Neck and Shoulder Pain: Ease It Out With Rhomboid Muscle Workout

Neck and Shoulder Pain as Caused by Strained Rhomboid Muscles

Neck and shoulder pain may occur together or individually, depending on the source of pain and the parts of muscles involved. Studies also demonstrates  that neck and shoulder pain are about half of the prevalence of lower back pain. Overall, neck and shoulder pain counts as one of the most common illnesses that every individual may suffer from.

What many people aren’t aware of is that chronic neck and shoulder pain may be caused by strained rhomboid muscles, which takes more than massages and pain reliever pills to heal.

The Rhomboid Muscles

The rhomboids are skeletal muscles located in your upper back, connecting the spine and the shoulder blades. There are two kinds of rhomboid muscles – the rhomboid minor and the rhomboid major – both help in moving the shoulder blades together while maintaining the posture of the shoulders. Both muscles are covered by a more superficial muscle called Trapezius.

Cause and Effect of Rhomboid Muscle Strain

Your rhomboid muscles may become weak or strained because that are being overused, or because of your bad posture.

Activities like rowing, hiking where you carry a heavy backpack on one shoulder, and other activities that require over-the-head exertion like serving tennis ball strenuously, or even reaching out to an object kept at a higher shelf can strain the rhomboid muscles.

When the rhomboid muscles are strained, the muscle fibres are either torn or overstretched, causing back pain and stiffness in the shoulder. You may then experience a knot feeling in the muscles, preventing you to move your shoulders and neck comfortably. Since the muscle fibres of your rhomboids are connected to the neck and shoulder, it is expected that the pain radiates to these parts of the body, causing neck and shoulder pain.

Treatment for Neck and Shoulder Pain

A neck and shoulder pain, caused by strained rhomboid muscles, can be effectively cured when the root cause of the pain is taken care of. Fortunately, this case doesn’t require surgery; however, you may need to change your daily activities and habits that compromise your rhomboids. The following are short-term and long-term treatment to strained rhomboids:

Short-term and Immediate Home Care for neck and shoulder pain (Temporary Relief)

• Stress relief balm or topical anti-inflammatory painkiller. You may buy organic stress relief balm that is made of natural ingredients like jojoba oil, extra virgin coconut oil, eucalyptus and other organic ingredients, from a health shop. You may also buy topical anti-inflammatory cream from the pharmacy, which you can use to rub onto the painful part of your back.
• Tennis ball massage. You can do this by lying on a tennis ball, placed against the painful area to massage it.
• Massage. Treat yourself to a spa and have a relaxing massage or call a masseuse to come over your place. This also helps relieve neck and shoulder pain at the same time.

These treatments can relieve the pain for the time being; however, they will not bring long term solutions.

Long-term Treatment for Neck and shoulder pain

• Practice good posture. If you spend a lot of time in front of the computer, be aware of your sitting position and stretch your body from time to time. Poor posture alone can cause neck and shoulder pain without involving the rhomboids. Most of us spend a lot of time in an office and suffer from the “seating disease”. However, there are very simple postural changes you can adopt and simple daily exercices that will help you release the pain. Subscribe our newsletter and get the  WORK PAIN RELIEF PROGRAM! You can also read more on Healthy Back here.
• Adjust your spine: Tight neck and shoulder may be caused by a misalignment of the spine which causes muscle unbalance. Realigning the upper neck and, in particular the Atlas Bone is an essential for long lasting improvement. Addressing the issue by starting with the right spinal procedure would be your best bet and the first step to take.
• Increasing protein and amino acid in the diet. It’s a known fact that healthy protein intake helps build muscles. You should also include a healthy serving of carbohydrate to boost insulin and replenish muscle glycogen – a hormone that helps ferry amino acids. Make sure to include the following in your diet: quinoa, ¼ cup almonds, 100 grams of cooked Pacific oysters, 100 grams of lean ground beef, 1 cup cooked tofu, 1 egg or 2, 100 grams of lean chicken, and 100 grams salmon. The suggested servings contain substantial amount of protein and amino acid that is essential for muscle growth.

Read the second part of article with practical exercises…