Category Archives: Upper Back Muscle Knots

Upper Back Muscle Knots, Upper Back Pain

What Are Knots In Your Back?

Are you wondering what’s inside the muscle knots in your back? Basically, the same stuff that’s outside the knots. Muscles, tissue, that sort of thing.

Yes, there are some chemical reactions that take place in muscles when they get unhappy but my job is to help you without getting technical. So I will. 🙂

Try this:

Squeeze your fist really tightly. It’s not very comfortable but if you hold it for a few minutes you will be able to tell that the muscles in your lower arm are also getting tight. Depending on the position of your arm, you might even feel the muscle tension in your upper arm.

Muscle knots are like that closed fist. They are in Continue reading What Are Knots In Your Back? →

Self Help, Upper Back Muscle Knots, Upper Back Pain

Let’s Get Rid Of The Knots In Your Upper Back

May 24 Kathryn Merrow Leave a comment

You are not stuck with those miserable knots in your shoulders. You can get rid of them naturally but you have to take action. Discover how now:

Get rid of muscles knots in your upper back naturally!

Actually, taking action is the key to unlocking most of the pain and dysfunction that people suffer from.

First, find the cause of your knots. It’s often not where you hurt.
Second, take action! There are things that you did to create your muscle knots. There are steps you will have to take to get rid of them.

Muscle ‘knots’ form when muscles are in spasm or contraction. There are basically two things you may be doing that started the whole knot process.

1. Maybe you hold the upper back/shoulder blade area tightly. This happens when you are carrying something or even when you do a repetitive motion that uses those muscles. The muscles get used to being contracted and short and so they stay that way. At least temporarily.

That’s the easiest type of muscle knot to get rid of.

Tennis ball therapy usually will work quite well for these knots. (Place the ball behind the knot and lean onto it.)

2. Or, your upper back and shoulder blade muscles are in spasm because Continue reading Let’s Get Rid Of The Knots In Your Upper Back →

Causes of Back Pain, Natural Back Pain Relief, Self Help, Upper Back Muscle Knots

Do The Knots In Your Back Keep Coming Back?

May 21 Kathryn Merrow Leave a comment

Can you get rid of the knots in your back for a while but they keep coming back? Or can you NOT get rid of them at all?

Let’s look at some possible reasons that those nasty muscle knots keep coming back.

Maybe we can figure out the cause of your back pain and get rid of the cause.

It could be posture-related. Do you slouch or slump?
It could be that you always lean into the same corner of the couch.
It could be your heavy book bag that causes you to lean forward.
Do you carry a wallet in one back pocket?
Do you carry a heavy purse over one shoulder?

It is something and that something needs to be changed so you will stop getting these miserable muscle knots.

Did you know that muscles need minerals to function their best?

Do you eat a good diet that supplies lots of vitamins and minerals or do you eat mostly pre-packaged, highly processed foods and fast foods? They cannot supply what your muscles need. 🙁

You cannot fool your muscles with fake foods.

And I’m a big supporter of mineral and vitamin supplements. They have made a huge difference for my health and wellness.

Here’s another tip:

The knots in your back may be caused by Continue reading Do The Knots In Your Back Keep Coming Back? →

Natural Back Pain Relief, Self Help, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Upper Back Muscle Knots, Upper Back Pain

Do Knots In Your Upper Back Also Cause Headaches?

April 22 Kathryn Merrow 2 Comments

Do you have knots in your shoulders? Do you have headaches? Did you know they can definitely be related?

Here’s a question from a reader:

I’ve been suffering with awful headaches for years now. I have what i call “knots” in my neck, upper back, shoulder blade area, and shoulders. All of this is on my right side. I’ve been to many doctors, I’m in physical therapy right now, and nothing has helped. I’m looking for exercises that I can do to break up these “knots”. The Continue reading Do Knots In Your Upper Back Also Cause Headaches? →

Causes of Back Pain, Natural Back Pain Relief, Self Help, Upper Back Muscle Knots, Upper Back Pain

Testimonial For Getting Rid Of Muscle Spasms In Your Shoulders Naturally

March 14 Kathryn Merrow Leave a comment

Got knots in your upper back? An Occupational Therapist who was suffering with muscle knots in her back sent me the following email: 🙂

> Dear Kathryn, Here’s a testimonial for you:
>
> I am an occupational therapist and I know better. I have preached for
> years that we need to stretch our chests and strengthen our upper
> backs/posterior shoulder girdles. However, I have been having spasms
> between my shoulder blades and spine (mostly on the right), and I have
> spent what seems like endless hours in hot baths, on the heating pad,
> and lying on tennis balls or pushing as hard as possible against my
> shiatsu
> massage chair. These techniques often relieved the spasms, but only
> temporarily; not to mention that it left me with a bruise-type pain for
> days from pushing so hard. One day, feeling beyond frustrated, I
> started searching the web. That is when I came across your site and had
> that AHA moment (in a “duh” fashion for me). I had been missing the thing
> I preach so much about!! (We healthcare professionals are such bad
> patients). I instantly stood and did the corner stretch and doorway
> stretch, then cut a piece of Theraband and started some scapular
> strengthening exercises (specifically external roataion and horizontal
> abduction). Boy, did I feel it on the right, but I kept going and guess
> what? Within 2 days, I was FINE. Pain-free, spasm-free, and H-A-P-P-Y!
> Thanks for the reminder. We all need to be smacked upside the head from
> time to time. =)
>
> ~Katie F.

