periodic tingling in same spot on back

Hi BB99, I know! It has driven me around the bend and none of the Drs I have seen have been able to tell me what it is! BUT I have been using a cream - Zostrix - it is a topical analgesic cream made with 0.025% capsaicin a naturally occuring substance found in chilli peppers. This cream WORKS. I put it on (carefully - you don't want this stuff in any sensitive places! I used gloves) a couple of times a day (basically, whenever I started feeling that urgh sensation) and after a few days, I only needed to put it on after my shower. Now, 3 wks or so later, I only use it a couple of times a week when the feelings start coming through. Literally deadens the nerves causing the urgh feelings but without causing excessive numbness to the outer skin. I 100% recommend trying this stuff. It has helped!! I do not know what the name would be overseas, this is marketed in NZ as Zostrix and I can't find another name on the package. I suggest googling capsaicin cream or similar. I hope this has been helpful! Good luck :)

AND THR ANSWER IS!!!!

Nerves on the fourth and fifth vertebrae in the neck. Doesn't sound like it makes sense but my chiropractor figured it out. Have had this for a few months now right below the left shoulder blade. Tiggling and numbness. Comes and goes but doesn't hurt. Went in for a regular maintenance adjustment and mentioned it. As soon as I brought it up he touched the spot and said, "let me guess, right here?".

To sum it up. Tweeking those nerves in your neck cause the upper back muscles to contract to compensate. I have a heavy job and am also working on my posture. Makes sense that people are saying left and right handed go along with it as people tend to use one side more then the other. Or at least lean that way slightly. After a few more appointments/adjustments I should be cured lol.

Glen, I did not see your previous post, so thank you for resubmitting. I would love to hear more about the exercises. Though I have had this issue for over a year, I recently realized that I experience no tingling when lying down. With the tingling gone, I can focus on the other issues that started occurring at the same time.

I'd really like to know more about the exercises too.

There are lots of variants of it called the 'Y' exercise.

Initially do not focus on trying to lift the arms as that is hard at first. Start by reaching out, twisting and then really focus on retracting the shoulder blades. It is good to get someone to watch your back from behind without a top on. I found one shoulder blade was not retracting even though it felt like it was (it was too weak  retract).

Then the lying version is harder but this is the one I really found a weak spot in the place where I get the tingling. Do not try to lift the arms initially. Just focus on the reach out and retract and again get someone to check you are retracting back fully.

It can take a while to build the mind muscle link but think about where the tingling is, and try to activate this muscle.

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If people have tingling higher up the shoulder blade then this would need some of the other exercises linked to this on youtube. The YTWL series is brilliant for finding other weak muscles around the shoulder blade.

Give it a try. Happy to discuss questions.

P.S. still no tingling from for me. Any time I start to sense it may be coming on I do some of the exercises above to activate my lower traps and relieve the strain.

 

To the person above that mentioned the neck lock/subluxation around C4 / C5 then this is also very relevant to the exercises I mention above and my experience. I have also had neck issues around C4/C5 on the same side as my tingling (thoracic in mid back as most people on here are explaining). Also when I have seen a Chiro/Osteo it has helped with the tingling, however it is not a permanent solution in most cases because unlocking a joint in the neck does not remove the weakness in the lower trap that is causing the shoulder blade to rise up and shorten the upper traps, causing the neck to lock up.

Good luck with the Chiro and really hope it works for you but for me I found it was only temporary as I have a fundamental biomechanical weakness in my lower traps and mid back that is allowing my should blades to rise up putting strain on my neck. The result is the neck locks up and I get nerve issues down my right arm. This is also posture related and hours sat over a desk with my head forward causing my upper traps (bid muscles at back of neck/shoulders) to get tight and this causes my shoulder blades to rise up and bingo I get tingling.

How many people have this tingling sensation when they wake up in the morning having layed in bed all night? Off the top of my head I cannot ever recall this. In this position it removes the strain from the neck and shoulders.

4 years of chiro and osteo have not helped as much as 6-8 weeks of the exercises above.

I am not saying these exercises will cure everyone but they should open up your minds and thought processes to think "actually if I am experiencing tingling here then what muscles are weak to cause this" or "if my neck is locking up here then which muscles work in the opposite direction to take the stress away from my neck". You may have a slightly different muscle causing an issue to me.

For example I have also found my rhomboids to be a weak around the area that tingles. The Rhomboids are more responsible for a rowing type movement of bring the shoulders back and blades together. I use a dyna band to do a rowing movement pulling into my stomach and this is also targetting a weak muscle (you will feel the burn more on the weak muscles) EXACTLY in the area of my tingling.

For me it is too much of a coincidence that I have a tingling sensation in my right lower shoulder blade and two exercises that target the lower trapezius and rhomboid EXACTLY where the tingling is, cause me to feel a muscle working that feels like it has not worked properly in years. I have seen lots of physios but this issue is so specific to a spot on the back and part of a muscle that they just cannot pinpoint it like you can do with your own mind muscle connection.

Anyway please all give it a go and if nothing else take away from my posts that you may have subtle muscle weakness, or even tightnesses, that is causing this issue so start investigating. Good luck!

Sorry YouTube URLs are not allowed therefore search YouTube for the following to see the videos:

Standing

"Face the wall "Y" Corrective Exercise"

Uploaded by jsansalone3 on 11 Apr 2010

Lying

"The Prone "Y" Corrective Exercise"

Uploaded by jsansalone3 on 11 Apr 2010

 

Thank God, I was freaking out thinking I might be MS or something, have exactly the same feeling

Mine does. I have been under tremendous stress and my Dr. shrugged it off as just stress and will go away....ugh. I haven't found a cream, exercise, or anything to help it. It is more irritating than painful...like when your foot falls asleep...only its on a spot that I cant reach. I have had so many people tell me to lower my stress level or it will turn into shingles(ha, single mom not getting any type of financial help...so can't do much about my stress level.) but I don't have any kind or rash or bruise or anything....so I'm thinking the Dr. thinks its all in my mind. So irritating!!

So...I did accupincture, and it seemed to improve the tingling temporarily, but that was several months ago, and it's back in full swing now, unfortunately.  I've also since realized that the tingling is in more than one spot, some closer to my spine, some closer to my side, all on my right, under my shoulder blade, on the same horizontal "line," if that makes sense.  I am trying the lower trap exercises, but so far all they've given me is an incredibly sore back :(

 

This has been going on for almost a year and a half!!!!!  I just want it to STOP!

Oh, and also, the accupuncturist told me he thought the problem was "very deep" inside my back, and that, had I continued for longer with the accupuncture, it would have been completely cured (I had to stop due to insurance complications). 

Three chiro treatments helped. Started conditioning exercises at a
Gym with a fitness trainer and haven't had it in two weeks. Can't believe it's gone after all this time!!!!

Graglor this is total in line with what I said above. This is a physical issue and exercise is going to help get those muscles working. The Chiro will have helped unlock some stuck joints. Stick with the exercising and you should be able to strengthen the weak muscles.

 

I am now 3 months since I had any significant tingling. I very occasionally start to notice it and when I do I check my posture, squeeze my shoulder blades down and perhaps do some 10 of the exercises above against a wall and it quickly eases off. 

I have the same thing but with it I have a stabbing burning sensation also I highly recommend seeing a nuro and request an MRI of your entire spine not just one section after months and months of test xrays and so much more they found my problem may not be yours but all the same get it checked

I also have the same thing...been going on for the last 2 months. Dr. looked at it and dismissed it...nothing on the surface. Please respond when someone hits the nail on the head.