A Pebble in the Shoe...What Do You Do?

A few months back I posted an entry on my Blog titled "Leveling the Landscape", which looked at our abilities to change the landscape of the trunk and ribcage, greatly effecting pain and function. I want to present another analogy for scapular region pain, as situation presented itself in treatment that brought this to mind.

“Knots” in the rhomboid and scapular region get all sorts of interventions. Massage, trigger point therapy, injections, medication, stretching, heat, ice, etc are all common. My least favorite thing to hear is that a patient’s physical therapist is trying to strengthen this area, as if weakness is the cause of pain. With any of these interventions, the pain will often lessen or go away, but usually not for long.

What happens when you get a pebble in your shoe? The answer should be pretty obvious; remove the pebble or the pain will continue. What happens if something under the shoulder blade rises to irritate the soft tissue? Spasm and pain will result. That something is usually a rib(s). The cause of such an occurrence can vary, and can be acute or chronic in nature. In my experience, unless you intervene to change the landscape of the ribcage/spine, the pebble will continue to irritate.

What do you do to remove the pebble?

In my Foundations in Myofascial Release I Seminar, I introduce techniques to “Level the Landscape” of the ribcage. Myofascial Release holds a wealth of potential for making permanent changes to the thorax and beyond. Check out my upcoming Foundations I Seminar in Rochester, NY on my website.