Upper Back Pain- Help!

Bigger Stronger Leaner Injuries and Rehab
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I have pain in my upper back, around my left scapula. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly, but I’ve circled the general area in the highly scientific image that I attached to this post. I’ve been dealing with this off and on for about 5 months now and I’m stumped as to what to do about it.

I can’t pinpoint exactly when I injured it the first time, but it flares up and gives me trouble when squatting (low bar) and deadlifting occasionally. The most recent bout of pain was triggered by going too heavy on face pulls (seriously, I know.). I ran a course of methylprednisone about 2 months ago for an upper respiratory issue and the pain disappeared entirely during that time, but now it’s back.

I can provide any other information that is needed, but I’m not sure where to start. Just really want to know WTF is going on.

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I can’t tell what is wrong your back but if i were experiencing something like that i would do the following:

Stop doing any exercises that make it flare up-
Stop squatting low bar and try high bar for a while (always found high bar to be more comfortable)
Stop deadlifting if that hurts it

Foam roll the shit out of it:
Always helps me when my back feels tight, also get a tennis ball to really hammer the shit of the specific area which is giving you problems.

besides that plain old rest and ice, light stretching after foam rolling

Not sure if that helps or not, but that’s how i would approach it.

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[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:

[quote]Stronghold wrote:
I have pain in my upper back, around my left scapula. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly, but I’ve circled the general area in the highly scientific image that I attached to this post. I’ve been dealing with this off and on for about 5 months now and I’m stumped as to what to do about it.

I can’t pinpoint exactly when I injured it the first time, but it flares up and gives me trouble when squatting (low bar) and deadlifting occasionally. The most recent bout of pain was triggered by going too heavy on face pulls (seriously, I know.). I ran a course of methylprednisone about 2 months ago for an upper respiratory issue and the pain disappeared entirely during that time, but now it’s back.

I can provide any other information that is needed, but I’m not sure where to start. Just really want to know WTF is going on.[/quote]

I suspect a costotransverse joint dysfunction. Basically, the point at which the transverse process of a thoracic vertebra joins to the articulating tubercel on a rib, may become fixated or dysfunctional in some minor way.

I have had (and currently it is with me again) this condition and it gives me most of the symptoms you describe.

Having said that, it could be a muscular issue, relating to rhomboids or infraspinatus.

Either way, see a GOOD therapist.

BBB[/quote]

Thanks BBB, I was hoping you would chime in here.

I worked on the upper trap on the offending side some last night and it seems to have helped. I’ll try to keep this up until I can get a chance to see a good therapist. Direct pressure on the area (like from a lacrosse ball) doesn’t seem to do anything except make it hurt slightly more.

I am hoping that I can find a way to work around this without having to drop squats or pulls or change my bar position as I am currently 7 weeks out from competition (powerlifting) and the money has already been paid so I would like to not waste it if I could help it.

Also worth mentioning that overhead extension of my arm (like when doing lat pulldowns, specifically) seems to make it hurt, also.