What is the human body capable of doing on a day-to-day basis? People ride in their cars and drive to work. They arrive at work and sit down to perform assignments while keeping their back in a fixed position. For the next few hours, they place and answer telephone calls, and enter information on computers.
After a long day's work that includes keeping the back in a painful position, people return to their homes. They reach home, have dinner, and go to sleep. Eight hours later, the brutal cycle continues!
So, what happens when you fast forward to 20 years later?
Shoulder pain, migraines, numbness and tingling in the hands, soreness in the extremities and hands, slumped posture, and worn shoulders are like uninvited guests. These are some of the signs and symptoms that will lead to back pain soon enough.
How we appear today is the consequence of years and years of performing daily activities. How does this occur? How can people rectify the issue? The basic explanation here is that people become adjusted to their surroundings. Not to mention, gravity is not working on their side either.
The human physical structure as a whole will change to suit the positions it is put through on an every day basis. The muscles in front of the torso (the trunk of the human body) get tight and the muscles of the upper back (shoulder blade area) become stretched out and frail. This in turn softens the neck muscles, and the head will soon dip forward.
Eventually though, the front neck muscles turn weak and contracted, and the back neck muscles get very stiff. Keep in mind that the head attaches to the neck, and the neck sits on the upper back and shoulders. Because of this, there is constant tension among all of the areas and each part relies on the anatomical structure above and below it.
Muscles of the Back that Cause Pain
Muscles function correctly when they're in an optimal position. In other words, muscles don't work well when they're either stretched out or extremely tight. When this happens, the muscles will put abnormal pressure on the bones and place unwanted stress on the joints and discs in our back, neck, and shoulders. If this goes on for a long time, the joints get inflamed and the discs may bulge out.
When the discs slide in our spine, they can irritate the nervous system. The nerves that provide impulses for the arms, shoulders, and hands go through the neck. Therefore, whenever we go through pain and discomfort in the arms, shoulders and/or hands, the trouble may be in our neck or upper back region.
The good news here is that small changes to day-to-day routine swill dramatically impact the aforementioned issues and hopefully keep them from happening in the first place!
The Neck, Shoulders and Upper Back Regions of Pain
The upper back, neck and shoulders (in general) comprise a very complicated group of joint muscles and the movements that these joints go through are even more perplexed. This is what many patients don't realize--about the way the neck and shoulders function and how to avoid any aching or pain.
The curve of the spine plays a critical role in its placement and function, so to get the upper back, shoulder and neck to feel right and function properly, you have to address the whole spine from top to bottom.
It may seem like lots of work, but understanding what positions are abnormal for the back and knowing how to address the issues properly is more than half the fight.
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References:
Deyo RA, Weinstein JN (2001). “Low back pain.” New England Journal of Medicine. 344(5): 363–370.
Hu SS, et al. (2006). “Lumbar disc herniation section of disorders, diseases, and injuries of the spine.” In: HB Skinner. “Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Orthopedics.” (4) 246–249. New York. McGraw-Hill.
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