elbow behind the midline of the side of your body?  Muscles that are held in just one position for a long period of time  think they are supposed to be in that position all the time.

You get lopsided.  And, you get knots.

5.  Tilting or rotating. This can be due to habits if you always stand or sit in the same off-balance position.  It can be caused by such things as stretching to keep your hand on a mouse or leaning to one side a lot.

Perhaps you lean on the armrest of your chair, couch or in your car?  Or, always cross the same leg over the other leg?

Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) can also have tilts and rotations.  It might be primary (the way you were born) or secondary (from habits.)  Scoliosis can sometimes be corrected naturally, by the way.

Now you know the possible causes of those nasty knots in your upper back.  If you get rid of the causes, you’ll be rid of the muscle knots.

I’d love to help you do that.   🙂

If it’s okay with you, I’d like to invite you to discover an easy online self-help course that I designed just for you!  Knots In Your Back Gone!

Knots In Your Back has all of the information you need to get rid of the gnawing pain between your shoulder blades and spine from a trusted, reliable source (me!) in just one place.

You won’t have to search the Internet trying to figure out what’s actually helpful and true and what’s not.

I’ve done all the research for you, taken all the advanced training, and have over thirty years of experience helping people get out of physical pain.

I’ve gotten rid of the miserable knots in my own upper back, too, naturally and forever!

I know how you feel because I’ve been there.  And I’ve been helping people get rid of those miserable knots in their upper back and other pain for over thirty years!  That’s a lot of years and a lot of bodies.

I’d love it if you go look and see if it sounds interesting to you. Please click >>>   Knots In Your Back Gone!

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Trapezius Muscle Spasm In Your Upper Back? Or Rhomboid Muscle Spasm?

The Trapezius muscles in the upper back can be painful.

Do you have a muscle spasm in your trapezius muscle?  Here’s some background:

Muscle spasm is a contraction.  Your muscle has tightened up and doesn’t feel good.  Muscle contraction in the upper back is very often caused by over-stretching the muscles.  Read more to discover why.

In this picture the trapezius muscle is shown on the right side of the back.  There is one that matches on the left side but it is cut away.

You can see the shoulder blades and where the muscles attach.  All muscles attach to bones and that is how we are able to move.

The muscle that goes from the shoulder blade to the spine on the left side of the back is the rhomboid.  You have a matching one on the other side of the back hidden by the trapezius muscle.

Rhomboids get blamed for upper back muscle spasm all the time.  But they are not usually the problem.

Tennis Ball Therapy, heat or cold therapy or massage can often get rid of the muscle spasm (“knots”) in your trapezius.

But not always.

Sometimes you have to Continue reading Trapezius Muscle Spasm In Your Upper Back? Or Rhomboid Muscle Spasm?

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How To Get Rid Of Knots In Your Upper Back

Do you have  nasty knots in your upper back?

Muscles are the problem.  Angry muscles!  Let’s see what you can do to make them happier.

First, let’s try to figure out WHY you have this knot.

Did you wake up with it or just get it today?  Or has it been bugging you for a long time?

Is it on the side of your body that gets the most use?  Is it on your dominant side?

It may be harder to get rid of a knot that you have had for a long time than one you just got today.  That’s because now there are more muscles involved–it may not be just a simple knot anymore.

If you just got the knot today think about which muscles you were using right before the knot started to bug you.  What position were you in?

Knots usually happen because (1) the muscle is being strained or over-stretched or (2) the muscle is being over-used or held in a Continue reading How To Get Rid Of Knots In Your Upper Back

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How Can A Massage Therapist Tell If You Have Knots In Your Back Muscles

Knots in your back muscles are caused by strain on the muscles (generally.)  “Knots” are actually tender, contracted areas of soft tissue or muscle.

Massage therapy may be an excellent “tool” to help you get rid of your knots or muscle spasms.

How does a massage  therapist find your knots?

Sometimes he or she will kind of just run into them. Either it feels ‘hard’ when all of the other tissue felt softer or a tight area will actually slow the gliding hand of a therapist as it explores and warms muscles.

