Your scapular/rhomboid pain is probably NOT your rhomboids! Watch the video to learn why!
Intro (0:00)
Rhomboid Pain (0:15)
Do you experience a deep, dull aching pain along the medial border of your scapula, or that area between your shoulder blade and spine? Have you tried stretching or rolling this area with a lacrosse ball or foam roller only to get temporary relief? Considering the location of the rhomboids, many individuals are led to believe that their discomfort originates from a strain or trigger point associated with these muscles. However, the rhomboids are rarely the culprit so in order to find a long-term solution, we should take a step back and consider a more holistic approach.
It’s Not Your Rhomboids (0:45)
So if it’s not your rhomboids, what is it and why are you experiencing discomfort in this area?
A landmark study by Dr. Ralph Cloward in 1959 applied stimuli to different aspects of the cervical intervertebral discs on conscious patients and had them report where they experienced discomfort. As you can see from the images, a common location for pain was in this interscapular area.
Other studies have replicated this finding as it relates to the discs such as Slipman et al in 2005. And Dwyer et al 1976 is well known for stimulating the zygapophyseal joints in asymptomatic subjects and mapping their reported pain.
The last consideration, and the focal point of this video, relates to irritation of the lower cervical nerves. You might generally associate this irritation with neck pain and pain down the arm in a nice dermatomal distribution, but Murphy et al 2009 found that occurs in less than ⅔ of cases and around 50% of people report pain in that rhomboid area. In fact, Tanaka et al. 2006 reported “scapular region pain is generally the initial symptom in radiculopathy and can persist alone before the arm or finger symptoms develop.” And in some cases, it might be the only symptom that ever really occurs.
So although you might be experiencing discomfort in the rhomboids, that sensation is likely more of a secondary response.
Also, I understand that issues with the neck or a nerve sound scary to a lot of individuals, but it doesn’t mean anything is damaged, pinched, etc. I just like to think of it as something being sensitive.
----- Disclaimer: The information presented is not intended as medical advice or to be a substitute for medical counseling but intended for entertainment purposes only. If you are experiencing pain, please seek the appropriate healthcare professional.
