15yrs of muscle tightness and pain, I've tried chiropractos, acupuncture, inversion table, ice packs, heating pad, percussion massage gun, tennis ball, foam rollers, and even nerve ablation, nothing worked. Recently tried PT, helped somewhat, but still had a lot of tightness in the upper-mid back. doing this for just a few minutes and my entire upper-mid back muscles relaxed! TY
This is Insane, My scalene muscle tightens up from anxiety. I've cured social anxiety mentally/psychologically but physiologically it kept my voice tonality pretty weak, unconfident and uncompelling during interactions. This is a godsend, my voice literally feels so much more louder brimming with conviction with so little effort. Genuinely Thank you.
its crazy how anxiety can affect the muscles intern affecting the voice ive been singing and screaming sense 16 then my voice just stopped being able to do everything felt harsh ive been waiting years for it to heal and only until after releasing muscle knots around the throat wall has it started healing feeling more confident now about possibly being a vocalists i thought that dream was dead
Oh my Lord, I had this pain on back of left side neck and this person just gave me my life back. I had this for many yrs geez, Just one lesson on how to make it going away, just gave me my life back. Thank you soo much God bless you. Praise God Amen thank you Jesus Amen I'm very excited, I couldn't sleep on any of my beautiful different kind soft or fluffy or flat or stern pillows without waking up with a whiplash . Guys I really those I was going to die from a stroke because this is how horrible this pain was to me. Too many long yrs.
Had ice pick pain in my shoulder for months. Massage didn't get rid of it. Traveled up to the base of my skull and was giving me headaches so I researched it and came across this video. Did the massage twice (first time was crazy-intense!) and the pain is GONE. It's been gone of over a month now. Completely. Thank you SO much!! Wish I'd found this sooner!
I could cry, seriously thank you so much! I got instant relief in my medial scapula as soon as the scalene released 😭 I can’t believe I didn’t think to work on myself
Thank you so much! I was having a flutter in my ear for a few days due to some kind of muscle tension in my neck, and just after briefly pressing on the spots you've indicated, it stopped it immediately. You've really brightened up my day! Thank you so much.
Bad trigger points in my back and over my ribs. I've been going to PT and she says it is postural (I believe it). Pain has been REALLY BAD lately, despite tons of exercises and treatment. I did as this video instructed and BAM, extreme relief from all my pain symptoms (though the bad, knotty TrP in my shoulder remains, ofc). THANK you. This is only one small part of my collective myofascial issues but you just made my life so much more liveable while I try to sort the rest of it out long term.
Woah, that eye technique was crazy! I have a rotated pelvis, torso, and upper thorax. My neck and scalenes are very tight. I did the eyes up and inhale, down exhale and didn't feel anything noticeable. When you said to do the opposite, my whole body untwisted on exhale. I did it a few times to make sure this was really working. Thank you so much for this video and the stretch video.
i thought i damaged my vocal cords or had a throat thyroid... but i felt pain on the sides of my neck too so i searched why does the front of my neck hurt instead, thank god i found this
I feel at the bottom of this muscle. There feels like a hard bone popping up that shouldn’t be there. If i put pressure on it or move it, it hurts, what could have happen?
TY so much, I have been seeing a Massage therapist and she says I have been experianceing Refered pain, and she hit my scalene muscles in my shoulders ..this has been great ty so much
Helps with my neck aches with TOS. Also find, even though it's a tad awkward, using a tennis ball and rolling along a wall down the side of the neck and top of collarbone can help as well.
Those are some great points. A little trick I use with a tennis ball is find a lumpy pillow and place it againt the wall and the ball on top of the pillow. Play around with the thickness of the pillow to the point that you don't have to lean in with your neck as much. I can hit the spots standing straight up in stead of flexing my neck to the side to hit the spots. With this, it's harder to 'roll' but great for finding knots and holding the ball in place. I might do another video to show that. Thanks for the great feedback!
@@WizardofhealthNetResource yes, do it! It is awkward to get that side of the neck , but I notice the scalenes respond well to it and maybe combine it with a chest demo as well, that helps alot as well. I think this is a fairly safe technique as long as you don't cause yourself pain
My neck just hurts at that exact spot but it also hurts to swallow and sometimes my chest starts hurting when I swallow as well. I recently started workout out and I had a pull day today and I think I pulled this muscle. But idk why my throat hurts and I’m getting chest pain. But this is definitely helping the front neck pain. Lmk if anyone has any more advice
WOW. I have suffered from a pain in my neck for more than two years following a minor injury to the top of my spine. It has not responded to stretching and other forms of massage. I have been massaging as recommended for a week and the pain and tightness have eased greatly. Thank you. Thank you
Glad it could help! But don't forget that stretching and strengthening can actually help a lot more once you get rid of the muscle knots. So you may want to start stretching and strengthening again after you find that you're reached your maximum improvement. If it still feels bad with stretching, then you'll know that massaging may be the only thing to do. Good luck!
Thanks! People should look into forward neck posture or syndrome. It's a flippin epidemic. I am hypermobile and suffer from extraordinary neck and shoulder issues. Learning how these muscles and tendons interact, I have discovered that just alone is affecting my quality of life! It actually can cause depression (Just one of the symptoms!!) while the trigger points are activated even subtly! Also, just a tight muscle in the shoulder can make the affected side elbow and thumb sore! Weird huh?
When I press the lower end near the collarbone, I sometimes get a sensation either behind my scapula (where I usually have painful knots) or (less commonly) around my deltoid. Is that normal? Or am I pressing in the wrong place - perhaps a nerve? Thanks for your informative videos.
Same! If you press on the scalene and you feel the same knot/pain in your scapula area, you are doing something right. I have pain in that area to, and this massage technique in this video has helped me get rid of that pain which helped with my muscle imbalances in my back.
I did what you said, now I have a numb feeling on the left side of my right elbow.. I could really feel the trigger point tho. I have a headache for a very long time so that’s why I tried.
I realize this video is old, but I've been dealing with neck pain for a loooooong time. I've fixed a lot of stuff but I still have a very stiff area in the general scalenes area. 2 things, I have a very solid point right in the area that has no feeling and I'm trying to figure out what it is. The other thing is, I have a referral all the way down to my fingers as well as up into my jaw. I'm wondering if this is a sign of something more serious or just a very very bad knot?
