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How To Get Rid Of Muscle Knots In Your Neck, Traps, And Back
- chelsie462
- Sep 2
- 9 min read
This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in July 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/rngJdCU1h58
Mike: Do you struggle with muscle knots in your neck, your upper traps, or even your upper back region?
Brad: Well, today we're going to give you three different options on how to treat this and get rid of these problems for good. For a brief explanation on why these knots and pains develop as a result of the scapula on the painful side actually being depressed and going down. It's typically on the dominant side. If you're right-handed, that's the side that will develop most of these knots. Now, Rick Olderman actually figured this out. He's a physical therapist who developed a system on how to treat this, which has worked very well. Let's go to the skeleton to show a really good model of the scapula here, actually being depressed. This would be the normal position, so they're about even, but it drops down.
Normal Position Depressed Scapula
Brad: Now, the key to this and why you develop those muscle knots is because the upper traps and the mid traps actually connect. The muscles from the cervical spine to the traps actually get stretched out. And don't forget, what is the one located at the back and side of your neck, that one thin muscle that creates problems?
Mike: It's the levator scapula.
Brad: Right. It connects from the skull down to the scapula. That can cause headaches, and it really is a key muscle that causes pain, so what we need to do is get the scapula back in the position that takes stress off of those muscles, allows them to relax, voila, your pain is gone. Now we're going to show you how to do that. All right, now the first stretch that we're going to do is quite simple, but the whole goal is actually to stretch the muscles of the lower trap, or below the scapula, so that there's enough range of motion, so the scapula can move up, because the lower trap as well as the levator scapula, the primary two muscles that pull it down, they need to get stretched, they are tight. They will stretch out relatively easily, allowing that upward motion to occur. So, stretch number one, we're going to use a door. There is another option. Go ahead, Mike.
Mike: Yeah, we'll show a few options because some people aren't that tall and can't reach up here. So the first one, you're going to need a door frame. You can also use a pull-up bar if you happen to have one at home. So what you're going to do is take the side that is bothering you more, that shoulder. You're going to face your palm away from you, try to grab the top of the door frame, and then you're going to lean into it. Now this is the same exact thing you do with a pull-up bar. Obviously, if you have one against the wall units, you're not going to be able to go as far in. You're going to hold this for roughly three breaths, if you're more of a seconds person, 15 to 30 seconds, and then relax.
Mike: Now, when you do this, if you want to get a little more stretch and pull with it, as you go in, slightly bend your knees and hang more. You'll feel more of a stretching motion going on.
Mike: It's also good to do this on both sides just to compare and see if the other side feels better or looser. So, again, same concept. And just stretch it out, see if you notice a difference.
Brad: There you go. Now, if you're too short or you're having a hard time grabbing onto the woodwork, or the woodwork literally falls off the door because it's not connected well, you can simply take, like, a mop, a PVC stick, or a Booyah Stik. You may put it on a counter or on a table. If it slips around, simply take a shoe, put it on there because you don't want it slipping around, and you do the same thing. Instead of grabbing the trim of the door, you grab the stick, and you do the same thing. Reach up as high as you can, grip up there so you don't slip there, we don't want the hand slipping down, and lean, and you'll get the same stretch. You can move your feet, adjust. Whoa, there we go, and I can feel a stretch here all the way down to my belt line. And, again, hold it. How long again, Mike?
Mike: Three breaths or 30 seconds,
Brad: Three breaths, 30 seconds, and do that, repeat it, and, again, like Mike said, do the other side. Then we get those lower muscles stretched out. Let's see what number two, the second exercise in the system, does. All right, now this is the final exercise, and what we need to do is stretch the muscles out here that pull the scapula down. Now we need to strengthen the muscles up here so that the scapula becomes positioned properly, which allows the muscles to relax as well.
Brad: The mechanics of this joint, the shoulder joint, we call it the GH joint, that joint will work more freely, allowing a better range of motion and less pain as well. Mike, you know this stretch better than I do. Go ahead. I'll take a break.
