Why did 3 of my family members have the same pain? This past weekend, I traveled to Missouri for a baby shower. One of the fun (and predictable!) parts of being a Physical Therapist is that family members often come to you with questions about their aches and pains. Usually, it’s a mix of knee, neck, and shoulder issues. But this weekend was different! I had three separate family members come up to me, at three separate times, describing the exact same pain.
The Universal Back Pain Hotspot
Where was this mysterious pain? It was in that “sweet spot” between the shoulder blade (scapula) and the spine. You know the spot—the one you just can’t quite reach yourself. The one that leaves you trying to pin a tennis ball against a wall or begging a family member to use their elbow on your back!
Why Is This Spot So Common?
While it seemed odd that they all had the same pain, it’s actually not surprising at all! That area is an extremely common hotspot because:
- Multiple Muscles Intersect: It’s a busy junction point where several muscles meet.
- All-Time Job: These muscles are responsible for holding your shoulders back against gravity—a job they do every single minute you’re awake!
- Complex Structure: Combine those overworked muscles with multiple joints and ribs underneath, and it becomes an easy place for tension and issues to build up.
The PT Fix: The good news is that this pain is fixable, and a trained PT can help you find lasting relief. Our treatment approach focuses on two main steps:
- Calm the Muscle Down: We use hands-on techniques like dry needling, myofascial release, or other manual interventions to force that irritated muscle to finally relax.
- Take the Tension Off: We then address the underlying cause of the tension. This might involve taping, strengthening specific postural muscles, or providing personalized corrections to change the way the muscle is stressed during your daily activities. If you or someone close to you has this familiar ache, we would love to help you stop leaning against doorways and start living pain-free.
Click Here to schedule a visit with one of our PTs today!
P.S. Have you ever been told you have a “rib out?” This mid-back pain is often the culprit! These pains can feel very similar, and we are trained to sniff out the difference to ensure you get the best and fastest results.
Matt Wanderscheid, DPT