The muscles holding your head can become inflamed and cause a significant amount of discomfort. A very important muscle present in the head and neck region is the trapezius. It stabilizes the shoulder blade and allows elevation, depression, and retraction of the shoulder. Moreover, it also assists in head movements and helps you maintain posture by supporting the upper back (and neck).
Pain in the trapezius muscle is commonly referred to as “traps pain”. Patients suffering from traps experience severe pain between the shoulder blades. According to a study, 59% of patients with neck and shoulder pain suffer from some tenderness in the trapezius muscle, indicating underlying traps pain. The discomfort in the head and neck region can be effectively corrected using chiropractic treatment.
Traps Symptoms
The majority of patients report the following symptoms of traps:
- Pain and stiffness in neck and shoulder.
- Tenderness to touch in the upper back and neck region.
- Difficulty in moving arms.
Traps Causes
Injury: A major cause of traps pain is injury to the muscle. Direct trauma to the neck region can damage the muscle and lead to symptoms.
Overuse: Over-the-head exercises and repeated movements increase your propensity to inflame the trapezius muscle.
Nerve Impingement: The spinal accessory nerve and cervical plexus of nerves innervate the trapezius muscle. Impingement of these nerves can also lead to pain, burning/numbness, etc.
Postural Issues: Poor posture can directly contribute to trapezius stiffness and associated chronic neck pain. Research shows that these musculoskeletal problems are highly prevalent in university students.
How Chiropractic Treatment Can Fix Traps Pain?
As already mentioned, injury and overuse of the muscle can cause it to become tender and painful. The underlying problem with activities like over-the-head exercises and falls with the hand in the out right position is subluxation of the first rib. These activities cause the trap muscle to tighten up and can result in brachial plexus impingement and consequent radiating pain down the arm. Joint-based manual therapy targets the 1st rib and corrects its position, thereby, bringing pain relief.
Chiropractors adopt different types of treatment modalities for traps including ultrasound therapy, myofascial band therapy, activator trigger point therapy, etc. Clinical studies reveal that activator trigger point therapy is the most effective in treating patients with non-specific neck pain and upper trapezius discomfort. However, your chiropractor can best identify the treatment type suited for you!
Get Rid of Traps: Visit The Legacy Clinic
The Legacy Clinic of Chiropractic offers multiple solutions for traps pain. If you suffer from neck and shoulder pain, we advise you to visit the Legacy clinic and get your shoulder/neck mobility back. You can click here for a new appointment.
References
- Brandt, M., Sundstrup, E., Jakobsen, M. D., Jay, K., Colado, J. C., Wang, Y., … & Andersen, L. L. (2014). Association between neck/shoulder pain and trapezius muscle tenderness in office workers. Pain research and treatment, 2014(1), 352735.
- Wang, D. M., Li, C., Hatchard, N., Chang Chien, G. C., & Alm, J. (2023). Lower trapezius muscle function in people with and without shoulder and neck pain: A systematic review. Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 123(2), 73-89.
- Najeeb, M., Habib, S., Mahmood, N., Kamal, M., Awajid, M., Aslam, H., & Hussain, I. (2022). Prevalence of Upper Trapezius Tightness Due to Chronic Neck Pain and Poor Posture in University going Students. Pakistan Journal of Medical & Health Sciences, 16(10), 119-119.
- Trager, R. J. (2021). Chiropractic and nontraditional treatment of NTOS. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, 229-240.
- Blikstad, A., & Gemmell, H. (2008). Immediate effect of activator trigger point therapy and myofascial band therapy on non-specific neck pain in patients with upper trapezius trigger points compared to sham ultrasound: a randomised controlled trial. Clinical Chiropractic, 11(1), 23-29.
