3 Potential Causes of Severe Back and Shoulder Pain

 3 Potential Causes of Severe Back and Shoulder Pain

Are you suffering from severe back and shoulder pain? Are you also having stiffness in your neck and shoulders? This could be caused by a number of different issues, including muscle spasms, arthritis, or pinched nerves. You should see your doctor to determine the cause of your pain and seek treatment if necessary. In the meantime, here are three potential causes that may have you feeling better soon. [...]

1) Poor Posture

The most common cause for this type of pain is poor posture. If your shoulders are hunched over, or if you have a tendency to slouch, then it's likely that you're putting too much pressure on your back and neck. You should try to sit up straight at all times, but the worst posture offenders are driving, eating, working on the computer, and watching TV.

2) Muscle Imbalance

One potential cause of severe back and shoulder pain is muscle imbalance. When you spend the majority of your day sitting or slouched over, the muscles in your back, neck, and shoulders can become tight from lack of use. This can lead to a variety of problems including pain, discomfort, weakness, tension headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, tingling sensations in the arms and hands, numbness in arms or legs.

3) Trigger Points

Trigger points can cause pain in various areas. They are knots, or tight spots, in the muscle that are the result of inflammation or injury. Trigger points can cause severe back and shoulder pain as well as stiffness in the neck and shoulders (not spasms). The pain from a trigger point may come on gradually or suddenly, but it is usually constant.