Rhomboid Strain?

[Quandry]

I went to the ER tonight because whenever I moved my arms in front of me I would bend over and it felt like the air was expelling from my lungs. The ER doc did some tests with my arms and when he asked me push downward I think or maybe it was upward against his hand I got a shooting pain in my back on the right side. The pain was actually worse after he did this. I've had this problem for many years but today I couldn't move without triggering this strange reaction. He was going to prescribe muscle relaxers for the pain, but I said it's not a good idea with MG, another ER doc overheard this and came over and said I should take Ibuprofen and prescribed me some Motrin. I used to think it was the trapezius muscle but I was told by the ER doc that it was Rhomboid strain. I'm wondering if the chronic problem with this muscle is due to MG or from something else. Is MG muscle specific? Why wouldn't it effect all the muscles in my back? I looked at an anatomy picture of where the Rhomboid muscle is and my pain is lower.

[Jo*mar]

I don't know about the MG being a factor or not.
But maybe someone can check to see if a trigger point is part of the problem?
If they just feel & push around in the areas shown on the chart below , it may help figure out if it is a strain or something else.

This chart in the link is for a therapy tool that is sold, but the info chart is really helpful too.
A friends thumb or a tennis ball or such against the wall, or on the floor works just as well.
http://www.pressurepointer.com/pain_reference_chart.htm
http://www.pressurepointer.com/Rhomb...ger_points.htm

[Quandry]

Well the rhomboid problem seems to be occurring along with weakness. It hit hard tonight. I'm gasping for air as if I've just had a good cry and my right rib feels bruised. I was dragging my feet earlier and felt lethargic. Now I can barely move without causing pain. I know MG is not supposed to be painful, but what about the complications from MG? My shoulders are drooping and I think it's putting pressure on my right side. It's no use going to ER. I tried that last week. I can handle the pain alright, but when the air leaves my body like the wind is knocked out of me it's unsettling. My doctor appointment isn't until the first of next month. I guess I can wait until then. I've had this problem for years now, but its getting worse.

[AnnieB3]

Quandry, You need to make a phone call to your neurologist's office.

If you have a muscle that is weak due to MG and then you don't take care of the tight, wadded up area, it'll just keep getting worse and become chronic. That's what it sounds like to me. Any pain in the chest area should be thoroughly checked out though. Neurologists or physical therapists can dig around and find out if it's something they can help with. There's no need to continue to have such pain.

Do you have a primary care doctor, like an internist? They can also refer you to PT for evaluation and treatment, in case you can't get into the neuro soon.

When muscles get really weak, they tend to get knotted up like that. While pain isn't a primary symptom of MG it sure is a secondary one! Right before my MG crisis, my chest wall muscles were so weak that they were spasming while I was just lying down!

Someone needs to define what is going on and then get you care for it.

BTW, are you right-handed or left? Do you lean a certain way when you sit? There are so many things that could cause a unilateral pain syndrome instead of a bilateral one. Just sleeping funny on one side can do it! PT's are so emphatic about setting people up for a proper alignment while sleeping, with pillows, etc.

My doctor appointment isn't until the first of next month. I guess I can wait until then.

No, you can't. I hope you will get this taken care of right away! Doctors always have emergency appts. for patients, so call your neuro 1st thing in the morning.

What worried me is the fact that you are generally getting worse and can't breathe well. Now that IS an MG emergency. Don't be stubborn, just go to the ER or dial 911 if you can't breathe or move well, okay?!


Annie

[Quandry]

Thank you Annie for your response. Today was much better. I lounged around all day and didn't do much of anything. I'm right handed and I tend to lean towards the left. Years ago a chiropractor said I have an S shaped spine and said that I would lean on one leg and tilt my head to one side as a result. That may be why this is unilateral.

My daughter looked at the bony protrusions on my back, I think it's my scapula. She said my right scapula is closer to the spine than my left. I'm not sure but this may also be because of the S shaped spine.

My doctor recently ordered the wrong xray (lumbar) so I'll tell him I need an xray of the thoracic. I'm sure he'll see some things going on in the lumbar since I do occasionally have pain in my lower back on the left side, but I definitely want him to take a look at the area of my back that is more bothersome.

Right now I'm seeing a PT for heel spurs and I'm going to request getting a PT for my other issues. The stretches were causing weakness at first but I lessened the repetitions.

Maybe I need to lay down more often during the day and see if that lessens the problem with my back.