A muscle knot or spasm feels like a small tight area that is harder then the surrounding tissue and perhaps raised.  Sometimes it feels like a pea or even as big as a tennis ball.  Sometimes nearby tissue is also tight.

Sometimes muscle knots are so obvious that just about anyone can feel them.  Sometimes knots are hidden or less obvious but a Continue reading How Can A Massage Therapist Tell If You Have Knots In Your Back Muscles

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What Causes Those Miserable Knots and Muscle Spasms In Your Upper Back

Why are muscles spasms in upper backs such a common problem now?

Here’s a list of some of the most common reasons for those miserable muscle knots:

Lifestyle.
Computers.
Couches.
Laptops.
Car seats.
Working positions.
Habits.
Weak back muscles.
TMS (Too Much Sitting).
TMJF (Too Much Junk Food) Poor nutrition.
Mineral deficiencies.

But all of these can be overcome.

Honest!  It’s your body and you have to take action to get better.  No one can do it for you.  (But some people, like Continue reading What Causes Those Miserable Knots and Muscle Spasms In Your Upper Back

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What Causes Knots In Your Upper Back

“Knots” or muscle spasms in your upper back happen for a reason.  Or, maybe for a few reasons. 🙂

You see, almost all muscular pain happens for a reason or a cause.  It could be something you’re doing or not doing.

If you figure out the cause and  get rid of the cause, you can get rid of the pain!

Most often the reason for upper back muscle spasms and pain is Continue reading What Causes Knots In Your Upper Back

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Should I Take Muscle Relaxers For Back Spasms

Judy says, “Hello,  I have not been able to stop my back spasms.  My dad also has the same problem and he tells me I should see a doctor and be put on muscle relaxers.  I want to, but I’m afraid that after I finish the meds, the spasms will return.”

“Will this be a never ending cycle?”

That was a great question!  Her fear could come true–stop the meds and the pain can come back because she didn’t get rid of the cause.  Most pain has a Continue reading Should I Take Muscle Relaxers For Back Spasms

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How Massage Helps Painful Muscle Spasm Between Shoulder Blade and Spine

Mary Ann had a painful upper back with muscles spasming between her shoulder blade and spine.  It came on gradually and just kept getting worse.

Finally Mary Ann called me and said the pain in her upper back was bad.  She had been to a chiropractor three times and it didn’t help.

She called me because I’ve been a neuromuscular massage therapist for a very long time.

My specialty is treating the causes of muscle pain.  And that’s Continue reading How Massage Helps Painful Muscle Spasm Between Shoulder Blade and Spine

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Knots In Your Upper Back? Try Tennis Ball Therapy

Today I’m thinking about Tennis Ball Therapy for a muscle knot in my upper back. Why?

Because I woke up with a knot in my back and it’s bugging me. 🙁

When you have tight muscles on your back that are bugging you, here’s what to do: Use Tennis Ball Therapy!

Here’s how:

Get a tennis ball (or similar ball) and lay on it on the floor. You can use the bed if you have to but the floor gives more pressure.  If you are on your bed, some of the tennis ball is lost in the mattress.  If you’re really Continue reading Knots In Your Upper Back? Try Tennis Ball Therapy

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Knots In Your Upper Back Caused By Forward Head Posture

When you learned to walk, your spine did this really neat thing.  It developed curves to help you stand “straight.”

When we say, “Stand up straight,” it really means stand tall; stand with the proper curves in your spine; stand with your head over your body instead of in front of it.

See this fellow sitting with his back rounded?  Sitting, sleeping or working in a position with your back like that will cause you to lose the curve in your lower back.

You are supposed to have a curve behind your waist that creates a small hollow.

When you lose that curve, your head moves forward just like this fellow.

And that forward head posture creates a LOT of strain on the muscles of your upper back.  It can cause headaches, neck aches, lower back pain, upper back pain Continue reading Knots In Your Upper Back Caused By Forward Head Posture

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