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May 13, 2006

The Many Faces Of Latissimus Dorsi

What do upper low back pain, pain at the back of the shoulder and thoracic discomfort in the mid-back have in common? Latissimus dorsi.

I had three different clients this week with these varying complaints and they all stemmed from the lats.

The first client with the low back pain took a while for me to pinpoint the complaint. Most people who complain of low back pain have pain low in the lumbar region or have problems that stem from the hips. Once I found the discomfort, I palpated around and found tightness higher up in the back that led to the humeral insertion of the latissimus dorsi.

My client with the mid-back has a slight scoliosis. I work this region on them frequently. What made this week different was that we had two appointments scheduled for them, worked out more pressing problems in the first appointment first, and had the latissimus dorsi present a problem in the second appointment.

The third client complained of shoulder pain, but again it was not in the usual places. The back of the shoulder was most tender where latissimus dorsi inserts into the arm. Upon further investigation, the whole muscle exhibited more soreness than usual.

On all my clients with this pattern, I worked the triceps of the affected arm. All were sore, suggesting that any muscles that attach to a common area are affected the dysfunction.

tags: massage massagetherapy wellness massage therapy bodywork health

Posted by linda at May 13, 2006 8:41 AM