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Rusty:
What you are referring to sounds like it could be a trigger point. Trigger points develop when a muscle becomes injured. The muscle then contracts on it’s own in order to protect the area from further trauma. Trigger points can be caused by injury, failure to stretch, overuse of a muscle or even stress. Trigger points can be very painful because they cause the muscle to become very tight and unable to move properly. They can limit your flexibility and negatively impact your workout. In my experiences they are usually located in the upper back underneath the shoulder blade however they can appear in other areas throughout the body.

Lifting with an inflamed trigger point can cause a chain reaction to occur and more trigger points could develop. They can also cause further injuries because muscles can become so tight and stiff that they can’t function correctly. The problem with this type of injury is that it has symptoms that are similar to other more serious injuries so be sure to see a doctor before continuing any workout program.

Many years ago I experienced a situation similar to yours. I had been training for a power lifting contest and was to lift in the meet the following day. When I woke up in the morning my back was extremely tight and I could barely turn my neck. After further examination I noticed a painful knot behind my shoulder blade. Luckily a friend of mine was a massage therapist. She asked me to put my hand behind my back and she located a trigger point behind my shoulder blade. When she pressed on it I felt a pain unlike anything I had ever experienced. She said I needed a deep tissue therapy massage to release the tightness that was causing the problem. She was right! Not only did it work but I was able to compete the next day without any further problems.

The massage therapist released the trigger point by applying pressure to the affected area with her fingers, thumbs and even her elbow. At one point I think she even used her knee. I have to be honest. It was painful but you could feel the tightness relax almost immediately. The next day I felt much better.

As personal trainer I have found that many people develop this type of problem but have no idea what’s wrong them. Instead they suffer through the pain and risk further injury or their workouts are interrupted for long periods of time until the tightness works itself out.

If you are experiencing similar pain my suggestion is to see a doctor to make sure that you don’t have a more serious problem. If you find that you’re pain is coming from a trigger point you may want to consider a deep tissue massage.

If you decide to try deep tissue therapy make sure take a couple days off from the gym or the trigger point may resurface sooner than you bargained for.

Adding a pre and post workout stretching routine will help keep the body limber and will reduce the chances of developing more problems.