Trigger points are a pain in the neck

If you experienced severe pain in your hand, would it occur to you that the problem was actually in your neck? We all know the phrase “a pain in the neck,” but if you have myofascial trigger points in your neck muscles, that’s probably the last place you’ll feel anything.

Because trigger points in the neck muscles refer pain to many other parts of the body, they are very difficult to diagnose, and many people continue to experience agonizing pain or other symptoms because they can’t find the source of the problem.

The most common muscle group experiencing triggers in the neck is the scalene group, three muscles known as the anterior scalene, middle scalene, and posterior scalene. These muscles attach the neck bones to the upper rib cage, and trigger points in any one of them can cause pain in a variety of places.

Impact of triggers on the neck

The pattern of pain caused by spasms in the scalene muscle group varies greatly from person to person, and can also change from day to day for the same person.

In general, pain from scalene triggers will spread into the chest, along the arms and hands, into the upper back, and to the sides of the head. Shooting pains in the arms and hands are common, but shooting pains in the upper body are more likely. Scalene muscle strain can also cause a wide variety of other miscellaneous symptoms, such as:

• Headaches
• sinus problems
• Thoracic outlet syndrome
• tennis elbow
• voice changes
• hearing problems
• Difficulty to swallow
• tooth bread

Treatment of neck triggers

Stretching the scalene muscles can be very beneficial, especially for headaches, but before attempting stretching, it’s a good idea to try massaging existing trigger points so that stretching doesn’t make them worse.

The scalene muscles can be found within a triangular area between the collarbone, the trapezius muscle of the shoulder, and the V-shaped throat muscles. This area should be massaged very gently with the fingertips rather than the tips. Use small circles to find the muscle bands and loosen if you feel a pulse from the carotid artery or jugular vein.

Massaging this area may feel strange and a bit uncomfortable at first, and pressing on a trigger point may initially feel hot and sharp. However, with gentle pressure, you should feel intense pain spreading throughout your arm, shoulder, and head, indicating that the massage is having an effect.

Once you have defused the triggers within the scalene muscles through massage, daily stretching can be very effective in relieving symptoms. The best stretch for the scalene muscles is very simple:

1. In a standing position, clasp your hands behind your back.
2. Drop your left shoulder and tilt your head to the right.
3. Turn your head back until you feel a stretch in your scalene muscles.
4. Hold for ten to fifteen seconds and repeat on the other side.

Prevention of trigger points in the neck

One of the main causes of myofascial points in the scalene muscle group is poor posture, especially sitting incorrectly at a desk all day. Continually tilting your head up or down, twisting to one side, or dropping your shoulders forward can put excessive stress on the scalene muscles that contribute to trigger points.

These tips on proper posture at your desk should help reduce pain caused by neck strain:

• Make sure your computer screen is at the correct height so you don’t have to look up or down. If you’re using a laptop, make sure you have a separate docking station or monitor.
• Make sure your computer screen is directly in front of you so you don’t have to twist your neck to see it and can keep your head in a neutral position.
• Wear a lower back brace that will automatically pull your shoulders back and keep you from slumping forward onto your desk.
• Alter the height of your seat so your feet are flat on the floor, or use a foot stool. If your feet are too far off the ground, you’ll lean forward to compensate, shifting your upper body and increasing pressure on your neck.

Pain and other problems caused by triggers in the scalene muscles can be very difficult to diagnose because the only place that doesn’t seem to be affected is the neck. However, gentle massaging of the scalene area and regular stretching, combined with good posture, can work together to limit the impact of trigger points on the neck.