Mike: So you're going to need an open wall space. You can also use a smooth door if it's obviously closed. You're going to start with the painful arm again. You're going to touch the wall with your pinky, touching all the way to your elbow. Start with your shoulder joint a little bit lower, so lower than 90 degrees. You're going to start sliding up the wall. As I'm going up, I'm thinking about shrugging my shoulder to help me go up. If you're in pain anywhere, just stop. Try to go up as high as you comfortably can. You're going to hold here again for roughly two to three breaths. Relax, come back down, maintaining contact with the wall the entire time. You're going to want to do at least five repetitions of these on one side, and then you can switch to the other side to see if you notice a difference when you're going up or down.
Mike: Eventually, over time, as they start evening out and you like the stretch, I personally do these with both hands on the wall, but it's not necessary.
Brad: So one thing I want to emphasize that Mike did very nicely is go up once, and when I do these, when I get to about 90 degrees, I think about that shoulder blade actually moving up. That contracts these muscles to strengthen them. And then it's really important, as Mike said, hold it there. You're gonna do that three breaths, so you're going to stay relaxed while you're doing it. These muscles are going to get stronger and shorten up, pulling that scapula up. And just remember, Mike is not pushing his hand or arm into the wall. It's lightly touching, just very gently. How are you doing, Mike?
Mike: I'm doing great.
Brad: Good. Excellent. Good job on that explanation. We want to get that shoulder blade up. Now we do have one more, actually, a postural thing you can do in the seated position that can really help get rid of this pain quickly, and this is one that Bob found extremely healthy. We're going to get to it in 0.3 seconds.
Mike: You mean helpful?
Brad: What did I say?
Mike: Healthy. It's both.
Brad: All right. Now one part of the problem that can be a big part of the problem or causing that pain to continue is when you're working at a computer workstation or at a table and which really most people do for a certain part of their day, some do it for a long part, but when the arms are hanging down by the side, pulling that scapular down, over time that can create irritation to those muscles. That pain, the knots, all start to occur, and it's not fun. You're uncomfortable doing this type of thing. So what we need to do is rest the weight of the arms, which is pulling that scapula down, on some kind of surface. Now, if you have a computer workstation, desk, or chair like this, you may be able to just adjust those up and down.
Brad: Some people have that, and they're not aware of it. If you have a chair like this, what you can do for a good option, and this is what Rick Olderman suggested to Bob, Bob did it and he was grateful, his pain went away greatly immediately, is take a pillow, fold it in half, kind of wedge it between your body and the armrest, we'll do that on both sides, and, voila, we have a computer workstation chair. Put your forearms on there, and I can already feel the difference.
Brad: It just feels like my shoulders are floating versus hanging, and then you have your keyboard to work with. There you go. Now, if this works well for you, you're probably not going to want to do this long term. It's probably worth getting a chair that has appropriate adjustable armrests. Mike, why don't you give a good demonstration, and I mean a good demonstration?
Mike: You could tell the big difference if I have this all the way down versus up, you can see my shoulder is probably depressed. I can't see in a mirror right now, but it's probably down a lot. Now, this might be a bit extreme. I may not need to go this high, but if you're having a lot of pain, sometimes getting it as high as you can is going to help relieve that pain or those muscle knots you're experiencing. If you, say, have a recliner or couch, I would definitely suggest using the pillows like Brad was doing earlier because, again, you can get in those depressed shoulder positions, putting a lot of strain on those regions, causing those knots and tenderness. So just get it up, good position, make sure you have good posture, and stick with it.
Brad: Right. That good posture is obviously a big part of this. The armrests really accentuate and help that out. And, very good, I'm hoping that we made sense to everyone. It's a very nice whole system that Rick has figured out, and we got another video?
Mike: If you want to check out more videos on how to help with muscle knots in the same region, check out the video, "How to Get Rid of Muscle Knots in Traps, Shoulder & Back in 90 seconds." This one actually has more treatment options, specifically strain/counterstrain, I believe.
Brad: Exactly right. A 90-second system, which has also been around for a long time and has been researched. It works very well. It's a little more difficult than this, but once you get the hang of it, it does work. Go ahead, watch that, enjoy it. And, I don't know, what do you say, Mike? Should we go to work or go home?
Mike: Go home.
Brad: There you go. Thank you, and enjoy the day.
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