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Suggest Treatment For Severe Pain In The Shoulder Blades After A Whiplash Accident
Question: For the last three years I've been trying to recover from a whiplash accident. I am also a hairstylist so my shoulder muscles are sore and jacked up anyway but has seem to have gotten worse since the accident. The other day I noticed a dent in my upper shoulder blade with the appearance of a scar in the center (but I don't remember injuring my shoulder to get a scar). Day two I'm feeling a stabbing sharp pain in that area. Is this so etching I should worry about?
Brief Answer:
Trapezius tendinitis seems to be the cause
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX
Thanks for posting the query.
Being a hairstylist,your shoulder blade muscles are expected to be weak and hypotonic,unless you do specific exercises for strengthening them.
Whiplash injuries tend to affect the nerves that are meant to supply the affected muscles. This in turn also affect the efficiency and functioning of the muscles.
The dent that you have mentioned about can occur due to a painful muscle spasm affecting any muscle in the shoulder blade area.
Deltoid,trapezius,latissimus dorsi and sternocleidomastoid muscle are the major muscles located in this region. Painful spasm of any of this muscle can cause the dent. Scar ,as you said,is not expected unless you injure the area.
Other possibility is of a painful skin lesion that can cause scar as well as pain.
Rarely,a pinched nerve in the neck due to a slipped disc during whiplash injury,can cause such stabbing sharp pain.
It would have been better if you could post a photograph of the affected region so that i could have come to a pin point diagnosis immediately. Just see if it is possible for you.
Try not to overstress the shoulder blade muscles. Give a break for atleast 10 minutes per hour while you are working.
Avoid taking pillow below you head while sleeping.
Take anti inflammatory muscle relaxant tablets for 3 days.
Apply local gel over the concerned area.
I dont think it should bother you much and you should be fine soon.
After the pain has subsided,you can start with shoulder and neck exercises to strengthen the muscles so that you need not get such painful episodes again.
Get back to me if you have any concerned queries.
Take care.
Kind regards.
Trapezius tendinitis seems to be the cause
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX
Thanks for posting the query.
Being a hairstylist,your shoulder blade muscles are expected to be weak and hypotonic,unless you do specific exercises for strengthening them.
Whiplash injuries tend to affect the nerves that are meant to supply the affected muscles. This in turn also affect the efficiency and functioning of the muscles.
The dent that you have mentioned about can occur due to a painful muscle spasm affecting any muscle in the shoulder blade area.
Deltoid,trapezius,latissimus dorsi and sternocleidomastoid muscle are the major muscles located in this region. Painful spasm of any of this muscle can cause the dent. Scar ,as you said,is not expected unless you injure the area.
Other possibility is of a painful skin lesion that can cause scar as well as pain.
Rarely,a pinched nerve in the neck due to a slipped disc during whiplash injury,can cause such stabbing sharp pain.
It would have been better if you could post a photograph of the affected region so that i could have come to a pin point diagnosis immediately. Just see if it is possible for you.
Try not to overstress the shoulder blade muscles. Give a break for atleast 10 minutes per hour while you are working.
Avoid taking pillow below you head while sleeping.
Take anti inflammatory muscle relaxant tablets for 3 days.
Apply local gel over the concerned area.
I dont think it should bother you much and you should be fine soon.
After the pain has subsided,you can start with shoulder and neck exercises to strengthen the muscles so that you need not get such painful episodes again.
Get back to me if you have any concerned queries.
Take care.
Kind regards.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Answered by
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