Tag: Shoulders

Complications Concerning Middle Back Pain

Many symptoms of thoracic pain or middle back pain are rare and hardly distinguishable when compared with the more common types of back pain. Usually, middle back pain may be closely related to neck pain (or cervical neck pain) and chest pain. This is why signs of this condition may be misinterpreted as symptoms of other related ailments.

The reason why people have differing opinions on middle back pain is because most are only considered as referred pains. The pain that the sufferer feels is much different in location than that of the actual location. You and your doctor may never find the real cause of middle back pain if you look for them in the middle back. The same is true with lower back pain and upper back pain.

Contrary to what is popularly believed, middle back pain is simpler than what we were made to believe. It may be stimulated by the trigger points in the muscles at the back. These trigger points include erector spinae, infraspinatus, latissimus dorsi and multifidi, rhomboids, serratus posterior inferior, serratus posterior superior, subscapularis, and trapezius.

That long list of Latin terms may have complicated things for you but it will get even more complicated when the actual location of pain is displaced in the upper back and especially in the middle back. The following are few of the complications that we are to talk about:

The trigger points located at the scalene muscles that cover the front and the back of the neck may stimulate a continuing pain between the blades of your shoulders in the upper back. This fact is rarely known among people experiencing the actual pain. As it is, the pain may be a referred pain causing people to frequently misinterpret the pain in the shoulder blades as pain that occurs in other locations.

Often, there is a trigger point in the serratus anterior located under your arm that may cause frequent middle back pain. This pain may be felt at the tip of the shoulder blades. This condition is so subtle that even an expert on trigger points may overlook the symptoms.

There are also trigger points at the rectus abdominus or the stomach that may cause the excruciating middle back pain. This is often undiagnosable and even the best therapists may not be able to determine this condition. In this form of middle back pain, no therapy may be applied.

You see, the actual pain may be complex enough to make things hard both for the sufferer and the physician. If the condition is triggered on some other place undefined, it may even be harder to diagnose and treat.

Facial Exercises For A Firm Neck

Facial muscles will lose elasticity over time and soon you may begin to notice some wrinkles around the eyes and face. Another problem that you may begin to notice is loose saggy skin around the neck and throat area as this area tends to show age faster than other areas of the face. Many people will resort to expensive and invasive surgeries to reduce the sagging skin around the neck. There are some great exercises that you can do to target the neck area and reduce the saggy skin and they are much cheaper than a facelift.

Let’s take a look at some effective exercises to help tone the neck and throat and reduce sagging.

For this exercise you need to sit on the floor and have your legs folded comfortably and your back straight. Slowly tilt your head backwards and hold this position for 10 seconds. Return head to the forward position. You should feel the stretch in the jaw line as you do this exercise. Repeat this exercise for five sets.

Next, stay in the sitting position, relax your shoulders and look straight ahead. Turn your head slowly to the right and have your chin even with your shoulder. Hold this position for five seconds and then return to looking straight ahead. Repeat on the left side so you are looking left and your chin is even with your left shoulder. Hold for five seconds and then return to the facing forward position. Repeat this exercise three times on both sides.

While still in the sitting position keep your head facing forward and your shoulders relaxed. Tile your head to the right side and hold for five seconds. Come back into the middle. Tilt your head to the left side and hold for five seconds, then come back into the middle. Repeat this on both sides for three sets. You should feel the stretch in your neck during this exercise.

For the next exercise you want to be on your hands and knees. Drop your head down toward the floor and keep your neck, spine and elbows straight. Slowly inhale. Exhale slowly and as you do so curve your back downward and lift your head upward. Repeat this five times.

Sit on the floor again facing forward. Tilt your head back slowly and move your jaw up and down. Hold this position for ten seconds then return to the forward facing position. Repeat this three times.

These simple exercises are very effective for toning and tightening the muscles in the neck and throat area. If you do these exercises every day you will build stronger muscles that will give you a more youthful appearance. Performing the exercises every day will start to give you results in a couple of weeks.

Try to stay in a calm, relaxed mood while doing these exercises so the muscles are relaxed and more flexible for the exercises. Burning a candle or listening to relaxing music can help.