Are you experiencing trapezius pain? If so, read below to find out how a Chiropractor in Los Angeles can help! Trapezius pain is a common condition that causes severe muscle soreness in the upper back and neck. It can be caused by specific postures, sleeping positions, or repetitive motions. When it’s not treated correctly, trapezius pain can lead to long-term problems like chronic headaches and a reduced range of motion. Fortunately, there are some simple steps that you can take to prevent this condition from developing!
Trapezius muscles are located in the upper back, and they are one of the most utilized muscle groups. They function as your shoulder’s natural shock absorbers, which is why many people experience severe muscle soreness when these muscles become overworked. In this article, we’ll go through some ways that will help prevent trapezius pain from getting too bad.
What is trapezius pain?
Trapezius pain is severe muscle soreness that may restrict movement. This type of injury typically occurs due to repetitive motions or through accidental contact with extreme force. The first time you experience this kind of pain, it can be alarming and frustrating to know what’s caused it. However, there are ways to stop trapezius pain from occurring in the future!
Trapezius Muscle – This muscle spans all along the back of your shoulders, attaches at one end onto each collarbone, runs diagonally up through the middle of your spine, then connects with other muscles across your upper back near where they attach onto the neck.
What causes trapezius pain?
There are many potential causes for this condition, including overuse injuries, whiplash trauma, and strokes. The trapezius muscle attaches to the base of your skull and runs down to each scapula. It helps you move your neck from side to side (laterally), as well as up and down. When one or more parts of this large muscle become injured, it can cause pain that radiates throughout the upper back and shoulder area, sometimes extending below the armpit.
The leading causes for trapezius pain are:
- Continuous work with heavy weights or prolonged keyboard useÂ
- Sudden trauma like a fall or blow during which force is applied against an object held in front of you – such as lifting something off the ground.
- Large movement involving rapid rotation on pivot point – such as swinging a golf club.
- Sudden or extreme back movements – such as a slip or fall while bending over, throwing up one’s guts after drinking too much alcohol.
- Poor posture when sitting at home or work for long periods.
- Sleeping in the same position on your right side all night.
- Cervical disc injuries – The cervical discs are the spinal segments in your neck. When there is an injury to any of these, you will likely experience pain and soreness that can radiate from the head or neck area down to shoulder areas as well.
- Muscle Soreness – Pain is often experienced at the top of the shoulders; this may be muscle soreness from overuse, such as overextending movement with heavy lifting or strenuous activities using arms for long periods without breaks.
- Damaged Bones – Difficulty and pain can be felt in your neck or back from damaged bones due to an accident, spinal deformity, injury, or fracture.
- Mechanical Trauma – This type of trauma happens when you are in some contact sports event that involves hitting another participant hard enough to cause physical damage to any body part, including head, spine, and shoulder areas.
- Scapular Winging – This is the most common type of trapezius pain. Scapular winging is a condition where the scapula (shoulder blade) abnormally moves upwards and downwards, causing it to jut out. This can happen when there’s an underlying problem with your upper back muscles – usually due to a strain or sprain.
It is essential to identify what causes trapezius pain so you can do something about it!
How do I prevent more trapezius pains?
As painful as these conditions may seem now, prevention is crucial when trying to avoid them altogether – especially if they’re something you could have prevented in the first place!
Keeping a healthy body weight is essential for preventing trapezius pain. Muscle soreness resulting from repetitive motions can be avoided by taking frequent breaks and avoiding overuse injuries during exercise. There are also specific exercises or stretches you may want to invest time into doing so your muscles stay strong and flexible, too.
The majority of cases with this type of muscle injury take weeks to months before they fully heal; once it does, there will likely be a significant improvement in mobility – but people who experience more than one episode may not recover as quickly because their tissues haven’t been given enough time to repair themselves yet. If any other symptoms appear related, such as numbness or tingling in the arm or hand, it’s essential to speak with a doctor.
It is also possible that your condition may be more severe and require medical attention. For example, if there are changes in how you function, like difficulty walking stairs or turning on one side of your body. It could also signify a pre-existing injury not related to this type of muscle pain. However, any drastic change warrants an evaluation by a physician.
If you begin experiencing neck pain, make sure you don’t ignore it because it can worsen quickly, especially when combined with trapezius problems that might cause even worse symptoms.Â
The best course of action is prevention. Preventing trapezial pain means avoiding these things: poor posture, sleeping too long (especially on a soft mattress), slouching all day when you are sitting at work, etc., hunching shoulders forward for hours at a time; also wearing tight clothing that restricts circulation will only worsen an already injured area. If you have been experiencing any type of persistent pain around your head/neck areas for more than a day or two, it is best to consult a doctor.
How does chiropractic care help?
Treatment of the trapezius can be customized depending on the individual needs and the patient’s area of concern. Each person is different, so treatment is unique for each case. A chiropractor will help alleviate you determine the best treatment plan for you. It is important to schedule an appointment with a chiropractor if you are experiencing severe muscle soreness and discomfort in your trapezius region.
A customized approach means that each person may have different needs related to their condition, ensuring they receive one of the most effective treatments available.
Chiropractic care has been shown to be more effective than any other type of health care for related conditions such as low back pain, neck pain, headaches, etc. Chiropractors offer noninvasive treatments with proven results for many health conditions, including:
- Neck Pain (Cervical)
- Back Pain (Lumbar)
- Shoulder Pain/Strain
- Knee Pain
- Sciatica
- And more!
If you act quickly enough with chiropractic care for these types of injuries before inflammation occurs and gets worse, then you have a better chance of avoiding more severe issues down the line from neglecting this type of injury.Â
Dr. Steven Becker, a chiropractor in Los Angeles, has seen all kinds of cases like this among his patients over his years practicing chiropractic adjustment and knows the simplest way to prevent this. So make an appointment today!