HI Wizzard, I have a question. If you have the SCM and Scalene muscles very tense, there is a chance you can suffer shortness of breath when you bent your head forward? Thanks!
More than 12 years and I have symptoms of dizziness, headache, eye abnormality and I went to dozens of doctors and he did not find me a treatment and it is considered that I knew that the cause of these symptoms is SCM I tried stretching exercises and my symptoms improved significantly, but my question is is stretching safe for this muscle because most say that putting the head to stretch scm causes complications in the cervical vertebrae and I tried this massage of trigger points, but the symptoms were very large so that I could not bear them and then I decided Continue for 14 days and the bad symptoms increased so what should I do
That muscle youre grabbing is sore on both sides of my neck. I noticed it about a year ago and it kinda stopped bothering me but now its back. My neck feels so sore in those muscles from my colar bone up to by my ears and i get a throbbing sensation there too. When its bad like now the muscles in my forehead hurt and I have a weird feeling in my head like the begining of a headache. I done quite get a headache but my head feels like im getting a cold. Almost as if i have a sinus infection but my sinuses are clear.. I just want this pain in my throat area to stop!! any suggestions please let me know!!
Hey there thx a lot for this. Can you tell me if you find heat or cold to be better for when triggerbpoibt pain in the neck is really bad. I generally hear heat, but if they flare up really bad and are insanely tender would you advise cold instead? Thx
hey Alex, i find it depends on the person. Some find ice to be better. I've used ice before to freeze an area prior to stretching that trigger point. But i find that everyone responds differently to the heat and cold. Just keep in mind how long you're adding the cold, whether you're using a thick towel in between the ice and your skin, etc. In a sensitive area like the scalenes, you can try putting a paper cup in the freezer and then take a bit off the top and make it into an ice 'roller'. You can then gently roll on the ice onto the scalenes instead of using an ice pack. I've found that to be really effective. Hope that helps!
hi doctor. i have pain in my neck. it remains all time almost. it looks like muscular there are cramps like sound . if i touch my neck it looks like there is bones moving ... what would be the issue ? is it muscular or anything else ? plx help
Can someone please help me. I don't know what this is and I have been trying to look it up but it's this weird uncomfortable feeling in the throat area where he was showing u and it is so annoying that I have to put a pillow or blanket between me jaw and throat. If u know what this is please tell me, I just want it to go away😢
In this area yes but not from scalene trigger points. Trigger points in the sternocleidomastoid muscle right next to the scalenes however can cause headaches , pain behind the eyes and sometimes dizziness. Also trigger points in the upper trapezius and in the muscles under your skull behind your head (occipitalis), can cause headaches.
دي عقد عضلية تصير للرقبة في حالة الاصابة او انك تظل بوضعياتى غلط زي ادا تطالع في الموبايل والحل انك تتحسسهاوتكتشف مكانها وادا ضغطت عليها بتسبب لك الم في الراس واعراض ثانية تشبه الاعراض الللي عندك وعشان تتخلص منهالازم تضغط عليها زي ماهو يوريك بالفيديو
Ihave chronic severe pain from 5 year in my head and neck suddenly developed after minor trauma and i find cervical rib this problem affects whole my life due to continous heabache, irritablity.,interupted painful sleep as my job is affacted because iam apatholigist and using microscope and computer all the time, even my memory is affacted If there is advice this will be favour from you
I have the same problem. Hard pressure at the location that he recommends helps, but only temporarily. Simple yoga, Cobra pose a few times a day helps as well.
Dear doctor i also have this problem at left side from many years and believe me i daily do massage and exercise for this but its not going away. Kinldy suggest some kind of medicine.
Hi, about two months ago I felt some pain around the upper trapezius. It wasn't much so I ignored it and kept lifting heavy weights. Later I started feeling pain around the middle trapezius and some around the first rib area, also it hurts the most when i puff my chest out a little and lower my shoulders. Could it be a trigger point in the scalene or somewhere in the trapezius muscle. Sorry for the paragraph.
ive been trying to figure out how to release these for about a year now theyve been fucked full of knots for a couple years. thank you!!! got my mobility back feels like i could punch someone with my shoulder now🤣
Your video is helpful. Thank you for mentioning avoiding the artery. I've made that mistake before. How long is it safe to massage at one time? I've massaged too long before and caused inflammation. A few days ago I found out why I've been sick for several years. It has gotten gradually worse until just a few months ago I began waking up just after drifting off with a feeling of suffocation. Lately, my arm started going numb and tingling at night and the suffocation sensation increased to several times before I'd finally fall asleep. Just yesterday, I figured out that tight scalenes have been pulling up on my rib cage and entrapping the artery and nerves in my neck when I lay down.
shit ! i just came from my PT, he did a tens session and a massage on the left scalenes for my thoracic outlet syndrome. came back home, my right side was unbalanced so i wanted some relief there, i just did that and it is even more released than my left side. thanks a lot
I've been having pain in my right collarbone everytime I do chest exercises like bench press or fly, especially if I push my chest out and adduct my arms to my midline. Saw this and felt KNOTS all over my right scalene. Thanks a ton!
Hi guys can you also feel scalene injury in chest/elbow and shoulder? I also get pain down my tricep into the hand which can feel tingly at times. Hopefully this massage helps!
Hi Wizard, found this video very helpful. I've had issues with my scalene muscle for about 5 months now, due to deadlifts (too heavy) I haven't worked out in 5 months because of this. I've been having numbness and tingling down both my arms. Very frustrating! I will be starting this trigger points regularly starting today. I sometimes get tingling sensation down the back of my neck more towards my right side in back. Could that be scalene's also? Also where are you located? I'm Desparate! Thank you!
