4 Ways to Heal a Pulled Trapezius Muscle

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-19 22:11

The trapezius muscle is a triangular band of muscle tissue located at the back on either side of your neck. This muscle runs from the back of your neck and along your spine, all the way to the base of your ribs. The trapezius muscle (also known as the trap muscle) can be pulled for a variety of reasons, from a car accident to colliding with an opposing player. If you feel your trap muscles have pulled, read Step 1 below to be sure.

Step

Method 1 of 4: Recognizing the Early Signs of a Pulled Trapezius Muscle

Step 1. Pay attention to any difficulties you have with moving your head or shoulders

The job of the trapezius muscle is to support the head. When you injure the trapezius muscle by pulling it, it will have a hard time doing its job. Therefore, you may find that, unusually, you have difficulty moving your head, neck, and shoulders.

Step 2. Watch for loss of strength in one or both arms

In addition to being a worker that keeps your head up, the trapezius muscle is also connected to the arm. If the trapezius muscle is injured, one or both of your arms may become weak, as if there was nothing to support your arm (or both arms).

Step 3. Watch for any muscle spasms or stiffness that you feel

If the muscle fibers in the trapezius muscle are pulled too far, or are torn, the muscle fibers also contract at the same time and become tight. If this happens, there will be some kind of blockage that prevents enough blood from getting to the area.

This blood deficiency condition can cause your muscles to spasm (which will feel as if your muscles are twitching under your skin) or stiffen (which will feel like your muscles are turning hard)

Step 4. Watch for neck and shoulder pain

As described above, when the muscle fibers in the trapezius muscle constrict, blood flow to the area is blocked, which also means the area gets less oxygen. Oxygen helps break down lactic acid, so when there isn't enough oxygen, it builds up and causes pain.

This pain can be described as sharp, stinging, or feeling like a knot in your muscles

Step 5. Notice the tingling sensation you feel in your arm

In addition to muscle spasms and pain caused by insufficient blood flow, the lack of blood in the area also causes the tingling sensation you will most likely feel in your arm. This occurs because the muscle fibers in the area constrict.

Method 2 of 4: Recognizing the Advanced Signs of a Pulled Trapezius Muscle

Step 1. Monitor the fatigue you feel

Depending on your pain tolerance, you may feel more tired or less tired than other people with the same injury. This is because when your body is in pain, your mind is overworked trying to figure out how to control the pain. This can leave you feeling very tired and feeling as if you have very little energy.

A person with a high pain tolerance may feel they have a normal amount of energy, but this does not mean they are not as injured as someone who feels very tired

Step 2. Know that a pulled trapezius muscle can reduce your ability to concentrate

Like feeling very tired, pain can also affect your ability to concentrate. While pain doesn't actually weaken your ability to concentrate, your mind may be so busy dealing with pain that you feel psychologically that you can't focus on anything.

Even when you're trying to focus on something, the pain you're experiencing can distract you. This is similar to what happens when someone tells you not to think about elephants and then all you can think about is elephants

Step 3. Watch out if you can't sleep

The pain you feel from a pulled trapezius can keep you up all night. In this case, it's not your brain trying to make you forget the pain, but the pain itself that keeps you awake.

You may find that every time you turn around, you feel a sharp pain in your back or head

Step 4. Watch for a headache you feel at the back of your head

The trapezius muscles are connected to the muscles of the neck and the dura mater (thin tissue that is sensitive to pain and lines the brain). Any damage to the trapezius muscle can cause a headache because the pain is easily felt by the dura mater and the brain can interpret the pain easily.

Method 3 of 4: Healing the Trapezius Muscle

Step 1. Practice the PRICE therapy technique

This is one of the best ways to heal the trapezius muscle. PRICE therapy is actually a series of things you have to do. The following steps will detail each part of therapy, including:

• Protect - Protect.

  

• Rest - Rest.

  

• Immobilization - Not moving.

  

• Compress - Compress.

  

• Elevate - Lift.

Step 2. Protect - Protect trapezius muscle. If your trapezius muscle is injured more than it used to be, it could suffer a much more serious injury, such as a tear. To prevent this from happening, you need to protect your pulled muscles. To protect your muscles, avoid the following:

• Heat: Avoid hot baths, hot compresses, saunas, or other hot environments because heat causes the blood vessels to dilate (dilate), increasing the risk of bleeding, as more blood will flow in the dilated blood vessels.

  

• Movement: Moving the injured area too much can make the injury worse.

