The infraspinatus muscle is one of the muscles that makes up the rotator cuff. It originates on the infraspinous fossa of the scapula, and inserts on the middle facet of the greater tubercle of the humerus. It functions to externally rotate the humerus and to stabilize the head of the humerus in the glenoid cavity during upward movement of the arm. Trigger points in this muscle refer pain deep into the anterior shoulder joint and down the anterior arm. Trigger points near the lower medial border refer pain into the rhomboids. This muscle is often injured during throwing motions.
Wellness
Exercise Tip Of The Month
Women are often afraid to lift weights for fear they will look too “bulky”, but actually
that’s not what happens.
Women can and should do weight lifting exercises if they want to shed body fat and achieve a toned physique. Strength training 30 to 40 minutes twice a week for 4 months, could increase an average woman’s resting metabolism by 100 calories a day, meaning you’ll be burning calories even when you’re not exercising.
Trigger points in the triceps muscle.
The tricep muscle is named for its three heads long, medial, and lateral. The long head originates on the infraglenoid tubercle, the medial head on the posterior humerus, and the lateral head on the posterior humerus as well. They join together to insert on the Olecranon process of the ulna. The triceps function to extend the elbow. Strong extension under resistance can cause trigger points to form. Pain referred from triceps trigger points can be felt in the posterior shoulder and down the posterior forearm, as well as in in the olecranon process and the lateral epicondyle which can cause “tennis elbow” pain.
Work Station Ergonomics Advice
When dealing with Upper Crossed Syndrome the ergonomics of your workstation should be at the from of mind. Some workstation ergonomics advice is as follows:
✓ Maintain proper body position and alignment while sitting at your desk – Hips, knees and elbows at 90 degrees, shoulders relaxed, feet flat on floor or footrest.
✓ Wrists should not be bent while at the keyboard. Forearms and wrists should not be leaning on a hard edge.
✓ Use audio equipment that keeps you from bending your neck (i.e., Bluetooth, speakerphones, headsets).
✓ Monitors should be visible without leaning or straining and the top line of type should be 15 degrees below eye level.
✓ Use a lumber roll for lower back support.
✓ Avoid sitting on anything that would create an imbalance or uneven pressure (like your wallet).
✓ Take a 10-second break every 20 minutes: Micro activities include: standing, walking, or moving your head in a “plus sign” fashion.
✓ Periodically, perform the “Brugger relief position” -Position your body at the chair’s edge, feet pointed outward. Weight should be on your legs and your abdomen should be relaxed. Tilt your pelvis forward, lift your sternum, arch your back, drop your arms, and roll out your palms while squeezing your shoulders together. Take a few deep cleansing breaths.
Addressing these areas will help reduce your symptoms, make your care more effective and the duration of pain decrease. If you need help with ergonomics or want more information, please contact us at info@aberdeenchiropratcic.com
Some Sleep Habit Tips
Researchers recommend sleeping for 7-9 hours per night. Even small deficits can pose problems like decreased athleticism, diminished brain function, increased inflammation and a greater likelihood to get sick- sleeping only 6 hours per night makes you four times more likely to catch a cold when compared to sleeping 7 or more hours. Follow these additional tips for better sleep:
✓ Limit screen time before retiring- the blue light emitted from computer monitors, phones and TV’s can limit melatonin production and adversely affect sleep. Try reading from a book or magazine instead.
✓ Ideally, eat your last meal 3-4 hours before bedtime and especially limit heavy, spicy or high-fat foods. Ration how much you drink before bedtime to minimize bathroom breaks. Particularly limit caffeine in the afternoon and evening- caffeine has a half-life of 6-9 hours and can keep you awake long after the last sip.
✓ Stick to a sleep schedule, trying to retire and arise at the same time each day, including weekends.
✓ Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillow. Choose 100% cotton sleep clothes and sheets over synthetic materials (i.e. polyester). Some research has suggested that your “deep” REM sleep improves when your mattress is oriented so that your body is aligned North and South as opposed to East and West.
✓ Most people sleep best in a cool room; ideally between 60-67 degrees F.
Chronic Lumbar Disc Pain
Your low back consists of 5 individual vertebrae stacked on top of each other. Flexible cushions called “discs” live between each set of vertebrae. A disc is made up of two basic components. The inner disc, called the “nucleus”, is like a ball of jelly about the size of a marble. This jelly is held in place by the outer part of the disc called the “annulus”, which is a tough ligament that wraps around the inner nucleus much like a ribbon wrapping around your finger.