+yvette giglio thanks for the question! Here are some things to note: a. usually when you have bilateral numbness (both arms) it's more 'likely' that its the scalenes instead of the nerve root. b. Scalene trigger points can refer to many different areas. Again, there are so many muscles in that area that it may be scalenes, or sternocleidomsatoid muscles, etc. Best thing is to type in 'scalene trigger point pattern' and you'll get some diagrams showing the scalene patterns. See if some of those match your own. c. Be careful when you start with trigger points in the front of the neck. That's a pretty sensitive area so start off slowly! I'm in Toronto Canada, but if you are looking for someone, I'd suggest looking for someone that has been specifically trained in treating trigger points. Mind you , EVERYONE will say they treat it. Chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists and even physicians treat trigger points. Some of us have been doing it a lot and some do it on occasion. I recommend typing in 'trigger point therapists' in your town and see if you can find some that solely treat these. Or a therapist that has taken courses and has their practice primarily dealing with trigger points. Hope that helps! also, you can read more about trigger points for the neck at goo.gl/dCj26k
I'm not sure if I'm doing this right. Trying to reach it way up to the end is a bit difficult not much there to grasp properly. Any info on how to get that part done correctly. Thanks for any advice
Hi Vivian, there are certain areas where the muscle is so thin that you cant reach up. If that's the case, switch from pinching with2 fingers to actually using the base of your thumb to 'strip' out the muscle at that point. Apply pressure with the base of your thumb.
Would a tight upper trap restrict head rotation to the opposite side? all the tightness seems superior to the clavicle. Feels like my right upper trap feels very dense like poured cement. Contralateral rotation and lateral flexion of the neck is uncomfortable and it feels like the effected area is restricting the movement. If I shrug my right shoulder (scapular elevation) I have more range of motion esp. with rotation. It seems like it is too thick an area to be the levator scapulae. Couldn't really find any specific trigger points in the area. It feels more like the area was struck with the flat side of a 2 x 4 . The area doesn't seem to refer pain to the head, pain is below the ear lobes on the side/back of the neck. Any ideas?
Hi Cliff, those are great questions. Although I can't provide a medical diagnosis without examining you, here are a few things to consider: 1. Tightness does not usually mean there are trigger points. Sometimes the most relaxed feeling muscle can have the most painful trigger points, or the most stiff muscle can have none. 2. There are quite a few muscles in the neck area that provide rotation to the neck. Upper trapezius is mostly for neck extension (bilaterally). Scalenes can rotate the neck as well as some of the deeper neck muscles. The other issue with this area is that all the layers of muscles align in different directions, so one direction of a stretch may not necessarily be targeting the others. Here are 2 videos to watch regarding stretching, with the first one being on all the neck muscles and the second specifically for the scalenes: ruclips.net/video/6FSxnd5ZC8Y/видео.html ruclips.net/video/E5AJlLAmWxU/видео.html See if any of these different stretch positions affects your muscle 'tightness'. 3. Treatment wise, we all jump right into stretching everytime we feel a muscle is tight. However, if that doesn't help, you may want to look at other areas. You may want to start strengthening the deep neck flexor muscles, stretch the chest muscles, shoulders, lats, etc. Maybe also strengthen the mid back. 4. For upper trapezius, I usually find that strengthening that muscle solves nearly 80% of issues, without even stretching. That may seem counter intuitive. However, most people strengthen the upper traps the wrong way. Everyone does shoulder shrugs with their arms down to the side. A better way to specifically target the upper trapezius without tightening the levator scapula is to raise your arms about 45 degrees and then do shoulder shrugs. That will isolate the upper trapezius without tightening the levator scapula. Hope that helps. As I said, tightness doesn't always mean trigger points or even that your muscle needs to be 'stretched'. Start stretching your neck in multiple directions until you can actually find the right muscle, strengthen the upper trapezius teh right way and work on the surrounding muscles. This will take weeks so don't expect immediate results, but you'll get a good feel on whether what you're doing is working within about a week or two.
I've been lifting regularly for about 4 years and about 1 year ago the right side of my throat began hurting intermittently. Now, almost every time after a hard lift or a jog the right side of my throat hurts (upper right, an inch or two below my jaw) when I swallow, yawn, sneeze, blow my nose, sometimes even talking. Additionally, when I swallow, I can feel the pain extending to behind/above my right eye. The pain overall is not terrible but it's a serious nuisance and can be reasonably painful from time to time. I've tried to work on my breathing, and have done other various PT to no avail. I got got a scope down my throat and an ultrasound from a throat specialist and she essentially ruled out anything serious, and thinks it's some sort of muscular issue. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
hi Tara, I usually use a combination of acupuncture and manual trigger point there. However, that doesn't mean dry needling is not as good. Here are a few points to consider: 1. i know some therapists that get very good results with dry needling. I've taken some courses on dry needling but always refer out to someone that i think will do a better job than me. However, the skill of the therapist is crucial in getting the best results. If someone tells me that dry needling didn't work, I always tell them to try another therapist but not give up on it. 2. There's usually a progression of treatments. I like to keep things simple first. Maybe some work or lifestyle modification can help. Then I recommend home manual self treatments. Sometimes that's all that is needed. If that doesn't work, then i get more aggressive with treatments.I usually perform manual trigger points first and if that doesn't work, recommend dry needling. Hope that helps and if dry needling is helpful for you, keep at it!
How soon do you notice pain decrease from doing your own the scalene therapy?? Really curious because I'm suffering from bad vision problems and pain and pressure behind both ear. Nausea as well if that's even related. Thanks for any information
Hi Vivian, good question .Here's what you need to know: If you are doing your scalene trigger points, it should be a good type of pain. You should be feeling as if you're actually relieving any discomfort. If you press in the area and it's pain intensity doesn't change, then stop. It may not be a trigger point and you should get it checked by a health professional. Usually people will see immediate relief within several minutes. But that is a short term sort of relief. For long term relief, each person is different. It's really about being consisent with it. Doing it every day, or every other day to start is good. Some people target their trigger points once a day, while others may find working on them for 5 times a day works the best. Some notice an improvement in pain over several days. Others however feel short term relief right away, but then get more sore over the next few days. They may take awhile longer than usual. They are also the ones that get the most frustrated because they aren't seeing the results they want. As you can see, each person is different. However, the one constant is that you should be feeling some short term relief after a couple of minutes of trigger point self treatments. If you don't, and the pain does not change or gets worse, then see a qualified health professional. Hope that helps!
