trapezius Archives - Stress Free Mama

Trapezius Muscle Pain: End Burning Shoulder Pain with Self-Massage

Your trapezius muscles are some of the first to bother you when you are under stress. They ache and burn from the base of your skull to between your shoulder blades. The good news is that they are relatively easy to massage.

When we are under stress, one of the first muscles to cause us pain is our trap muscles, and part of that reason is because of the nifty role they play in our movement. If you are in pain now, skip to the “How to Massage your Trapezius” section. If you want tips on relieving trapezius muscle pain through better movement and posture, go to Trapezius Exercises.

The trapezius is a broad triangular muscle which attaches to the base of the skull, and lies at the back of the neck, over the upper shoulders and extends down your upper back to your mid back. It is one of the most likely muscles to get sore knots or “trigger points”.

The trap muscles are the only muscles which can lift the outside of your shoulders to create a “shrug”. They move the head and neck toward the shoulder of the other side. The middle of the muscles pull the shoulder blades together, while the lower draw the shoulder blades downward. They support the weight of the arms.

Often these movements are at play when we are under stress, and doing the activities that cause stress.

Where do Trapezius Muscles cause Pain?

Back Pain from Trapezius in Neck and Shoulders

Trap pain is classic stress pain. Your shoulders ache, your neck hurts and it is often deep and achy. You may have a headache, especially in the temples or behind your eyes or at the base of your skull. You may feel burning between your shoulder blades after sitting at your computer without elbow support.

What causes Trapezius Muscle Pain?

Stress. Stress. 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.
Head forward posture. Often people, particularly people in the west, people in charge, forward-thinking people, or people who are planning/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.
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.
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.
Whip lash. This just takes recovery time.
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.

Trapezius Exercises

You can prevent and relieve pain in your trapezius muscles by exercising them. Exercise brings circulation to the muscles, and it relaxes them. Most importantly, if done correctly exercise will strengthen supporting muscles that support good posture. You can relieve a lot of muscle strain by using many muscles groups in a relaxed with, without overworking your traps.

My Yoga (affiliate link) is an excellent way to get instruction on using your back correctly. They offer classes in Pilates, Yoga, and Meditation. For more information on how My Yoga Online works, go to Online Yoga Workout with My Yoga Online.

Massaging your Trapezius Muscles

It’s easy to find your trapezius muscles.

The top of your trapezius muscle is one of the most common locations for shoulder tension.

This is the most likely place someone will massage you when they give you a neck massage, and it often needs it. It can be tender and sore and have spots which “hurt so good” to be pressed. It is not hard to find knots and ropes in this muscle.

How to Massage your Trapezius

The trapezius muscles are very likely to have tender knots or trigger points. Pressing on these points can help release the muscle and ease the pain from its strain. Use your good judgment–do not press so hard or long that you hurt yourself! This is about stress relief and not injury,

Triggerpoints for sore trapezius muscles

When you press on any of the areas shown in red, you are likely to find a tender area. Apply firm but gentle pressure for 10-30 seconds. Sometimes you will feel the muscle relax under your fingers.

These areas can be difficult to reach if you are trying to massage your own back. Here are some tricks to get to the sore spots!

Lying Down

When you lie down, your trapezius muscle relaxes because it doesn’t need to hold the weight of your arms. Be sure to use a pillow that keeps your neck exactly in line with your spine, otherwise the trap may get stressed in this position.

Once you are lying down, just knead your muscles and press on any sore spots.

Tennis Ball

Place a tennis ball (or hard rubber ball) under your trapezius one of the tender areas and lie on it.

You can control the location and pressure by moving your body.

Self massage techniques: using a tennis ball against a door frame

Self massage techniques: using a tennis ball against a door frame for trapezius massage

Another nice way to reach your trap muscles is to use the tennis ball against a door frame. This looks more awkward than it feels. It is really a very nice way to massage the tops of your shoulders.