  

• Massage: Pressure on the injured area can make the injury worse.

  

Step 3. Rest - Rest. Allow the drawn trapezius muscle to get plenty of rest. You should avoid any activity that could cause further injury to your pulled muscle for at least 24 to 72 hours. Even though the pain you're feeling may be preventing you from overdoing it, there's no harm in warning again about this. Rest helps promote the healing process without causing further damage to your injured muscle.

Step 4. Immobilize - Don't move your trapezius muscle. As explained above, it's generally best to rest your muscles when they are injured. Usually, an injured muscle, such as a calf muscle, can be bandaged and supported with a splint to keep the muscle from moving. The trapezius muscle is a little more difficult to bandage. In fact, you usually won't bandage your trap muscles, but your doctor may recommend that you wear a padded neck brace to keep your neck immobile and your trap from further injury.

Step 5. Compress - Compress your trapezius muscle with ice.

Place an ice pack or ice pack on your neck and shoulders to keep the swelling and pain to a minimum. The ice will stimulate the flow of lymph fluid, which brings essential nutrients to the damaged tissues around the wound. Lymph fluid also removes waste materials from cells and body tissues which is an important function during the process of tissue regeneration.

• You should place an ice pack or ice pack on your trapezius muscle for 20 minutes at a time. Wait two hours and then put the ice pack back on your trapezius muscle.

  

• You should repeat this process four to five times each day for the first few days (24 to 72 hours) after your muscle injury.

  

Step 6. Elevate - Lift your muscles.

Make sure that the injured area is always raised. In trapezius muscle injuries, you should keep your back and shoulders slightly elevated while you sleep. Try placing a few pillows underneath so that you're lying at a 30 to 45 degree angle. This promotes good blood circulation to the injured area and speeds up the healing process.

Step 7. Take painkillers

Painkillers work by blocking and blocking pain signals going to the brain. If pain signals do not reach the brain, pain cannot be interpreted and cannot be felt. Painkillers are divided into:

• Simple painkillers: These medications can be purchased without a prescription at pharmacies. Examples of this type of drug: paracetamol.

  

• Stronger pain medications: These are taken when the pain cannot be relieved by over-the-counter pain medications. These medications can only be prescribed by a doctor. Examples of this type of drug: Codeine and Tramadol.

  

Step 8. Try NSAIDs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) work by blocking certain chemicals in the body that cause your pulled muscles to become inflamed. However, NSAIDs should not be taken in the first 48 hours because they can slow down the healing process. In the first 48 hours, inflammation is one of your body's ways of dealing with injury.

Examples of this type of drug: Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Aspirin

Method 4 of 4: Strengthening the Trapezius Muscle

Step 1. Ask a physical therapist for help

To help strengthen the upper trapezius muscle and maintain optimal function, you may be referred to a physical therapist. Specific exercises help prevent pain in the upper trapezius. The following exercises can be performed 15 to 20 times every hour throughout the day.

• Wrinkle the shoulder blades. You will be instructed to move your shoulders back in a circular motion, and then contract your shoulder blades back.

  

• Shrug. This is done by lifting both shoulders up until they reach the ears and then lowering them back down.

  

• Twist the neck. Turn your head to the right first, and then repeat in the opposite direction.

  

Step 2. Strengthen the trapezius muscle with home exercises once it has healed

Once your trapezius muscle feels like it's back to normal, you should start doing some light exercises to make sure it doesn't hurt again. There are several exercises you can do to strengthen your trap muscles. You should again consult a physical therapist or muscle specialist before performing these exercises if you are not sure whether your muscles have fully healed or not.

• Try doing a shoulder touch. Stand straight with your shoulders relaxed. Slowly, look forward, then move your head so that your ears move toward your shoulders. Your ear should be as close to your shoulder as possible without your muscles hurting or feeling as though you are forcing the muscles to stretch. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then do the same on the other side of your body.

  

• Try doing chest touches. Stand straight with your shoulders relaxed. Slowly lower your head so that your chin moves toward your chest. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed as you do this. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Do this exercise two or three times a day.

  

Step 3. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about surgery if this injury persists

If the trap muscle is severely stretched or torn, you may need surgery, especially if it doesn't seem to be getting stronger, even if you've tried to strengthen it with exercises. However, this is considered only if all other means have failed. Surgery repairs and reconnects the damaged trapezius muscle tissue to help the muscle return to normal function.

Tips

Acupressure and/or acupuncture performed by a licensed professional can be an alternative to relieve pain from a pulled trapezius muscle