I tried this two days ago because I have trapezius and back pain. Now my left arm is extremely painful. There are some movements I can not do at all. I think it comes from the rotator cuff. Should I try to solve this by applying more scalene massage? The scales are slightly painful themselves. I think I may have been too hard on them
I have found a trigger point (I think) in the infraspinatus which gives the same referred pain when pushed. So I'll try to release this. What do you think?
hi Laaa, trigger points are generally going to be less painful after you self massage them. If you have increased pain, you may have overdone it. I used to get a 'bruised' feeling when i first started doing them on myself. That's because even though it feels good when you are doing them, there's a tendency to want to keep pushing. If you find another spot like the infraspinatus, try that, but this time, go a bit more gentle. Press for a few seconds and see if the pain goes down. Then wait a few hours and try again. Working on them less is better than over doing it. Also, if the arm pain does not get better, see your physician or other health care provider. Most of the time its a trigger point. Persistent pain can be something else, which should be addressed. Hope that helps! p.s. Infraspinatus can refer pain to the arm also so it's good that you caught that one!
Hi Dr Jasper, Thank you for your videos. Before I ask the main part of the question, just a bit of bkground. I have left TMJ joint issue and often get tightness and pain on the rear sides of my neck. Also the left side of the muscle on the back of my head seems to be tight. Here is the thing...Recently I have a tingling sensation at the Scalene muscle area and when I nod few times or put my chin down, a sensitive pain goes to the hollow recess just above the collar bone. My left shoulder also gets pain and feel kind of tight. Along with it the left upper chest muscles just below the collar bone get pain daily. I tried to shrug my left shoulder and sometimes there is a pop sound. Is the issue due to pressing on a wrong nerves on the scalene muscle? Can we apply pressure on the hollow recess and how long to press on the scalene muscle as it is pretty painful? Thank you Doctor.
hi Russell, thanks for the question .Although I can't diagnose you unless i actually examine you, here's a few things to note: 1. Most of the pain you describe appears to be caused from trigger points. They can come from the scalenes, or even the posterior shoulder muscles such as the infraspinatus. Most important thing to always do is rule out the more serious stuff like a nerve problem. Although trigger points are often overlooked as the cause, it's always best to rule out the worst things first. A visit to a good health professional can help with this. 2. In order to know how long to hold a trigger point, check out my article as a beginner's guide to treating trigger points: wizardofhealth.net/muscle-pain/trigger-point/ 3. Here are some links that may be helpful to see the exact pain patterns for the scalenes and infraspinatus: Scalenes: www.gustrength.com/muscles:scalene-muscles-location-actions-trigger-points The article is also good but the diagrams are really useful. Infraspinatus: www.cascadewellnessclinic.com/articles/2002art/0202art.shtml 4. Yes you can apply pressure at the hollow recess. The key thing to remember is that trigger points will ease up in pain after you press for a few seconds (ex. 30 to 60 seconds). A nerve problem will only increase in pain and not be releived by pressure.
Wizard of Health Thank you Doctor for taking the time to write. The Scalene on my left side( located just next door to the rear of SCM is like a sensitive pain. Does it means trigger points at this region causes the shoulder to have pain and stiffnesd along with the upper chest muscle pain? They are linked? Also how to avoid pressing on a nerve instead of a trigger point? If I am right nerves are located deep inside the spine or does it mean, places like Scalene and the hollow recess which is sensitive can have nerves that is not deeply embeded? In any case, if we do press on a nerve, does it cause more issues? Sonetimes after massage, pressing on triggers points/ or using a tennis ball on some painful back areas, I feel a bit giddy n tight. Is that common? I am writing from Singapore and thereby not able to make an appointment to consult you in person. Thank you on advance.
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15yrs of muscle tightness and pain, I've tried chiropractos, acupuncture, inversion table, ice packs, heating pad, percussion massage gun, tennis ball, foam rollers, and even nerve ablation, nothing worked. Recently tried PT, helped somewhat, but still had a lot of tightness in the upper-mid back. doing this for just a few minutes and my entire upper-mid back muscles relaxed! TY
This is Insane, My scalene muscle tightens up from anxiety. I've cured social anxiety mentally/psychologically but physiologically it kept my voice tonality pretty weak, unconfident and uncompelling during interactions. This is a godsend, my voice literally feels so much more louder brimming with conviction with so little effort. Genuinely Thank you.
its crazy how anxiety can affect the muscles intern affecting the voice ive been singing and screaming sense 16 then my voice just stopped being able to do everything felt harsh ive been waiting years for it to heal and only until after releasing muscle knots around the throat wall has it started healing feeling more confident now about possibly being a vocalists i thought that dream was dead
I am having the same as u described, how did you cure yourself
@@Krish_1222just be confident and be yourself
Huh..! Please Quit smoking, drugs & alcohol. Hope u recover soon mentally/psychologically. But, can u live without consuming such substances? 😂
exactly right! i deactivate these trigger point frequently, esp when i treat anxiety! cheers!
Oh my Lord, I had this pain on back of left side neck and this person just gave me my life back. I had this for many yrs geez, Just one lesson on how to make it going away, just gave me my life back. Thank you soo much God bless you. Praise God Amen thank you Jesus Amen I'm very excited, I couldn't sleep on any of my beautiful different kind soft or fluffy or flat or stern pillows without waking up with a whiplash . Guys I really those I was going to die from a stroke because this is how horrible this pain was to me. Too many long yrs.
Bro it's it totally solved 🤕plz reply me
Had ice pick pain in my shoulder for months. Massage didn't get rid of it. Traveled up to the base of my skull and was giving me headaches so I researched it and came across this video. Did the massage twice (first time was crazy-intense!) and the pain is GONE. It's been gone of over a month now. Completely. Thank you SO much!! Wish I'd found this sooner!
I could cry, seriously thank you so much! I got instant relief in my medial scapula as soon as the scalene released 😭 I can’t believe I didn’t think to work on myself
Thank you so much! I was having a flutter in my ear for a few days due to some kind of muscle tension in my neck, and just after briefly pressing on the spots you've indicated, it stopped it immediately. You've really brightened up my day! Thank you so much.
Was it like a pulsing? Like you could hear your heartbeat ?
@@AprilEighty3ear heat
Bad trigger points in my back and over my ribs. I've been going to PT and she says it is postural (I believe it). Pain has been REALLY BAD lately, despite tons of exercises and treatment. I did as this video instructed and BAM, extreme relief from all my pain symptoms (though the bad, knotty TrP in my shoulder remains, ofc).
