Upper back pain – often felt between the shoulder blades, which can also refer across the upper shoulder and up the neck. The most common cause for this type of pain is muscular overcontraction and scar tissue created through twisted postures which are often created in the home or workplace due to a variety of seemingly insignificant imbalances such as:
- Off centre screen placement
- Telephone use
- Interaction with colleagues or clients situated on one side or at a diagonal angle
- Frequent twist to one side – as in school and customer service reception windows
- Television positioned at an angle from the sofa causing a slight twist of the head.
- Bag carrying and unsafe loading
- Presentations often require a half stance to show display while interacting with ‘class
- Musicians, especially of stringed or heavy instruments that require a twisted posture
Treatment times and Number of sessions: If your pain is restricted to just your upper back, a 40 minute booking to include assessment and treatment, should be sufficient. If you have several seemingly unconnected areas of pain, we would suggest an initial 60 minute appointment. The number of sessions required will vary according to the cause and for how long the issue has persisted. As a general rule, however, you should consider 1 – 2 sessions for acute sudden pain, 2 – 3 sessions for intermediate, recurrent irritable pain and 5 -6 sessions for chronic long term pain, followed by a maintenance programme of 40 – 60 minutes sessions at 4 – 8 weekly intervals.
What to expect: – You will be required to remove upper clothing – you can keep your underwear on, but it may need to be moved out of the way. The therapist will feel into the muscles of your upper back, shoulders and neck. Some areas may be sore to the touch, this is where there are muscular adhesions (scar tissue), which need to be broken down in order to resolve your pain and/or restricted movement. You remain fully conscious at all times and are encouraged to ask questions about your treatment and comment on your level of discomfort throughout. Your comfort and understanding of your treatment plan are vital to the success of the treatment.