The muscles become overstretched and weak placing abnormal stress on the muscles and joints, altered motion and, over time, can develop scar tissue from small tears which result in chronic pain. This is typically seen with a slumped posture when sitting at a computer or desk for long periods without proper ergonomics. As the upper back becomes rounded, the rhomboid muscles stretch out.

With typical poor postural habits, the head is in a forward distortion and the back becomes rounded. The trapezius is a large muscle, while the rhomboid is a smaller muscle that runs between the spine and the shoulder blades. While there are many muscles that can cause pain between the shoulder blades, the major muscles often involved are the trapezius and the rhomboids.

If there has been a past injury to the area or from years of poor posture, a degenerative condition like arthritis can develop in the area between the shoulders causing upper back pain. This pain can also be referred by the heart, stomach and gallbladder or, if you have osteoporosis, a possible compression fracture. These causes usually respond to neck and/or shoulder movements. Most often it is related to muscle problems, however, a herniated disc or pinched nerve in the neck can cause pain in this area, along with neck joint irritation. Pain between shoulder blades can produce that nagging type of pain that is difficult to reach. Pain Between Shoulder Blades – Nagging Back Pain

Rhomboid stretch