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What Causes Stiffness Of Muscles?

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Posted on Thu, 25 Sep 2014
Question: recently feel left side of my neck and shoulder are out of sorts.It seems stiff on that side of my neck.Tonight i noticed a prominent stiffness on left that is not on right. I have included two photos. Can you advise as to what it is on left aide that appears so prominent in pic?
doctor
Answered by Dr. T Chandrakant (31 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Muscle prominence.

Detailed Answer:
Hi.
This looks to be prominent sterno-cleidomastoid and other muscle which has made the left side out of a sort.
This can be due to edema of the muscles itself or due to to swelling of the underlying nodes.
Ultrasonography can detect the root cause.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. T Chandrakant (8 hours later)
Should the muscles on each side be symmetrical or no? If no, which side is "right"? I have been working out for the last six months or so and do have some nerve damage (from birth) in my left arm and this may account for some inappropriate range of motion during my workout. Is this at all related to the carotid artery or jugular vein? I am just surprised that the muscle is so pronounced and hard on the left but not hard or pronounced on the right.
doctor
Answered by Dr. T Chandrakant (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Compensatory Hypertrophy.

Detailed Answer:
You are absolutely right.
Muscles are usually symmetrical.
Left arm weakness can certainly cause this '' compensatory '' hypertrophy of the said muscles.
This is usually not related to carotid artery or jugular vein.
Compensatory hypertrophy is nature's gift to have better movements.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. T Chandrakant (11 hours later)
Following up on this, i tried to get bettet pics. When turning my head to the right, you can see two very pronounced protrusions. I assume that the one that runs from the back of my left ear to my sternum is the SCM. However i do not know what the other protrusion is that seems to travel straight down from the back of my left ear. It seems very hard almost like cartilage. I assume it is another muscle. I also am curious why they are so different as the left side is so pronounced and the right appears neglible. I have been working out like i said for about eight months to get in better shape but my left arm has nerve damage from birth and i wonder of this could be the cause. Ironically, i have not worked out much over the past two weels and my left side and neck range of motion feels unusual and stiff and wobbly .
doctor
Answered by Dr. T Chandrakant (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
repetitive stress and compensatory hypertrophy

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for the better pictures.
You got it right - the foremost is SCM; the one behind it is scalene muscle and the one in the first / previously posted pictures is trapezius muscle.

The feeling of harness like a cartilage is due to the muscles going into spam due to chronic repetitive stress syndrome. All the muscles on this side will be affected. This is why you are feeling unusual, stiff and wobbly. You already have a weakness of the same side of the arm as you have explained, causing the compensatory hypertrophy.
Physiotherapist can help you a lot.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. T Chandrakant

General Surgeon

Practicing since :1984

Answered : 19777 Questions

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What Causes Stiffness Of Muscles?

Brief Answer: Muscle prominence. Detailed Answer: Hi. This looks to be prominent sterno-cleidomastoid and other muscle which has made the left side out of a sort. This can be due to edema of the muscles itself or due to to swelling of the underlying nodes. Ultrasonography can detect the root cause.