AboutJulie Donnelly, LMT Expertise I can accept questions that relate to chronic or acute pain caused by muscle spasms and contractions. Repetitive Strain Injury is actually Cumulative Trauma to muscles. Releasing the spasm &/or contraction will relieve the strain that is felt at the insertion point on the bone.
Experience
Past/Present clients Privacy prevents me from filling in this section without prior consent from my clients.
Life Experience: I began to get interested in the treatment of muscle spasms and contractions while I lived in Honolulu, HI. A sailing friend had severe pain following raceing each week. He would lie on the grass, bearly able to breathe from the pain in his back. I would rub his back, feeling "bumps" that I would "smooth out", and his pain would completely go away. This intrigued me, until I eventually went to school to learn how to be a Massage Therapist. I went to work on a cruise ship and had the experience of working on approximately 3000 people in one year - a great opportunity to really feel muscle spasms and contractions! I concentrated on thoroughtly learning one muscle every day, locating it on each client, and feeling "what hurts & what doesn't hurt". A six month stay in St. Thomas, USVI, was beneficial because I worked with an Osteopath who taught me excellent release techniques that I still use. Next I moved to Hawaii and worked in a clinic that only treated chronic pain patients. It was in Hawaii that I wrote my first book "Massage Therapy Healing Techniques Workbook". It was written for massage therapists and was a compilation of treatments for very specific painful conditions. The book was revised in 1996 and a companion video was added at that time. In 1995 I suffered with Frozen Shoulder - an incredibly painful condition. I was told I'd never be able to regain full range-of-motion in my shoulder. I did deep muscle therapy on myself, while a friend work where I couldn't reach. The condition healed 100%. In 1997 I developed carpal tunnel syndrome that put me out of business. Surgery was recommended, I refused because of my awareness that scar tissue from the surgery could be more detrimental than carpal tunnel syndrome. Using the knowledge I had gained through the years, especially what I had learned through the Frozen Shoulder episode, enabled me to work out what was REALLY causing the carpal tunnel condition. I worked each affected muscle, and eventually regained 100% use of my hand, completely pain free. I quickly began to treat my clients using this new knowledge, and soon afterward began teaching them how to do the self-treatment techniques. It worked everytime, except a person had already had surgery! I began clinical trials at a medical facility, where I still teach the techniques with incredible success. In 1999 Zev Cohen, MD, who was working with me developing the carpal tunnel treatment, joined me in the business. We wanted to bring this effective technique to the world, not limited to only our town.
In 2000 I published my second book "How To Be Pain-less...A Beginner's Guide To The Self Treatment of Muscle Spasms". In this book, using 114 photographs, I show how to self-treat muscles throughout the body. In the summer of 2000, Dr. Cohen and I produced an instructional video teaching the carpal tunnel self treatment, and in March 2001 we opened a web site (www.aboutcts.com) to teach people about the muscular component of carpal tunnel syndrome, and to share the self-treatment system with the public.
About 9 years ago I had a whiplash injury from a surfing incident on a surfing beach. Since then I have had chronic and recurring pain in my neck and shoulder. I have consulted osteopaths, chiropractors, had massage and even acupuncture. Nothing has had any long term effect.
The symptoms are difficulty turning my head, particularly to the right. As I turn my head to the right, I experience pain underneath my right shoulder blade. My symptoms are currently worse due to working out in the gym. I have full mobility in my arm and shoulder and do everything normally, apart from turn my head. I have read so many things on the net about muscle strain, muscle tears, nerve problems and the like, that I really don't know what condition(s) I have but I am sure it is muscle related and not structural (skeletal). I'm afraid that the condition is not helped by my job which involves excessive use of computers and laptops, so the failure for my injury to heal may be partly also caused by repetitative strain injury and bad posture.
Can you offer any advice please? Is it safe to continue working out in the gym or should I rest my arm and shoulder and, if so, for how long? Will my condition improve by taking any form of medication (Ibuprofen?) or muscle enhancing supplement (creatine?)? Is it likely to be something that requires surgery and should I perhaps return to my doctor?
I very much look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your advice...
Jonathan
Answer Hi Jonathan,
A muscle can be strained, causing a spasm to form, and it can stay that way for 50+ years if the spasm isn't released. The odds are very high that the muscle you strained is called the scalenes. The scalenes are located along the front of your neck, on either side of the cervical vertebrae. If you go to http://www.aboutcts.com you can see graphics of the scalenes by going to the section titled "Anatomy Lessons."
When the scalenes are tight they will press down on the brachial plexus, a bundle of nerves that innervate your entire upper body. The scalenes will refer pain to underneath the shoulder blade and into your arm pit, as well as a lot of other places along your arm and into your hand. You'll see when you take a look at the website.
The other muscle that is likely to be involved is called sternocleidomastoid (SCM for short). The SCM originates on the front/center of your collarbone and inserts into the base of the bone that is behind your ear. When the left SCM contracts you turn your head to the right, and when the right SCM contracts you turn your head to the left. I would suspect that you'll find spasms in your left SCM. Plus, the muscles that are along the back of your neck, from your skull to your upper back (going right along the side of your spine, on both sides) are probably also shortened by a contraction. They need to stretch when you turn your head, and if they don't stretch, you don't turn your head. In this case the left side is probably contracted, preventing you from turning your head to the right.
I've worked with thousands of people who have various neck problems, and I'm happy to say that the odds are really good that you can learn how to self-treat all of these muscles. If you go to http://www.julstro.com you can read about repetitive strain injuries. Pay special attention to the sections titled "Muscles and Pain" and "What's Happening Exactly." As you learn more about what is happening, you'll have a better understanding of why it's best for you to learn how to self-treat rather than going to a therapist. You can do it to yourself several times a day, instead of just getting the muscles treated on a weekly (or less) basis.
I don't believe in taking medications for the pain because they aren't taking care of the source of the problem, they are just covering up the pain. It's like using Ambesol on a toothache. The pain is gone but the tooth still has a cavity. You need to find and treat the source of your problem, not cover it up.
In any case, I believe you can get relief. It just takes time and some focused attention. I've seen so many people be successful, I'm certain that you can be successful too.