Body Back Buddy

The Body Back Buddy is a handy tool which can help you reach many unreachable pressure points. You can use it easily on any of the areas of trapezius muscle pain.

I also recommend online yoga classes to help correct your posture, stretch your muscles and relieve your back pain.

By Julia Rymut;

Self Massage: Great Stress Relief

Self Massage?

Hardly seems like fun.

Yet self massage is a great way to get the benefits of massage when you don’t have someone to give you a massage.

Massage is one of the best antidotes to stress. It is very hard to ground yourself and stay calm when you are in the throes of a stress attack. But, when your headache goes away, and you can move your neck again, you can figure out your next steps. You have clarity. You feel like yourself.

Massage can be used a number of ways. Sometimes it is great to massage for the sheer luxury of it. Many women enjoy massaging their feet just because it feels so good. Instant relaxation.

But other times you may massage certain parts of your body because they are in pain. Massaging your shoulder muscles (the trapezius) can relieve some headaches. Massaging you posterior neck muscles can relieve neck pain and stiffness.

The Benefits of Massage

Massage offers many benefits which are very helpful to reduce stress and increase relaxation.

Massage relaxes muscles and releases tension. Often you “hold” yourself as if by having a tight neck, you can prevent the world from crashing in on you.
Massage increases blood flow and oxygen to the tissues. And in addition to improving your circulation, it reduces your blood pressure.
Massage brings you into your body and reminds you to be more present. When you feel —really feel— your presence in your body, your hands and your feet, you return to the present and relax.
Massage stimulates the energy pathways (meridians) in your body. This can return balance to your body and prevent or correct health problems.
Massage increases flexibility.
Massage alleviates headaches.
Massage lessens depression and anxiety.
Massage releases endorphins for natural pain relief.
Massage boosts your immune system. This is especially good because stress depresses it.

To Learn Self Massage Techniques

You have a few options to learn how to massage yourself.

You can start with general massage like “How to Massage your Foot“. Any massage, anywhere will increase your relaxation.

Or, if you have specific pain you want to alleviate, look at the pain charts to see where the source of your pain may be. The pain you feel from stress is not always where your tense muscle is.

Sometimes pain is referred. For example, the muscles on the side of your neck (scalenes) can be tense but you feel the pain down your arm and into your hand.

I have grouped the massages by muscle group. Don’t get bogged down by this. If you want to just give yourself a massage, ignore the muscle names and pick your body part.

General Massage Articles:

By Julia Rymut;

Head Forward Posture Causes a Very Achy Back

Many people sit and stand with head forward posture. This puts pressure on your neck, shoulders and back, which can lead to aches and pain. Compound this with stress and your day can be miserable. Find out the how to correct your posture.

People today have terrible posture. You slump and hunch your shoulders. You bring your head forward. Your bones don’t sit on top of the supporting bones beneath them, and so your muscles have to work overtime to support your weight. Plus, with today’s stressful lifestyle, all of this work is done with muscles which are tight and inflexible.

What is good posture?

Your spine has 3 curves: the lumbar curves to the front of the body, the thoracic curves to the back of the body and the cervical (neck) curves to the front again. All three of these curves must be present, but not too present, for your back to be aligned.

If you drop a line from the middle of your ear, it should hit the middle of your shoulders and the middle of your hips.

With head forward posture, the whole thing is wacky.

But when your head is forward, the line will fall in front of your shoulders and hips. This puts strain on your thoracic, often pulling it down into an exaggerated curve. The weight of the head pulling on the top of your chest, closes it and brings your shoulders together.

All of this strain is multiplied because of stress.

Many factors in our modern life contribute to head forward posture. When we sit at desks, we pull our head forward to the computer screen. When we drive, the seat is angled back, so we pull our head forward to feel upright. And emotionally, we are often planning and worrying about the future. When we “live” in the future, we pull our head forward into it.

Fixing bad posture is a combination of regaining

flexibility
improving strength
building good habits

Of course, it is usually not a quick fix.

