Trapezius Muscle Pain

Trapezius Muscle Pain Overview

Generally trapezius muscle pain complained by many people, especially for those who lack essential nutrients or those who do not have the correct posture. Most of people have experienced pain in our trapezius muscles at some point in our lives which can come as a surprise seeing as many people aren't aware of what a trapezius muscle is. This pain often feels like an aching or burning sensation between the shoulder blades, but it may also extend from the base of the skull. 

The trapezius muscles are two large muscles that sit like plates on our backs and come up past our shoulders on either side of the neck. They are essentially the reverse of pectorals (the breast muscles) except larger and covering more space. Trapezius works to help support the movement of the upper body such as the shoulders, arms, head and neck. These muscles can get pulled like any other muscle pain, but at the same time if you have incorrect posture, or if you tense your body up, or if you spend long craning your neck, then these are the muscles that are going to become sore. Trapezius muscle pain often involves stiffness and pain in the muscle itself, which is located between the neck and shoulders. For some, it may feel tight or as though there are knots in your back, and it may be tender to the touch.

Causes of Trapezius Muscle Pain 

Here are just a few causes of trapezius muscle pain are as follows :

- Head forward posture. Often people, particularly people in the west, people in charge, forward-thinking people, or people who are planning or worrying about the future stand and sit with a head forward position. Remember to sit up straight, lower your shoulders and bring your head back. This relieves strain on the trapezius. You can also try some online yoga to improve your posture.

- Stress. Relax those shoulders!One of the first, primary causes of trapezius strain is carrying your shoulders up near your ears. Remember to relax your shoulders.

- Holding a phone between your ear and shoulder. Get a headset.

- Carrying a heavy purse or backpack. Ask yourself if everything you have is really necessary. Switch your purse from one shoulder to the next frequently. Carry your important stuff in a fanny pack. And don’t forget to do your stretches.

- Bra straps that are too tight or the weight of heavy breasts pulling on your straps. Have your bra fit by a person trained to get a good fit. And remember to do your trap stretches.

- Breastfeeding a baby with your shoulders hunched forward and the weight of the baby in your arms can cause trapezius muscle pain. Check your posture and bring your shoulders back. Do side-lying whenever possible. Support the baby on a pillow on your lap. Remind yourself to take a small break from gazing at your sweetie once in a while, to bring your head up and relax your shoulders.

- Sleeping on your back or stomach with your head turned to one side. Change your sleeping position (easier said than done).

- Any position where you head is turned to one side for a long time. Are you a teacher and you turn to look at the student next to you? Do you turn to see your computer screen?

- Bending forward while working. Do you bend forward to work at a sewing machine or look down at your knitting? Do you bend forward when you type at the computer? Do you do beading? Sit up!

- Too high keyboard. Get a keyboard shelf for your desk.

- Playing violin, piano, backpacking, bike riding, or other activities which heavily rely on the trapezius muscles. Remember to stretch. Watch your posture. Take a break when you need your trap muscles to recover.

- Whip lash. This just takes recovery time.

- Working with no arm rests and the weight of your arms hang from your shoulders. Get a chair with arm rests. Put your hands in your pockets if you are standing for a long time. Support your arms to prevent trapezius muscle pain.

Trapezius Muscle Pain Remedies

Home Remedies For Trapezius Muscle Pain Relief 

- Avoid your shoulders stretching towards your ears. Meaning for e.g. you should not talk on phone by keeping it in between the ears and shoulder.

- See that your trapezius muscle or the muscle of back and neck is kept relaxed and not strained all the time. For this you have to correct your sitting and standing posture.

- While working on the desk, see that the elbow rests on the arm of the chair on the desk. See that your trapezius is in a relaxed position.

- Using shoulder rolls help to reduce tight feeling in neck, shoulder, and in trapezius muscle. For this rotate the shoulders in clockwise and anticlockwise direction. Do this 10 times in a day.

- Stretching the muscle helps to eradicate lactic acid accumulated in the muscle. It is another cause for pain in muscle. Stretching benefits the trapezius muscle to elongate and helps it to return to its normal relaxed state.

- Massage with coconut oil or massage with pain balm help to relax the stressed trapezius muscle. Massage helps to improve blood circulation in the strained area of trapezius. Acupressure and warm compresses are also beneficial for relieving trapezius muscle pain.

This type of muscle pain is quite challenging and difficult to handle because of the excruciating pain that can cause you to experience stiffness which will restrict you to move well and to perform your daily activities. However, if you know the proper care and the best ideas about how to handle the trapezius muscle pain, it is more likely for you to cope with the pain.