I appreciate Katie writing and sharing her story. She started out by chasing symptoms. She ended up by attacking the CAUSE of her upper back spasms. And that’s how she got rid of her symptoms. 🙂

So, you see? Look for the cause of your pain.

And, if you’re not an Occupational Therapist, like Katie, and would like an easy to use self-help program, I have just the thing for you! Click here: Knots In Your Back Gone!

You CAN have natural relief of the knots in your upper back. 🙂

Self Help, Upper Back Muscle Knots, Upper Back Pain

How To Get Rid Of Muscle Pain In Rhomboid

January 6 Kathryn Merrow 17 Comments

Do you have burning in your back between your shoulder blade and spine? That area has a muscle called the rhomboid. There’s one on each side of the spine.

The rhomboid muscle gets blamed for pain all the time but it is usually NOT the muscle at fault!

Poor rhomboid.

Rhomboid area pain is typically caused by that area being over-stretched. The burning is a symptom. You have to figure out the cause and get rid of it.

Your neck could be involved if the scalene muscles on the sides of your neck are causing you to have a ‘knot’ in your back. The scalene muscles in your neck can have trigger points Continue reading How To Get Rid Of Muscle Pain In Rhomboid →

Causes of Back Pain, Self Help, Upper Back Muscle Knots

What Causes Knots In Your Back & How To Get Rid Of Muscle Knots Naturally

January 1 Kathryn Merrow 2 Comments

Are you tired of suffering with miserable muscle ‘knots’ in your back? Would you like to know how can you get rid of the muscle spasms in your back naturally and forever?

The first thing is to figure out WHY you are getting these muscle knots. I’m not being silly here.

There are always reasons why you have pain. Usually the reasons involve muscles.

Muscles move bones. Without muscles, we go nowhere. But sometimes muscles get unhappy and cause symptoms like pain and knots.

It’s a big deal that muscles are usually overlooked as being causes of pain. They shouldn’t be overlooked because they are responsible for probably 90% of all soft tissue pain.

So the answer is not to attack only the area where it hurts because those are just symptoms.

The answer is to get to the root cause of your knot. Figure Continue reading What Causes Knots In Your Back & How To Get Rid Of Muscle Knots Naturally →

Upper Back Muscle Knots, Upper Back Pain

What Causes Muscle Pain Between Your Shoulder Blades?

November 28 Kathryn Merrow 27 Comments

What causes the pain between your shoulder blades?

Could it be stress? Overwork? Old age? Arthritis? Or maybe your nerves or bones?

Would you be surprised if I told you that the cause was most likely cause of pain between your shoulder blades is…in most cases…muscles?

But not any old muscles.

Overstretched muscles cause most back pain, especially pain between the shoulder blades.

Pain between your shoulder blades and spine can Continue reading What Causes Muscle Pain Between Your Shoulder Blades? →

Causes of Back Pain, Self Help, Upper Back Muscle Knots

Tight Calf Muscles Cause Back Pain

October 11 Kathryn Merrow Leave a comment

Back pain can be caused by tight calf muscles. That means your calves are stronger and tighter than the muscles on your shin. Our goal is to have soft calves.

Stretching your calves and strengthening the fronts of your lower leg (the shin) can help get your leg muscles balanced.

When you stretch your calf muscles be careful not to stretch tooooo much. Just a nice, small stretch and no bouncing.

You can strengthen your shin muscles by tilting your toes upward toward your knees. At the same time that movement also stretches your calf muscles.

Flat feet are another cause of back pain.

If you don’t have your own natural arches, running shoe stores sell arch supports that will go into your shoes. They probably work best if you wear loafer type shoes or athletic shoes. You have to buy arch supports that really have a firm arch to them and that fit where your own natural arches would be. Mushy, soft shoe liners are not the same as arch supports.

Running shoe store employees should know how to make sure they fit well. They should cost around $30.

Also, try “making” arches with the muscles in your feet. If your muscles feel like they want to cramp, back off and go slowly. Eventually your foot muscles will get better at doing this and you will to have at least some benefit.

If you have knots in your back your flat feet could also be part of the cause of those knots. Flat feet put a lot of strain on your upper back and neck as well as your lower back.

I know this for a fact because I had both flat feet and knots in my back!

But when you have arches in your feet, your head is more balanced over your body and so there is less back muscle strain.

Massage, Natural Back Pain Relief, Self Help, Upper Back Muscle Knots, Upper Back Pain

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

October 4 Kathryn Merrow Leave a comment

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 →

SIMPLE BACK PAIN RELIEF