Three movements that can cause pain between your shoulder blades

Pain Between Shoulder Blades

Pain between your shoulder blades can definitely make your life more difficult. It can affect tasks that range from putting on a shirt to opening a door, and there are many issues that can cause this type of pain. 

Your shoulder blades are one of the many structures that make up your upper back or thoracic region. Although feeling pain this area is less common than developing lower back pain, there are still plenty of people who experience thoracic back pain. It’s reported that up to about 20% of people develop thoracic back pain in their lifetime. A physical therapist can help you figure out the cause of the pain between your shoulder blades. They can work to effectively treat your upper back pain as well. 

These three types of movements could by why you have pain between your shoulder blades

A likely source of pain between your shoulder blades is a muscle injury. The upper back is crisscrossed with muscles, and many of them attach to the shoulder blades. There are certain movements that can increase your risk of injuring one of these muscles. Some of these problematic movements include: 

  • Overhead movements — Lifting your arm overhead requires the use of muscles in your upper back. Lifting an object overhead puts even more stress on these muscles. Doing such movements repetitively can lead to a muscle strain. This injury is even more likely if you aren’t used to doing such movements. 
  • Swinging movements — The upper back muscles are also involved in swinging your arms across the front of your body and out behind you. Their job is to stabilize the shoulder during such movements. Certain jobs or sports that require repetitive swinging movements can lead to upper back pain. 
  • Reaching movements — People who spend a lot of time typing might not think about the reaching movement they’re making, yet the muscles between the shoulder blades are key to such movements. If these muscles are weak, your posture can be affected. The combo of poor posture and frequent reaching movements can easily lead to upper back pain. 

Excel PT can offer treatment for the pain between your shoulder blades

Tired of living with pain between your shoulder blades? Our Excel Sports & Physical Therapy team is ready to help you get effective treatment for your pain. We can do a free screening to pinpoint the underlying cause(s) of your upper back pain. Then, our specialists can build you an individualized therapy plan designed to: 

  • Decrease your pain.
  • Improve upper back muscle strength and flexibility. 
  • Increase your ability to do normal daily activities. 
  • Reduce your risk of future back pain.

Not able to leave home right now to get help with your pain? No problem! Our physical therapists can help you right in your home via an at-home care or virtual therapy session. 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can treat thoracic back pain or to schedule an initial appointment.