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fatal-blow · 6 days

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actually speaking of that "everything i love causes carpal tunnel" shirt i know! a muscle that causes carpal tunnel-like symptoms!

the bad news is that it's the underside of the shoulder blade, but the good news is that once you figure out how to reach it, it's quite easy to release!

anyways meet the subcapularis

(all images taken from Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction (3rd Edition) by Travell et al)

the subcapularis helps pull the shoulder forward and rotate it inwards, meaning it's involved in many activities which cause the much dreaded carpal tunnel--yes, even though it's nowhere near the wrist. the anatomy of the shoulder makes it easy for nerves and vessels to get compressed, causing all sorts of fun symptoms like pain, tingling, and cold fingers.

this is the referred symptom zone:

obligatory i am not a doctor, just very autistic about musculoskeletal pain, and can't guarantee this massage will help your carpal tunnel symptoms, but I will say that uhhh every time I do this for myself i can feel all blood and sensation rush back into my arm, and it's always best to try massage before more invasive stuff like surgery

1. Find a spot where you can sit, feet planted on the ground, and lean forward and rest your head on something with your arm hanging down between your legs. This will slide the shoulder blade to the side of the ribs, where you can reach the underside.

2. Above is what the subcapularis looks like with the surrounding muscles. Using your fingertips (you might wanna cut your nails) or your thumb if preferred, find the bony edge of the shoulder blade, and start poking around the underside.

3. You'll most likely only be able to reach the edge of the muscle, but that's enough! When you press into it, you will probably feel like you're reproducing your symptoms. Don't worry; you aren't hurting yourself and in fact this means you're in the right spot! Massage it gently, enough to feel it but not enough to wince, until you can't find anymore painful spots (or until you feel better, sometimes you can't get it all in one session).

3.5. If your pain increases overall, don't do it. Though pressure should elicit symptoms, this type of massage should provide pretty immediate relief, and if it doesn't then either some other muscle(s) is involved or it's not muscle related at all.

4. Finish up by rolling your shoulder back, like you're stretching out your chest/reaching behind you, a few times. It's normal to hear clicking--good, actually, that's the sound of your body realigning.

5. I recommend doing this at least daily, even after the symptoms have eased, until it's no longer sensitive to massage. Keep in mind that this muscle has been overused, and that the muscles that oppose it have weakened. It will keep trying to tighten up again until the weakened muscles have recovered, so you need to actively treat it and keep an eye out for habits that cause you to roll the shoulder forward.

And that's it! If you intend to resume carpal tunnel inducing activities ASAP, see if you can take a moment every 30 minutes or so to do a quick shoulder stretch. This helps prevent the muscle from tightening, and you only need to spend moments to do so. Quick breaks like this actually go a long way towards preventing injury, and help you keep working without interrupting the flow to go do some body maintenance :P

#fatals physio corner #i actually dont get wrist pain from this muscle it's only ever made my shoulder hurt #there are a lot of muscles that can affect nerves and vessels leading into the arms tho #so if its not the subcapularis then it might be a different guy #like my mortal enemy the latissimus dorsi #but that's for another post #chronic pain

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2by1977brokenme · 3 years

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PJE#74? ~ 11/30/2021 ~ Painic

Painic isn’t a word but it should be recognized as such. Especially in the medical world. What is PAINIC? For me it’s pain that causes a Panic attack. I have these frequently. 2-4 time a week. Usually in the morning when I wake up and have to start managing my pain Bc that’s what I fucking do; fucking manage pain.

Today is no different. Today I go see a orthopedic surgeon for the shoulder pain that Hasn’t really left since I broke the Glenoid/Scapula in August 2020. It’s turned into what I fear. Another fucking nagging injury or painful place in my body. Like I need more. My anxiety has been high these past couple of weeks. Trying to navigate life with fewer options; limbs is getting very difficult. I can still use it so why fix it? Well Bc it won’t fix itself. That’s what we were hoping it would do on its own. Time heals all wounds or so they say. Idk if time healed this one or not. Certainly has been painful at times that is for sure. The burn/ing is the worst part of all of it. So now I sit and wait to see what needs to be done to fix it. I’ve never had a shoulder surgery so I’m not certain of recovery time, how painful it is, and if I can do it without taking pain meds. I sign ZERO pain contracts. Fuck all that. So idk if they give me anything or not. The pain isn’t as bad now but the panic is still around. I can feel it like a beating drum inside of my body. Like there’s something that needs let out. And so I write. I write it all out until the rush is gone. 50% Torn Subcapularis tendon (rotator cuff) and it’s 50% detached from the bone. Fucking surgery again. AGAIN! This will make 32 and the 3rd this year. This one will be a big one. It’s really painful on the daily to move around. Add this and it’s fucking stupid how much it affects my daily life. I’m just sick of it. All of it. Sick of the pain. It just doesn’t stop in my hips. Never fucking ever.

One of these days my writing will stop. The day will turn black. Then I’ll just be ashes. Scattered about in my favorite places. ~~~~~ 2by1977 ~~~~ ALL WORK MINE ~~~~

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