Question
Hello, Dr Leatherman. I am 25 years old female. I've been having acute pain between my spine and right shoulder blade for three days now. It doesn't hurt much when I wake up in the morning, but by the evening, it starts hurting badly. My right side of neck and upper shoulder have been tense as well. I've always had problems with my tense shoulders causing headache, but I have never had this kind of pain by my right shoulder blade. I am not sure if this is related, but I started kickboxing a few months ago. Should I go see a chiropractor? Please let me know. Thank you.

Answer
Dear Sharon,

I would absolutely suggest that you should go see a chiropractor.  We deal with issues such as you have described all the time...musculoskeletal injuries are a main focus in our educational curriculums, and many chiropractors attain post-dcotoral certifications in sports injury as well.

A functional examination of the upper back and neck should be sufficient to determine the cause of the problem, but I would recommend that you try to find a chiropractor who has massage therapists on staff, or who has some advanced training in myofascial release techniques as well.  This is because you most likely have dysfunction in the myofascial system, and it will need to be addressed with aggressive deep tissue work as well as spinal adjustments.

You should be able to see an appreciable improvement such as reduced pain levels and increased function in 4-6 visits, but may also require some functional stabilization training for the scapula or upper back as well.  Make the appointment though.

Good luck Sharon.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net