How long does trapezius pain last?
I have been having pain in my left Trapezius for over 1 mth now. It waxes and wanes, burning,tight feeling, dull ache, almost constantly. NSAIDS don’t really help, but I can’t say I’ve been particularly diligent in taking them. Heat is about the only thing that really helps, I have a hydroculator. I’ve been under alot of stress due to a sudden job loss, but now will be returning to work. I have had this in the past,but don’t remember if it lasted this long. I’m an RN, and have been working in the hospital for the past 30 yrs or so, so there has been alot of tugging and pu lling, and I usually do my pulling transfers from the left side, because I’m short & for some reason can pull better, even though I’m right handed. Any ideas? This problem started when I was in my mid 20’s, and flares up @ times.
My husband has the same thing. Except his is lasting 6 months and affecting his sleep. It’s almost like something is injured and whenever he lies down, pain goes to the cervical spine. We’ve had CTs and MRIs but doctors cannot tell us anything, or they’ve missed something and we’re still trying things.
The only things that cause relief are heat and massage, which he has not started to go to 1 single person he knows is good rather than any masseuse and me (unprofessional).
All good answers. I hope your pain is better. In addition to consulting with your physician, have you consulted with a physical therapist for an assessment? Is the pain isolated in the upper, middle or lower trap, or is it diffuse throughout the entire proximal trap attachments? These are questions that might help your doctor determine the best therapy for you.
Good luck.
This sounds like a postural issue to me . Here’s the test , roll your shoulder blades back , and down . Make sure that your shoulders are pulling down away from your ears . Just try to pinch your scapula together and then reach your fingertips downward toward your knees . Once you’re in this position , move your head back and forth and see if the pain hasn’t subsided .
My guess is that this adjustment will provide relief , illustrating that your pec minor , and some other shoulder muscles are misaligned in comparison to your rhomboids and levitator scapulae .
If this is the case , try seated , or standing rows . Be sure to pinch your shoulder blades before allowing your biceps to engage . It should almost feel like two separate movements . For every set of rows doe a two minute pec stretch , or have a licensed massage therapist practice myofascial release on the aforementioned pec minor , major , and anterior shoulder complex .
good luck
Hi Kathy, of course you probably already know that there is no single answer as to how long any pain will last. It depends on several factors including the source/cause of the pain. The first thing that I always recommend to a client experiencing pain of an unknown or persistent origin is that they see their physician. This always beat ‘guessing’ and or self-treatment that may or may not work over the long term.
I hope that this helps.
LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
[email protected]