Rhomboid knots

TangledGiddy started this discussion · 2/4/2016

Hi Everyone! Everytime I pole I am disabled for 4-6 days with rhomboid knots. Roughly about 6 hrs after poling they start and release only helps temporarily. I can barely turn my head. I am not doing anything past beginner spins/climbs. There will be a huge band of tight muscle parallel to my scapula. So far it seems to affect one side at a time. I'm working on holding with neutral scapula but now I see how weak my arms are lol I think I was using shoulder strength to lift me up. Either way my front is pulling on my rhomboids or I did not do proper conditioning of the rhomboids from what I read on my own. Am I right on my thought process and should I work on strengthening my arms more than shoulder stretches? And Should I do the 30 day takeoff over again because I was using my shoulders wrong? Or more conditioning of the upper back before poling? And these are the tools I have avalable a hammock, Yoga essentials, Pilates bands, exercise ball. All to use to help me through getting my body on the pole. * I'm pretty desperate as I'm afraid to pole right now.*

9 replies

Runemist34 · 2/4/2016
Hey there! An issue that lasts for 4-6 DAYS, and leaves you disabled in this way, is something I would definitely discuss with your doctor. Even overworking weakened muscles shouldn't incapacitate your ability to move, unless you really ripped something or pulled a tendon. Do you do any other kinds of exercise that may include the shoulders? Do you stretch often? Also, the rhomboid doesn't appear to reach up to, or affect the neck very much. You may actually have a trapezius issue, as those affect shoulders, neck, and upper back. Taking some of the weight off your shoulders, and bringing your arms into play, CAN be helpful, but the shoulders are supposed to be able to take quite a bit of your weight, and the traps and lats are some of the larger, more effective muscles. Without those working, it would be very difficult to move around. Are there any particular movements that you find especially aggravating to these muscles? Did this start at a time when you began working on a specific move? Does this ever happen during regular, everyday movements, or during other sorts of exercise? Seriously though, a doctor would probably also be a big help (or maybe a physiotherapist).
Veena · 2/4/2016
Hi! Did someone give you a diagnosis of rhomboid knots? Or is it just that you feel tight after pole training? Do you mean you have tight, ball like spots? Have you been working with a professional for this issue, as in getting a sports massage or working with someone? Usually when something is chronic like this you would want to rest, massage and stretch, you could be dealing with a previous injury that never heal well. All the tools you have would be helpful but I can't give you any more suggestions until I know what is going on. :)
TangledGiddy · 2/4/2016
I keep all my tension in my shoulders, exercising is what I'm using to cope with tension-I'm in nursing school presently. It is not an injury as the side changes at each pole session. When I had the stress knots I was handed muscle relaxers and if I went back I'd most likely be told to find another exercise. Kinda like doc it hurts when I poke my eye, then stop poking your eye. I could just ask for a referral to a physical therapist but since this is due to poling I started here first. When I perform mayofascial release for trigger points my head turning is back to full mobility. Working on my posture has also helped. But the research I have read is divided on why it happens and it's pretty common in body building apparently. I just wanted to know if I should focus on strengthening or conditioning. Or which makes even more sense is for every pull up on the pole I should equal it with a push up. Or if I should maybe condition a whole week then see if there's any improvement. If not I'll go to a physical therapist since I saw it was common in bodybuilding I didn't know if anyone here struggled with this. The picture included shows exactly where this is happening. I could work on lats was one recommendation maybe I'm not isolating the way I need to. Working on conditioning for the rhomboids specifically.
TangledGiddy · 2/4/2016
You know what, I keep thinking about injuries and I remember reading that scar tissue can do this. If my knots due to stress repeatedly caused scar tissue that could be what I'm dealing with and that's what a sports massage might be good for. I made an appt. IV always had this issue but poling brings it on like IV never experienced before.
Stacia0330 · 2/4/2016
Don't have much to add, aside from seconding possibly getting to a doc asap and some sports massage therapy. My rhomboid on the left has been wonky for some time. A dead giveaway for rhomboid injury is pain upon drawing the shoulder blades together. I use a lacrosse ball to do self massage on the tender spots, and this seems to help. Hope you can get some healing soon!
Veena · 2/4/2016
Ok knowing all of this here's what I suggest. Take a full week off from any strength work using the scapula, shoulders and upper back. So REST. During this time of rest, do self massage (daily) and see a sports massage therapist if you can too once that week. Also during this week of rest try using some heat before massage. As you know trigger point work can be helpful in improving old adhesions from injury, and injury can be anything from over use, to a sudden OUCH when training. Anyway, take a full week off, heat and self massage everyday. If you have a foam roller I would do a full body roll every day because everything is essentially connected so even rolling the feet can produce relief somewhere else on the body. After a week: get back into things slowly..... Make sure you're working BOTH sides of the body equally. Do stretches for the upper back after any pole or workout session. Make sure to focus on keeping the top of the shoulders away from the ears whenever poling or lifting. Strengthening the surrounding muscle groups will help too. Avoid pulling the scapula tightly in before lifting always start in neutral. If you don't already do internal and external shoulder rotations before or after any pole session (don't let the rhomboids take over or the tops of the shoulders sneak up) There are lessons for the foam roller and everything I've mentioned if you haven't found them already :) I have one more though too...sometimes we get so focused and the continuous massage, stretch and so on can just aggravate an injury too. So sometimes total REST without fussing with the injury is helpful. Just don't touch it. lol Like picking at a scab, leave it a lone and see what happens. Feel better soon and let us know how it goes!!!
TangledGiddy · 2/4/2016
I do have a foam roller and a textured one as well, they feel great actually, but I only use them when I'm sore. So rolling everyday wouldn't be a bother lol. Ok sounds like a plan, Thank You All! I guess I'll come back and update so it can be available for someone else to search for which could be helpful.
TangledGiddy · 2/19/2016
I had PT this morning, I was so excited lol. I haven't poled in a month! So she tested my strength and when I had my hands/arms in a V away from my body, she was pushing down, I couldn't push back!! So essentially IV got no strength in my rhomboids so when I pole they are being way too taxed. And they are re-coiling in knots because of this. I'm anxious to see how this improves over the next few weeks. I was so surprised no one told me to just stop pole, that was my worst fear! But we went through the exercises so I could learn how to isolate them....all I need is patience that's the toughest part. Anyone have any ideas how a healthy active mom (think laundry and toy pickup etc.) gets weak in one area? Is it really my posture, and phone watching?
Veena · 2/20/2016
Yay that's great news! Stay consistent with the exercises and you should see good results. Phone watching and posture are big issues for people and it's not uncommon for even people who workout to have a weak area.