THANK you. This is only one small part of my collective myofascial issues but you just made my life so much more liveable while I try to sort the rest of it out long term.
Woah, that eye technique was crazy! I have a rotated pelvis, torso, and upper thorax. My neck and scalenes are very tight. I did the eyes up and inhale, down exhale and didn't feel anything noticeable. When you said to do the opposite, my whole body untwisted on exhale. I did it a few times to make sure this was really working. Thank you so much for this video and the stretch video.
Thank you so much, ive had chronic pain for weeks and presto in a second it was gone. Many thank yous!
that's great to hear Vita-Rafaela!
Thanks man you don't know how much you just helped me
I have a book on this but I needed a visual - your video was by far the most practical and helpful. Thank you!
This was the FIRST helpful Video and helped me a lot. I have been struggling with a lot of pain and stiffness in the neck area. This was super useful!
Amazing instructions! I was able to self adjust and I'm amazedddd how connected this trigger was to other pain points. Thank you for sharing!
I am forever grateful that you made this video. Thank you! 🙏🏽
You deserves more subscribers
Thank you so much you saved my life with this tips 🙏🙏🙏
This guy is awesome. I’m subbing right now.
Hi I am a Massage Therapist & I just did it on myself & it worked instantly
i thought i damaged my vocal cords or had a throat thyroid...
but i felt pain on the sides of my neck too so i searched why does the front of my neck hurt instead, thank god i found this
I feel at the bottom of this muscle. There feels like a hard bone popping up that shouldn’t be there. If i put pressure on it or move it, it hurts, what could have happen?
TY so much, I have been seeing a Massage therapist and she says I have been experianceing Refered pain, and she hit my scalene muscles in my shoulders ..this has been great ty so much
Glad it could help Mike!
Trigger point release game changer THANK YOU!
My sternocleidomastoid is in spasm and its agony, usually its fine after a few minutes... been 20 now... swallowing is agony...
Helps with my neck aches with TOS. Also find, even though it's a tad awkward, using a tennis ball and rolling along a wall down the side of the neck and top of collarbone can help as well.
Those are some great points. A little trick I use with a tennis ball is find a lumpy pillow and place it againt the wall and the ball on top of the pillow. Play around with the thickness of the pillow to the point that you don't have to lean in with your neck as much. I can hit the spots standing straight up in stead of flexing my neck to the side to hit the spots. With this, it's harder to 'roll' but great for finding knots and holding the ball in place. I might do another video to show that. Thanks for the great feedback!
@@WizardofhealthNetResource yes, do it! It is awkward to get that side of the neck , but I notice the scalenes respond well to it and maybe combine it with a chest demo as well, that helps alot as well. I think this is a fairly safe technique as long as you don't cause yourself pain
My neck just hurts at that exact spot but it also hurts to swallow and sometimes my chest starts hurting when I swallow as well. I recently started workout out and I had a pull day today and I think I pulled this muscle. But idk why my throat hurts and I’m getting chest pain. But this is definitely helping the front neck pain. Lmk if anyone has any more advice
How are you now???
WOW. I have suffered from a pain in my neck for more than two years following a minor injury to the top of my spine. It has not responded to stretching and other forms of massage. I have been massaging as recommended for a week and the pain and tightness have eased greatly. Thank you. Thank you
Glad it could help! But don't forget that stretching and strengthening can actually help a lot more once you get rid of the muscle knots. So you may want to start stretching and strengthening again after you find that you're reached your maximum improvement. If it still feels bad with stretching, then you'll know that massaging may be the only thing to do. Good luck!
This guy's helps us so much
you can not imagine what a hurt after i touch that side of neck doc thank you can u suggest to me smthng
Yes! This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!
Wow, This is Amazing!
I’m an esthetician and my neck really needed this. Thank you😀
Great video. Scalenese are very overlooked by many bodyworkers....I like to do dry needling on these guys....
Thanks! People should look into forward neck posture or syndrome. It's a flippin epidemic. I am hypermobile and suffer from extraordinary neck and shoulder issues. Learning how these muscles and tendons interact, I have discovered that just alone is affecting my quality of life! It actually can cause depression (Just one of the symptoms!!) while the trigger points are activated even subtly! Also, just a tight muscle in the shoulder can make the affected side elbow and thumb sore! Weird huh?
Dude what???? I had 6-8 months with discomfort on my right side of my neck. Tried everything. This gave me instant relief. Thank you very much
I have same problem did get any solution bro
Thanks for this video
Hi I also feel pain in right side of my head but also in my neck too where you explained in this video, do you think it’s all connected?
When I press the lower end near the collarbone, I sometimes get a sensation either behind my scapula (where I usually have painful knots) or (less commonly) around my deltoid. Is that normal? Or am I pressing in the wrong place - perhaps a nerve? Thanks for your informative videos.
Same! If you press on the scalene and you feel the same knot/pain in your scapula area, you are doing something right. I have pain in that area to, and this massage technique in this video has helped me get rid of that pain which helped with my muscle imbalances in my back.
I did what you said, now I have a numb feeling on the left side of my right elbow.. I could really feel the trigger point tho. I have a headache for a very long time so that’s why I tried.
I realize this video is old, but I've been dealing with neck pain for a loooooong time. I've fixed a lot of stuff but I still have a very stiff area in the general scalenes area. 2 things, I have a very solid point right in the area that has no feeling and I'm trying to figure out what it is. The other thing is, I have a referral all the way down to my fingers as well as up into my jaw. I'm wondering if this is a sign of something more serious or just a very very bad knot?
HI Wizzard, I have a question. If you have the SCM and Scalene muscles very tense, there is a chance you can suffer shortness of breath when you bent your head forward? Thanks!
Thank you! Videos like these are really important in a world full of computer work
Thank you internet
Great content and delivery - 4 minutes and I have a whole new way to treat the tight neck.
You're an absolute wizard!!!! Thank you!
Very helpful!! My neck and shoulders were very sore & now they barely hurt!! ☺️
I have gone to er and was given x-ray and shows my arteries inflame. I was very scare thinking I was going to die from aneurysm . Praise Jesus Amen
Can trigger points also give pain in troath and globus and mucus?
