Daily Mobility Exercises by Dr. Kelly Starrett › Forums › Back › Complex Back/Shoulder/Neck/Rib Issue

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    • 04/19/2014 at 2:09 pm #70908
      AvatarArchie McEachern
      Participant

      So, I’m heading for an MRI in the near future but I am still exercising in a physical therapy sense. Here is what I now suspect is the issue after all this time:

      I believe my lowest left rib separated from my spine. When I palpate the area, I can feel a gap. This has been a lingering injury for the last 3 years. There is noticeable visual difference in my left oblique compared to my right oblique; especially when I tilt left and right for spinal flexion. The skin folds over itself much more on the left, and even when I am standing up straight you can see the left side dips in a little more than the right.
      Over time, I began developing a large solid adhesion between my spine and my shoulder blade that doesn’t go away even after weeks of deep tissue massage and lacrosse balling. This has recently began to radiate up my trap and into my neck. My neck and back frequently twitch, and now my trap/collar bone area also is starting to look asymmetric from the right due to the muscles and nerves getting tight.
      Clearly, the MRI is necessary. I am just hoping I won’t have to go through a serious back/neck operation to fix it. I can still lift weights, snatch, clean, jerk, do pull-ups and push-ups, etc. The only real issue is I can’t do them as heavy as I once did and my ROM is a lot tighter than it use to be.
      Has anyone had any experience with this and recommend stretches and rehab exercises that could hopefully help me avoid a surgery (if I need one that is).
    • 04/21/2014 at 8:49 pm #74529
      AvatarPatricia DeCino
      Participant

      Hey brother I just read your comment cruising through the site. As far as your neck and trap pain, Here is something to think about, while you obviously have a neuro-muscular functional deficit and symmetry issues you will never gain full function if your structure is not “ideal”.  One common structural deficit that greatly inhibits function is forward head posture.  Try sticking your neck out as far forward as you can and the move your head into flexion, extension and rotation all while keeping your head out in front of you.  Your range of motion probably sucks right? That is because your structure is off.  So you can foam roll and massage that adhesion is your mid back but unless you fix the structural issue causing the problem, good luck getting a great long term outcome. You should probably get some imaging for that rib though ASAP to see whats going on structurally.  Good luck

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