Tips for Good Posture

Good alignment comes from being flexible where you body needs movement and strong where it need stability. Try yoga, especially Iyengar style which emphasizes good alignment, to help you gain alignment. It works with both strength and flexibility.
Pilates can build core strength which will improve posture. Try a classical pilates class. They use nifty machines with smooth, glide-y springs. It’s fun and it helps your body to feel good.
Good posture is partly good habits. You can remind yourself to sit up straight periodically during the day. Take time to notice how you feel before you correct yourself. Does it feel good to slump? Where are you closing and where are you over stretching?
Make sure you have ergonomic office/home equipment, wherever you spend your time. When sitting, you can either pad your chairs with lumbar support to encourage yourself to keep your spine neutral, or sit on the edge of your chair. If your back doesn’t have support to lean against in a slump, it will hold itself up.
Awareness of you body can also help your posture. Improve your physiological habits using Alexander technique or Feldenkrais technique. Both of these build awareness of how we hold our bodies, with what habits we move our body and in what ways we hold tension. When we use our body with awareness, we can regain alignment and reduce pain.
Exercising more, especially with weight training can also bring your back into alignment and decrease your head forward posture.
There are many exercises which will improve posture, decrease the head forward posture and reduce your back pain. Taking a break every hour or two and stretching can give you back muscles relief.

By Julia Rymut;

The Body Back Buddy: Stress Relief for your Sore Back

When you can’t be massaged by someone else, the Body Back Buddy is a great tool. You can use it to reach your back and relax tight muscles for great stress relief.

Massage is great for stress relief. But sometimes it is difficult to get a massage. When your muscles feel so tight that you can hardly move your head, and your head is pounding with a stress headache, the Back Buddy can provide stress relief. You can apply pressure to the tender spots in your muscles and relieve the tension.

What is a Back Buddy?

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The Body Back Buddy is made for direct pressure on points that are tender and sore. It is not easy to rub or stroke with it. You apply pressure and then move to the next spot. When pressure is applied to these sore spots, the muscle releases and there is relief from the pain.
The Back Buddy is made of very hard plastic. It is not “comforting”, and can even be painful if you use too much pressure. This makes it excellent for applying pressure to sore spots until they release. It is not good for a massage that is soothing and soft. You could solve problem by putting some padding on the knobs, but it is made for pressure.
There are many different knobs which can give you a great deal of uses. Use your imagination and you can figure out lots of ways to massage your body.
You can use the “S” shape in many angles. The “S” gives great leverage and you can easily reach difficult places with little strain on your hands, wrists or arms.
The BBB comes in 3 sizes for small, medium and large people.

How to Use the Body Back Buddy

The use of the BBB is limited only by your imagination. In general, you are looking for sore, tight spots and applying gentle but firm pressure for 10-30 seconds until the muscle relaxes.

Using the Back Buddy (affiliate link) on your upper back is easy.

The Body Back Buddy: pressure points on neck

The Body Back Buddy: pressure points on upper shoulders

You can reach 2 spots at once with the double knobs. The can be positioned right by your cervicals or nearer your upper trapezius.

The Body Back Buddy: Pressure points on mid back

Use the double knobs to get right below your shoulder blades.

The Body Back Buddy: Pressure point on outer thigh

You can easily get your outer thigh without tiring your fingers.

The Body Back Buddy: Pressure points on outer shins

This is a very interesting technique. You get both outer shins at once, and the pressure is increased or decreased by spreading your legs and pushing against the knobs.

The Body Back Buddy: pressure points on upper back while lying down

The Body Back Buddy: pressure points in mid back while lying down

You can use the Back Buddy while lying down.

The Body Back Buddy: pressure points in foot

It’s easy to reach your feet and get really good pressure on them.

If your neck is screaming in pain, a massage is a nice solution. But if you can’t get a massage, try this nifty massager.

The Body Back Buddy (affiliate link) is great for giving pressure to your back and neck muscles. It is not a soothing treatment. Think of it as therapeutic pain relief.