A patient will hold their arm up as if they have it on top of the steering wheel. They trace along the outside of their shoulder and say, “It hurts right here, and sometimes in my forearm.” As well, the pain can shift and bother them worse in the forearm. When I ask them if […]
When the trigger point is less advanced, people hold their arm out with the elbow away from their side, reach around to touch the back of the shoulder behind the arm pit and say that it hurts there. If I ask if they can reproduce the pain, they cautiously rotate their hand back to a throwing
Want to skip ahead?Here’s a link to my post about getting relief on your own. People complain of pain under the shoulder blade that they can’t reach. It aches fairly constantly. It is a bothersome ache that they can’t shake. They may get temporary relief from a hot shower or exercise. Sometimes, it becomes so vague,
Elbow! …and…shoulder People complain about persistent tennis elbow even though they’ve tried many different things around the elbow to get relief. However, it seems unresolvable. They usually don’t talk about the shoulder problem until I ask them if it has troubled them. When asked, tennis players often reveal that the elbow pain flares up when serving
Patients complain of pain in the shoulder when brushing their teeth, combing their hair, putting on make-up, shaving their face, etc. Typically, patients describe this pain as achy and deep in the shoulder. Their primary complaint may also include pain while carrying something by their sides like suitcases or buckets. This trigger point usually doesn’t disturb sleep but is often
Sleeping on Your Side People complain of pain that disturbs their sleep when lying on the painful shoulder. Surprisingly, it creates pain as it is stretched when sleeping on the opposite shoulder too. It is a deeper pain than the illustration suggests. They have spent most of their time sleeping on that shoulder with that hand
When the trigger point severely restricts the muscle, people complain of pain, burning, tingling, and “that numb feeling” on the back of the head. They are often concerned because the pain is tingling and can feel prickly along the back of their head. They may say that it bothers them less now but will bother
Focused on the Heel People complain of diffuse pain in the bottom of the heel. Often, they talk about pain when stepping onto the heel, running, or resting. Typically, they are protective when moving the ankle. They may have been told that they have heel spurs. These patients don’t usually complain about pain along the
Pain when Turning People turn their heads and complain of stiffness and pain that focuses on a spot on one side of the base of their neck. When I ask for more details, they often turn their head slowly until they say, “There. It hurts right there.” When I ask them to touch where it
Want to skip ahead?Here’s a link to my post about getting relief on your own. Table of Contents Stiff Side of Neck when Turning People complain about stiffness and pain in the side of the neck while turning their heads. Usually, they trace up and down the side of their neck while talking about it.
