Stop Ignoring the Real Cause: Get relief from Neck and Shoulder Pain
Pinched Nerve Pain Between The Shoulder Blade And Spine
In this video, Dr. Nick from Preferred Physical Therapy explains why a sharp, stabbing, or pinched nerve feeling near the shoulder blade may not be caused by the muscle itself. This section breaks the video into readable parts so visitors can understand the cause, the common mistake, and the recommended exercises.
Video Summary
The video explains that searing pain between the shoulder blade and spine is often mistaken for a muscle knot. Dr. Nick describes how this pain may be linked to the cervical spine and disc-related irritation rather than the shoulder blade muscles alone. He then demonstrates two exercises that may help reduce pressure, improve neck position, and relieve the pinched nerve sensation.
Key Points Covered
- Sharp pain near the shoulder blade may feel like a pinched nerve.
- Massaging the area may not solve the root problem.
- The pain may be referred from the cervical spine.
- Disc irritation can send pain toward the shoulder blade area.
- Neck positioning and gentle unloading exercises may help reduce symptoms.
Clean Video Breakdown
Are you getting knots or a pinched nerve feeling along the muscle between your shoulder blade and spine? It may feel like a searing, ice-pick, stabbing sensation in that area.
You may have tried massaging it over and over, but the pain still does not go away. Dr. Nick introduces this video as a way to explain what may actually be causing that pain and what to try instead.
Dr. Nick explains that he is a physical therapist who helps people 40 and older stay active and independent, live free from painkillers, and avoid surgery. He says many patients describe this pain as a pinched nerve sensation in the shoulder blade area.
These pain patterns are known as Cloward signs. They have been mapped out to show how trigger points or referred pain can appear around the upper trap, rhomboid area, and along the inside edge of the shoulder blade.
The pain may travel between the thoracic spine and the shoulder blade. Because the painful spots are easy to reproduce, many people try to massage, roll, or stretch the area, but that may not fix the actual source.
Dr. Nick explains that massaging the sore area can sometimes make things worse because it may be treating the wrong part of the problem. The pain near the shoulder blade may actually be caused by disc herniation or irritation in the cervical spine.
He explains that injections with numbing agents have helped show how certain areas of pain can disappear when the correct source is addressed. This helps support the idea that the neck must be treated when the pain is referred from the cervical spine.
If the cervical spine and disc-related issue are not addressed, the pain may continue even after repeated massage.
Dr. Nick explains that a nerve pathway can carry pain signals from the neck down toward the shoulder blade region. Depending on which spinal level is involved, the pain or knot-like sensation may appear in different spots.
These spots can feel highly irritated, stubborn, and constant. That is why the pain may not improve with massage or stretching alone.
For the first exercise, Dr. Nick recommends using a wall. If standing against a wall is uncomfortable, the exercise can also be done while lying on the back.
The wall helps give a better cue for what an upright position feels like. Start with the shoulder blades pressed flat into the wall. If they feel like they are poking into the wall, gently retract them and pull them back until they flatten.
Next, think about pushing the fingertips down toward the shoes, as if dipping the fingertips straight down into soil. Keep the shoulder blades flat against the wall.
Then rest the head against the wall. If the head tilts upward, bring the chin back down and retract it straight back toward the wall. This may create tension in the front of the neck, where the deep neck flexors are working.
Dr. Nick explains that this exercise helps strengthen the deep neck flexors. These muscles help support the neck and reduce the tendency for the head to move forward.
Staying tall and vertical may help decompress pressure from the discs and create more room in the neck. This can help reduce pressure and pain that travels toward the middle of the back.
He notes that the exercise may feel like giving yourself a double chin, but that is part of the intended movement.
For the second exercise, Dr. Nick recommends using a folded pillowcase. Place it behind the neck, just below the head and around the middle of the neck.
From the side, begin to look upward. As you look up, the pillowcase will start to support the head. Once you feel that support, lightly lift or press away to unload the neck from the shoulders.
This should not feel like a triceps exercise. The goal is not to forcefully lift the head. The movement should be light and should create a sense of relief.
Dr. Nick explains that the pillowcase unloading exercise can be done regularly throughout the day. The main thing to watch for is arm fatigue, since the triceps are lightly involved.
The exercise should not cause irritation or feel like it is creating more problems. It should feel light, controlled, and relieving.
Dr. Nick says this exercise is helpful for the pinched nerve sensation that appears between the shoulder blades just below the neck, especially when massage does not make it go away.
He also mentions another video that explains this symptom pattern in greater detail. This video focuses more on demonstrating the exercises that may help relieve the condition.
He closes by encouraging viewers to subscribe if they found the video helpful.
Main Takeaway: Pain between the shoulder blade and spine may not always be a muscle knot. It can be referred from the neck, which is why treating posture, disc pressure, and cervical spine position may help more than repeated massage.