I just got this on the left side of my neck for the first time in my life
Same
What is cure
I have same problem
Same
Same, and its very disturbing 😕
Same bro it's pain
I think it's working..thank you sir..from 🇳🇵🇳🇵
Where are you located and how do I get in contact with you?
My pain referral is to the superior medial border of the scapula which is where i get my symptoms. Sound about right?
More than 12 years and I have symptoms of dizziness, headache, eye abnormality and I went to dozens of doctors and he did not find me a treatment and it is considered that I knew that the cause of these symptoms is SCM I tried stretching exercises and my symptoms improved significantly, but my question is is stretching safe for this muscle because most say that putting the head to stretch scm causes complications in the cervical vertebrae and I tried this massage of trigger points, but the symptoms were very large so that I could not bear them and then I decided Continue for 14 days and the bad symptoms increased so what should I do
I got dizzy later in the day after I did this. Is that normal? the trigger therapy felt good at the time.
THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH .
That muscle youre grabbing is sore on both sides of my neck. I noticed it about a year ago and it kinda stopped bothering me but now its back. My neck feels so sore in those muscles from my colar bone up to by my ears and i get a throbbing sensation there too. When its bad like now the muscles in my forehead hurt and I have a weird feeling in my head like the begining of a headache. I done quite get a headache but my head feels like im getting a cold. Almost as if i have a sinus infection but my sinuses are clear.. I just want this pain in my throat area to stop!! any suggestions please let me know!!
I have the same thing! Man what is it
Me too
@@griselgarcia3677 هل حصلت على علاج
Wow! That really felt good. I got some real relief from the pain and stiff neck.
this is amazing i cant sleep tonight tnx to this
Thanks man ,your technique is super
Hi
Can i ask you about how to fix a back neck ache ? Also I feel zi can't pull my head up and could not open my front right shoulder
EXCELLENT WORK !
Hey there thx a lot for this. Can you tell me if you find heat or cold to be better for when triggerbpoibt pain in the neck is really bad. I generally hear heat, but if they flare up really bad and are insanely tender would you advise cold instead?
Thx
hey Alex, i find it depends on the person. Some find ice to be better. I've used ice before to freeze an area prior to stretching that trigger point. But i find that everyone responds differently to the heat and cold. Just keep in mind how long you're adding the cold, whether you're using a thick towel in between the ice and your skin, etc. In a sensitive area like the scalenes, you can try putting a paper cup in the freezer and then take a bit off the top and make it into an ice 'roller'. You can then gently roll on the ice onto the scalenes instead of using an ice pack. I've found that to be really effective. Hope that helps!
hi doctor.
i have pain in my neck. it remains all time almost. it looks like muscular there are cramps like sound . if i touch my neck it looks like there is bones moving ... what would be the issue ? is it muscular or anything else ? plx help
Can someone please help me. I don't know what this is and I have been trying to look it up but it's this weird uncomfortable feeling in the throat area where he was showing u and it is so annoying that I have to put a pillow or blanket between me jaw and throat. If u know what this is please tell me, I just want it to go away😢
Do you have acid reflux? Heartburn?
Can inflammation in this area cause dizziness and headache
In this area yes but not from scalene trigger points. Trigger points in the sternocleidomastoid muscle right next to the scalenes however can cause headaches , pain behind the eyes and sometimes dizziness. Also trigger points in the upper trapezius and in the muscles under your skull behind your head (occipitalis), can cause headaches.
السلام عليكم هل يمكن ان يشرح لي احد من فضلكم بالعربية.لان هدا ما اعاني منه.
وانا عندي الم في نفس المكان على جهتي الرقبة والاطباء مافهموا وانا رح يقتلني الالم
دي عقد عضلية تصير للرقبة في حالة الاصابة او انك تظل بوضعياتى غلط زي ادا تطالع في الموبايل
والحل انك تتحسسهاوتكتشف مكانها وادا ضغطت عليها بتسبب لك الم في الراس واعراض ثانية تشبه الاعراض الللي عندك وعشان تتخلص منهالازم تضغط عليها زي ماهو يوريك بالفيديو
Thank you soooo much sir its gone traction of sec
Excellent! Just what I needed!
I just got this for my first time is it super bad to get ? Will it come back often
Thank you so much for this
Benchpress exercise , all power is in rightside..now i have pain in neck nerves. What i do sir..
What courses it?
Ihave chronic severe pain from 5 year in my head and neck suddenly developed after minor trauma and i find cervical rib this problem affects whole my life due to continous heabache, irritablity.,interupted painful sleep as my job is affacted because iam apatholigist and using microscope and computer all the time, even my memory is affacted
If there is advice this will be favour from you
I have the same problem. Hard pressure at the location that he recommends helps, but only temporarily. Simple yoga, Cobra pose a few times a day helps as well.
Caused tingling from pinky to the middle finger and up to elbow on the ulnar side! Hoping it goes away soon!
Dear doctor i also have this problem at left side from many years and believe me i daily do massage and exercise for this but its not going away. Kinldy suggest some kind of medicine.
Hi, about two months ago I felt some pain around the upper trapezius. It wasn't much so I ignored it and kept lifting heavy weights. Later I started feeling pain around the middle trapezius and some around the first rib area, also it hurts the most when i puff my chest out a little and lower my shoulders. Could it be a trigger point in the scalene or somewhere in the trapezius muscle. Sorry for the paragraph.
jesse c
I wanna know too!
definitely the scalene.
keep stretching the scalene and trap, I'm having the same problem I'm laying off all trap exercises, squats, and deadlifts
Posterior scalene
I got this from sleeping wrong is that normal?
REEEEEEEEEEE
ive been trying to figure out how to release these for about a year now theyve been fucked full of knots for a couple years. thank you!!! got my mobility back feels like i could punch someone with my shoulder now🤣
Thank you so much Sir Yu are very skillful n brilliant ...within second i got relieaf
Cant find it but thank u
Your video is helpful. Thank you for mentioning avoiding the artery. I've made that mistake before. How long is it safe to massage at one time? I've massaged too long before and caused inflammation.
A few days ago I found out why I've been sick for several years. It has gotten gradually worse until just a few months ago I began waking up just after drifting off with a feeling of suffocation. Lately, my arm started going numb and tingling at night and the suffocation sensation increased to several times before I'd finally fall asleep. Just yesterday, I figured out that tight scalenes have been pulling up on my rib cage and entrapping the artery and nerves in my neck when I lay down.
