Pain/Ache in Armpit. Aggravated by squats

[Ben Baker]

Hey all,

I need some advice. A few weeks ago, a dull, aching pain began in the back side of my right armpit where my arm and back meet.

Squats aggravate it, and it's been feeling worse as I've been adding weight to the bar. In addition, when I get the bar onto my back for a set, I see my right elbow points behind me more than my left. I also feel referral pain going down my arm into my elbow and forearm. It'll stay aggravated for about 30 or so minutes after I finish my squats and will subside to a very dull ache for the remainder of the day. If it's any help, I strained a muscle in my back on the right side of my spine last June.

Any ideas on what might be causing it? I think it might be a lat muscle strain. It's progressing to the point now pain wise that I'm considering doing high bar to allow it to heal, but I really don't want to do that.

Thanks!

[Taylor Grayson]

I had a similar issue for over a year. Things that didn't help: doctors, physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, ice, laying off squats.

What did help: trigger point release. Took me a long time to discover this, but once I started treating it, the pain immediately lessened during squats and went away completely after a few weeks.

Odds are good that if you have a trigger point, it's in a rotator cuff muscle. Since the pain is typically referred, you may have to root around all over your upper back and shoulder. For me, digging into the armpit using a Theracane was the best technique; the lacrosse ball just couldn't fit into the area. When I was at the gym, I could sometimes back up to the captain's chair and use a corner to dig into the spot. Any place that you press and you feel pain is likely a trigger point. Massaging it several times a day will make it go away....eventually.