Trapezius muscle strain

There are many muscles in the human body. These muscles are located in different parts, so their names and functions are very different. The trapezius muscle is located from the neck to the upper back of the human body. The trapezius muscle coordinates the activities of the neck and shoulders. When our movements are larger, it often causes damage to the trapezius muscle. The obvious symptom is pain.

Clinical manifestations of trapezius muscle strain

The disease usually develops slowly, with unilateral injury being the most common. The neck, shoulder and back on the affected side are sore, heavy and tight, and there is a pulling sensation in the affected area when moving the neck. The upper part of the neck is sore and stiff, and the patient likes to lean back to the affected side. It may even be accompanied by a headache. Pressing and beating the affected area will feel comfortable and relieve the symptoms. In severe cases, activities such as lowering the head, shrugging shoulders and rotating the neck are difficult. Some patients only have shoulder and back pain, like the feeling of carrying a heavy object.

Etiology and pathology

1. Whiplash injuries, such as sudden braking when riding a bicycle, the passenger's head and neck suddenly swinging back and forth, as well as violent collisions and falls, can all cause strain in the cervical trapezius muscle and cause pain, and over time, fibrosis of the damaged tissue will occur.

2. People who carry heavy objects on their shoulders with their heads tilted for a long time, such as porters, often exceed the muscle endurance. Repeated lifting of heavy objects and long-term work with their heads bowed at a desk may cause repeated tearing of the muscle attachment points or muscle fibers on the ribs, resulting in fibrosis, adhesion, and even calcification, causing symptoms.

Analysis and diagnosis

1. The patient feels soreness, heaviness and distension in the neck, shoulders and back, and the head tilts slightly to the affected side.

2. There is tenderness at the muscle bulge slightly outside the occipital protuberance, muscle fiber degeneration, and decreased elasticity. A cord-like object can be felt between the base of the neck and the acromion, and at the upper and lower edges of the scapular spine. Pressing it will cause soreness or pain, and may involve the patient and the occipital area on the affected side.

3. Fixing the affected shoulder and rotating the patient's head and neck toward the healthy side may cause pain.

4. There are generally no obvious changes in X-ray films. In patients with a long course of illness, bone spurs may form at the attachment of the occipital muscles to the bone surface.

About the Trapezius Muscle

Located under the superficial skin of the neck and upper back, it is a triangular broad muscle, and the two sides merge into the trapezius muscle. It originates from the external occipital protuberance, nuchal ligament and all thoracic spinous processes. The upper muscle bundles are slanted downward, the middle muscle bundles are parallel and outward, and the lower muscles are slanted outward and upward, ending at the outer 1/3 of the clavicle and the acromion and scapular spine of the scapula. Full contraction pulls the scapula toward the spine; the upper muscle bundle can lift the scapula, while the lower muscle bundle can lower the scapula. If the scapula is fixed, contraction of the trapezius muscle on one side can cause the head to tilt back and rotate to the opposite side.

The trapezius muscle is innervated by the accessory nerve and the anterior rami of the C3-4 nerves.