Oh wow, I've been having similar issues. Thanks for posting this because I always thought there was some kind of connection.
shit !
i just came from my PT, he did a tens session and a massage on the left scalenes for my thoracic outlet syndrome. came back home, my right side was unbalanced so i wanted some relief there, i just did that and it is even more released than my left side.
thanks a lot
glad it helped!
Tremendous relief , thanks a lot
Wow. Thank you so much for immediate relief .... and for teaching me how to do this
I've been having pain in my right collarbone everytime I do chest exercises like bench press or fly, especially if I push my chest out and adduct my arms to my midline.
Saw this and felt KNOTS all over my right scalene. Thanks a ton!
Same me...app ko thik hua kayse
Hi guys can you also feel scalene injury in chest/elbow and shoulder? I also get pain down my tricep into the hand which can feel tingly at times. Hopefully this massage helps!
Hi Wizard, found this video very helpful. I've had issues with my scalene muscle for about 5 months now, due to deadlifts (too heavy) I haven't worked out in 5 months because of this. I've been having numbness and tingling down both my arms. Very frustrating! I will be starting this trigger points regularly starting today. I sometimes get tingling sensation down the back of my neck more towards my right side in back. Could that be scalene's also? Also where are you located? I'm Desparate! Thank you!
+yvette giglio thanks for the question! Here are some things to note:
a. usually when you have bilateral numbness (both arms) it's more 'likely' that its the scalenes instead of the nerve root.
b. Scalene trigger points can refer to many different areas. Again, there are so many muscles in that area that it may be scalenes, or sternocleidomsatoid muscles, etc. Best thing is to type in 'scalene trigger point pattern' and you'll get some diagrams showing the scalene patterns. See if some of those match your own.
c. Be careful when you start with trigger points in the front of the neck. That's a pretty sensitive area so start off slowly!
I'm in Toronto Canada, but if you are looking for someone, I'd suggest looking for someone that has been specifically trained in treating trigger points. Mind you , EVERYONE will say they treat it. Chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists and even physicians treat trigger points. Some of us have been doing it a lot and some do it on occasion. I recommend typing in 'trigger point therapists' in your town and see if you can find some that solely treat these. Or a therapist that has taken courses and has their practice primarily dealing with trigger points. Hope that helps!
also, you can read more about trigger points for the neck at goo.gl/dCj26k
@@WizardofhealthNetResource n
IT ACTIVATE alll the sensation to shoulder and arm is much painfull
Sir I'm suffering from one sided neck prblm and in one sided brain please reply sir immidiatly
Yoga cobra pose helps and meditation.
jyoti kataria hi jyoti how does it feel?
Informative video. Can i refer you to a new directory for chiropractors to add your video? Can we also send you the link by email?
Thank you sir
I'm not sure if I'm doing this right. Trying to reach it way up to the end is a bit difficult not much there to grasp properly. Any info on how to get that part done correctly. Thanks for any advice
Hi Vivian, there are certain areas where the muscle is so thin that you cant reach up. If that's the case, switch from pinching with2 fingers to actually using the base of your thumb to 'strip' out the muscle at that point. Apply pressure with the base of your thumb.
I appreciate your quick reply. I'll definitely give it a try. Thanks so much,well appreciated!!
Very good thanks that sure helps
Would a tight upper trap restrict head rotation to the opposite side? all the tightness seems superior to the clavicle. Feels like my right upper trap feels very dense like poured cement. Contralateral rotation and lateral flexion of the neck is uncomfortable and it feels like the effected area is restricting the movement. If I shrug my right shoulder (scapular elevation) I have more range of motion esp. with rotation. It seems like it is too thick an area to be the levator scapulae. Couldn't really find any specific trigger points in the area. It feels more like the area was struck with the flat side of a 2 x 4 . The area doesn't seem to refer pain to the head, pain is below the ear lobes on the side/back of the neck. Any ideas?
Hi Cliff, those are great questions. Although I can't provide a medical diagnosis without examining you, here are a few things to consider:
1. Tightness does not usually mean there are trigger points. Sometimes the most relaxed feeling muscle can have the most painful trigger points, or the most stiff muscle can have none.
2. There are quite a few muscles in the neck area that provide rotation to the neck. Upper trapezius is mostly for neck extension (bilaterally). Scalenes can rotate the neck as well as some of the deeper neck muscles. The other issue with this area is that all the layers of muscles align in different directions, so one direction of a stretch may not necessarily be targeting the others. Here are 2 videos to watch regarding stretching, with the first one being on all the neck muscles and the second specifically for the scalenes:
ruclips.net/video/6FSxnd5ZC8Y/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/E5AJlLAmWxU/видео.html
See if any of these different stretch positions affects your muscle 'tightness'.
3. Treatment wise, we all jump right into stretching everytime we feel a muscle is tight. However, if that doesn't help, you may want to look at other areas. You may want to start strengthening the deep neck flexor muscles, stretch the chest muscles, shoulders, lats, etc. Maybe also strengthen the mid back.
4. For upper trapezius, I usually find that strengthening that muscle solves nearly 80% of issues, without even stretching. That may seem counter intuitive. However, most people strengthen the upper traps the wrong way. Everyone does shoulder shrugs with their arms down to the side. A better way to specifically target the upper trapezius without tightening the levator scapula is to raise your arms about 45 degrees and then do shoulder shrugs. That will isolate the upper trapezius without tightening the levator scapula.
Hope that helps. As I said, tightness doesn't always mean trigger points or even that your muscle needs to be 'stretched'. Start stretching your neck in multiple directions until you can actually find the right muscle, strengthen the upper trapezius teh right way and work on the surrounding muscles. This will take weeks so don't expect immediate results, but you'll get a good feel on whether what you're doing is working within about a week or two.
