Sore Trapezius Muscle? Try Strength Training.

Illustration: Anne Asher

Is your job repetitive? Do you have a neck ache all the time? If so, it may well be that by avoiding the painful area when you exercise you are not helping yourself to reduce your pain.

Researchers from Denmark compared different types of exercise (no exercise, aerobics on a stationary bike, and strength training that targeted the trapezius muscle, where the pain occurred) in people who live with a constant neck ache due to repetitive job tasks. To understand the study participants, think computer workers, letter sorters at the post office and factory line workers. The researchers found that those who tackled the problem head on, so to speak, achieved at least 70% pain reduction between exercise sessions. The study lasted 10 weeks, and looked only at those participants whose pain was due to a diagnosis of trapezius myalgia (See below for more about this diagnosis.)

Studies like this have been done before with similar results. But this study is different because, now, the amount of pain reduction in the group that did strength exercises for the neck and upper back is far greater. The higher percentage of pain reduction was due to the special effort made by the Danish researchers to follow exercise guidelines as set forth by the American College of Sports Medicine. This meant not babying the painful area, but instead, treating it the same as any other muscle group during a strength training session.

The people who just rode the stationary bike also reduced pain, but only slightly. The researchers felt theirs was not enough pain reduction to indicate the stationary bike would make for good therapy for neck problems.

The upshot of the study is that for people with trapezius myalgia, a good treatment would be doing high intensity strength training 3 times per week for 20 minutes under the supervision of a professional.

If you are wondering what trapezius myalgia is, well, it is pain, tension and trigger points in the trapezius muscle. It occurs a lot in the working population and is related to posture. And if all this talk of pain in your neck makes you want to start exercising, why not try some desk exercises right now? Or try giving your neck and shoulders a massage.

_{Source:
Effect of two contrasting types of physical exercise on chronic neck muscle pain. Lars L. Andersen, Michael Kjær, Karen Søgaard, Lone Hansen, Ann I. Kryger, Gisela Sjøgaard, Arthritis Care & Research, January 2008; 59:1; pp. 84-91.}