Your low back relies on discs and other ligaments for support. “Discogenic Low Back Pain” develops when these tissues are placed under excessive stress, much like a rope that frays when it is stretched beyond its normal capacity. Most commonly, disc pain is not the result of any single event, but rather from repeated overloading. Your lumbar discs generally manage small isolated stressors quite well, but repetitive challenges lead to injury in much the same way that constantly bending a piece of copper wire will cause it to break. Examples of these stressors include: bad postures, sedentary lifestyles, poor fitting workstations, repetitive movements, improper lifting, or being overweight.
Approximately one third of adults will experience pain from a lumbar disc at some point in their lifetime. The condition is more common in men. Most lumbar disc problems occur at one of the two lowest discs- L5 or L4. Smokers and people who are generally inactive have a higher risk of lumbar disc problems. Certain occupations may place you at a greater risk, especially if you spend extended periods of time sitting or driving. People who are tall or overweight have increased risk of disc problems.
Symptoms from disc pain may begin abruptly but more commonly develop gradually. Symptoms may range from dull discomfort to surprisingly debilitating pain that becomes sharper when you move. Rest may relieve your symptoms but often leads to stiffness. The pain is generally centered in your lower back but can spread towards your hips or thighs. Be sure to tell your doctor if your pain extends beyond your knee, or if you have weakness in your lower extremities or a fever.
Repeated injuries cause your normal healthy elastic tissue to be replaced with less elastic “scar tissue.” Over time, discs may dehydrate and thin. This process can lead to ongoing pain and even arthritis. Patients who elect to forego treatment and “just deal with it” develop chronic low back pain more than 60% of the time. Seeking early and appropriate treatment like the type provided in our office is critical.
Depending on the severity of your injury, you may need to limit your activity for a while, especially bending, twisting, and lifting, or movements that cause pain. Bed rest is not in your best interest. You should remain active and return to normal activities as your symptoms allow. Light aerobic exercise (i.e. walking, swimming, etc) has been shown to help back pain sufferers. The short-term use of a lumbar support belt may be helpful. Sitting makes your back temporarily more vulnerable to sprains and strains from sudden or unexpected movements. Be sure to take “micro breaks” from workstations for 10 seconds every 20 minutes.
Pathophysiology of trigger points.
A large number of factors have been identified as causes of trigger point activation. These include acute or chronic overload of muscle tissue, disease, psychological distress, systemic inflammation, homeostatic imbalances, direct trauma, radiculopathy, infections, and lifestyle choices such as smoking. Trigger points form as a local contraction of muscle fibres in a muscle or bundle of muscle fibres. These can pull on ligaments and tendons associated with the muscle which can cause pain to be felt deep inside a joint. It is theorized that trigger points form from excessive release of acetylcholine causing sustained depolarization of muscle fibres. Trigger points present an abnormal biochemical composition with elevated levels of acetylcholine, noradrenaline and serotonin and a lower ph. The contracted fibres in a trigger point constricts blood supply to the area creating an energy crisis in the tissue that results in the production of sensitizing substances that interact with pain receptors producing pain. When trigger points are present in a muscle there is often pain and weakness in the associated structures. These pain patterns follow specific nerve pathways that have been well mapped to allow for accurate diagnosis or the causative pain factor.
Diagnosis of trigger points.
Diagnosis of trigger points typically takes into account symptoms, pain patterns, and manual palpation. When palpating the therapist will feel for a taut band of muscle with a hard nodule within it. Often a local twitch response will be elicited by running a finger perpendicular to the muscle fibres direction. Pressure applied to the trigger point will often reproduce the pain complaint of the patient and the referral pattern of the trigger point. Often there is a heat differential in the local area of the trigger point. 
Trigger points in the biceps Brachii muscle.
The Bicep Brachii is perhaps the most recognizable muscle in the body. It’s the muscle that is most often flexed when someone says ” show me your muscles”. It is composed of two heads, the long head and the short head. The short head originates on the coracoid process of the scapula, and the long head on the supraglenoid tubercle. Both heads merge to insert on the radial tuberosity and bicipital aponeurosis into the deep fascia on the medial part of the forearm. The main actions of this muscle are elbow flexion and forearm supination(rotation with the palm of the hand going upward). This muscle also assists shoulder flexion. Trigger points in this muscle mainly refer pain into the shoulder, with spillover into the posterior aspect above the scapula. A less common referral is into the anterior elbow and forearm. 
What is a trigger point
Dr Janet travel coined the term trigger point in 1942 to describe clinical findings with characteristics of pain related a discrete irritable point in muscle or fascia that was not caused by acute trauma, inflammation, degeneration, neoplasm or infection. The painful point can be palpated as a nodule or tight band in the muscle that can produce a local twitch response when stimulated. Palpation of the trigger point reproduces the pain and symptoms of the patient and the pain radiates in a predictable referral pattern specific to the muscle harbouring the trigger point.
Aberdeen Chiropractic 