I've been lifting regularly for about 4 years and about 1 year ago the right side of my throat began hurting intermittently. Now, almost every time after a hard lift or a jog the right side of my throat hurts (upper right, an inch or two below my jaw) when I swallow, yawn, sneeze, blow my nose, sometimes even talking. Additionally, when I swallow, I can feel the pain extending to behind/above my right eye. The pain overall is not terrible but it's a serious nuisance and can be reasonably painful from time to time. I've tried to work on my breathing, and have done other various PT to no avail. I got got a scope down my throat and an ultrasound from a throat specialist and she essentially ruled out anything serious, and thinks it's some sort of muscular issue. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Hi I had the same issue. Physiotherapist used a hands on technique to sort it out
do you use dry needling on your tp;s? Knots? it is the only thing that releases mine.
hi Tara, I usually use a combination of acupuncture and manual trigger point there. However, that doesn't mean dry needling is not as good. Here are a few points to consider:
1. i know some therapists that get very good results with dry needling. I've taken some courses on dry needling but always refer out to someone that i think will do a better job than me. However, the skill of the therapist is crucial in getting the best results. If someone tells me that dry needling didn't work, I always tell them to try another therapist but not give up on it.
2. There's usually a progression of treatments. I like to keep things simple first. Maybe some work or lifestyle modification can help. Then I recommend home manual self treatments. Sometimes that's all that is needed. If that doesn't work, then i get more aggressive with treatments.I usually perform manual trigger points first and if that doesn't work, recommend dry needling.
Hope that helps and if dry needling is helpful for you, keep at it!
Really helpful
Thanks
How soon do you notice pain decrease from doing your own the scalene therapy?? Really curious because I'm suffering from bad vision problems and pain and pressure behind both ear. Nausea as well if that's even related. Thanks for any information
Hi Vivian, good question .Here's what you need to know:
If you are doing your scalene trigger points, it should be a good type of pain. You should be feeling as if you're actually relieving any discomfort. If you press in the area and it's pain intensity doesn't change, then stop. It may not be a trigger point and you should get it checked by a health professional.
Usually people will see immediate relief within several minutes. But that is a short term sort of relief. For long term relief, each person is different. It's really about being consisent with it. Doing it every day, or every other day to start is good. Some people target their trigger points once a day, while others may find working on them for 5 times a day works the best.
Some notice an improvement in pain over several days. Others however feel short term relief right away, but then get more sore over the next few days. They may take awhile longer than usual. They are also the ones that get the most frustrated because they aren't seeing the results they want.
As you can see, each person is different. However, the one constant is that you should be feeling some short term relief after a couple of minutes of trigger point self treatments. If you don't, and the pain does not change or gets worse, then see a qualified health professional. Hope that helps!
Good advice. And it makes a lot of sense. Definitely worth a try for sure. Thanks again
I tried this two days ago because I have trapezius and back pain. Now my left arm is extremely painful. There are some movements I can not do at all. I think it comes from the rotator cuff.
Should I try to solve this by applying more scalene massage? The scales are slightly painful themselves. I think I may have been too hard on them
I have found a trigger point (I think) in the infraspinatus which gives the same referred pain when pushed. So I'll try to release this. What do you think?
hi Laaa, trigger points are generally going to be less painful after you self massage them. If you have increased pain, you may have overdone it. I used to get a 'bruised' feeling when i first started doing them on myself. That's because even though it feels good when you are doing them, there's a tendency to want to keep pushing. If you find another spot like the infraspinatus, try that, but this time, go a bit more gentle. Press for a few seconds and see if the pain goes down. Then wait a few hours and try again. Working on them less is better than over doing it.
Also, if the arm pain does not get better, see your physician or other health care provider. Most of the time its a trigger point. Persistent pain can be something else, which should be addressed. Hope that helps!
p.s. Infraspinatus can refer pain to the arm also so it's good that you caught that one!
Thanks ! it helps alot
Thank you! God bless
Hi Dr Jasper,
Thank you for your videos.
Before I ask the main part of the question, just a bit of bkground.
I have left TMJ joint issue and often get tightness and pain on the rear sides of my neck. Also the left side of the muscle on the back of my head seems to be tight.
Here is the thing...Recently I have a tingling sensation at the Scalene muscle area and when I nod few times or put my chin down, a sensitive pain goes to the hollow recess just above the collar bone. My left shoulder also gets pain and feel kind of tight. Along with it the left upper chest muscles just below the collar bone get pain daily. I tried to shrug my left shoulder and sometimes there is a pop sound. Is the issue due to pressing on a wrong nerves on the scalene muscle? Can we apply pressure on the hollow recess and how long to press on the scalene muscle as it is pretty painful?
Thank you Doctor.
hi Russell, thanks for the question .Although I can't diagnose you unless i actually examine you, here's a few things to note:
1. Most of the pain you describe appears to be caused from trigger points. They can come from the scalenes, or even the posterior shoulder muscles such as the infraspinatus. Most important thing to always do is rule out the more serious stuff like a nerve problem. Although trigger points are often overlooked as the cause, it's always best to rule out the worst things first. A visit to a good health professional can help with this.
2. In order to know how long to hold a trigger point, check out my article as a beginner's guide to treating trigger points:
wizardofhealth.net/muscle-pain/trigger-point/
3. Here are some links that may be helpful to see the exact pain patterns for the scalenes and infraspinatus:
Scalenes:
www.gustrength.com/muscles:scalene-muscles-location-actions-trigger-points
The article is also good but the diagrams are really useful.
Infraspinatus: www.cascadewellnessclinic.com/articles/2002art/0202art.shtml
4. Yes you can apply pressure at the hollow recess. The key thing to remember is that trigger points will ease up in pain after you press for a few seconds (ex. 30 to 60 seconds). A nerve problem will only increase in pain and not be releived by pressure.
Wizard of Health
Thank you Doctor for taking the time to write. The Scalene on my left side( located just next door to the rear of SCM is like a sensitive pain. Does it means trigger points at this region causes the shoulder to have pain and stiffnesd along with the upper chest muscle pain? They are linked?
Also how to avoid pressing on a nerve instead of a trigger point? If I am right nerves are located deep inside the spine or does it mean, places like Scalene and the hollow recess which is sensitive can have nerves that is not deeply embeded?
In any case, if we do press on a nerve, does it cause more issues?
Sonetimes after massage, pressing on triggers points/ or using a tennis ball on some painful back areas, I feel a bit giddy n tight. Is that common?
I am writing from Singapore and thereby not able to make an appointment to consult you in person.
Thank you on advance.