For about two and a half months now I’ve had a pain in my left trap all the way up the left side of my neck on the side and back. It’s usually worst in the morning but tends to be bothersome all day. I really can’t trace it back to any single event. I did about 8 chiro visits and got stim and heat every time. They helped a bit but mostly just temporary alleviation. I took a picture of a back double bi about a week ago and noticed my left trap appears to be flexing oddly. Anyone have any suggestions as far as what I may have done or what I should be doing now?
EDIT: Taking a closer look at my default pic, which was taken over a year ago, the same trap flexing issue seems to be present. So it may either be unrelated or just a long time in the making. Either way, still looking for recommendations on helping with the neck/trap pain.
[quote]siouxperman wrote:
For about two and a half months now I’ve had a pain in my left trap all the way up the left side of my neck on the side and back. It’s usually worst in the morning but tends to be bothersome all day. I really can’t trace it back to any single event. I did about 8 chiro visits and got stim and heat every time. They helped a bit but mostly just temporary alleviation. I took a picture of a back double bi about a week ago and noticed my left trap appears to be flexing oddly. Anyone have any suggestions as far as what I may have done or what I should be doing now?
EDIT: Taking a closer look at my default pic, which was taken over a year ago, the same trap flexing issue seems to be present. So it may either be unrelated or just a long time in the making. Either way, still looking for recommendations on helping with the neck/trap pain.[/quote]
I’ve got the same thing going on and have for weeks now. With me it’s related to the fact that I broke my ankle and am walking like a gimp. So, hips are tight and twisted and that’s carried up the chain. It’s been getting better through stretching out my hips and some trigger point ball work. Chiro also found a couple of spots where I’m locked up that are part of the problem so I’ve had him release those and I keep on top of them with a foam roller and I do some ball work for that as well.
I’d suggest going to a good massage therapist or PT who can find the root cause. Too many chiros and massage therapists just look at a tight trap and then work on the trap. Well, why is the trap tight? Is it my program? Is it my posture? etc. Been through the symptomatic treatment and it’s made it worse (30 minutes of deep massage on an already inflamed and pissed off is not the ticket…)
I was going to add that with all of this I’ve also noticed big differences in muscle activation between left and right. Still haven’t got that resolved and the current thinking is that I’m going to be pretty f’d up until my ankle is healed and I start moving properly.
[quote]blackhand wrote:
I was going to add that with all of this I’ve also noticed big differences in muscle activation between left and right. Still haven’t got that resolved and the current thinking is that I’m going to be pretty f’d up until my ankle is healed and I start moving properly.[/quote]
Good points in the first post. I may seek out a massage therapist who works in or with a sports injury clinic. I’ve also started to notice some activation issues, especially in my left bicep. If I do dumbbell curls on a preacher bench I have a hell of a time fully contracting the left bicep and start to fail earlier than I do on my right side, which is unusual. I was foam rolling at the school gym, however, all that equipment (bands, rollers, etc.) has been made off limits to everyone but personal trainers, which is absurd. They literally have a dozen good rollers that don’t get used because the trainers have no idea what to do with them.
I am having a similar issue which stemmed from a pinched nerve in my neck. In addition to the neck and trap pain, I experienced weakness in my entire upper body on the left side. PT has helped, including traction for my neck. Visit a medical doctor first and the PT may be covered from an insurance standpoint. My case was pretty severe but the symptoms sound similar.
