Shoulder Blade Pain Chiropractor in Sanford, FL — How Chiropractic, Massage, and Shockwave Therapy Help You Finally Get Relief

Shoulder blade pain is one of those problems that feels deep, stubborn, and almost impossible to stretch out. Whether it shows up as a sharp pinch between the shoulder blades, a dull ache that wraps into the neck, or tension that makes it hard to take a full breath, this type of pain can affect your posture, sleep, and daily comfort.

At Journey Spinal Care in Sanford, FL, we take a gentle but detailed approach to shoulder blade pain — combining chiropractic adjustments, targeted bodywork, and now radial shockwave therapy to relieve muscle tension, improve spinal mobility, and address the root cause of discomfort.

Learn more about how we approach this at Journey Spinal Care on our services page.

What Causes Shoulder Blade Pain? (Shoulder Blade Pain Chiropractor Sanford FL)

Shoulder blade pain can come from several sources — and many of them build up over time, not from a single major injury. Common contributors include:

• Poor posture from desk work

• Trigger points in the rhomboids, traps, lats, and levator scapulae

• Thoracic spine stiffness

• Rib joint dysfunction

• Referred pain from the neck or lower back

• Stress tension in the upper back

• Shallow breathing mechanics that overuse accessory muscles

  
  

Even everyday habits like looking down at your phone, carrying a bag on one shoulder, or sleeping curled forward can aggravate the muscles around the shoulder blades.

If you want to explore how mid-back tension and posture interact, you can read our mid-back pain blog here.

Why Shoulder Blade Pain Feels So Deep and Hard to Reach

The area beneath and around the shoulder blade contains multiple layers of muscle and fascia, including the rhomboids, traps, serratus muscles, and deeper intercostals. When these layers develop tension or adhesions, the pain feels deep and almost impossible to stretch out.

This is why shoulder blade pain often returns over and over — the deeper restriction never gets fully addressed without a combination of hands-on treatment and movement correction.

If you'd like to understand how targeted bodywork fits into this, our therapeutic massage blog explains it well.

How Chiropractic Care Helps Shoulder Blade Pain

At Journey Spinal Care, we use a combination of techniques to address joint alignment, muscle tension, and movement patterns that contribute to persistent shoulder blade discomfort.

1. Chiropractic Adjustments for Thoracic & Rib Alignment

Gentle adjustments help improve thoracic mobility, rib function, posture, and breathing mechanics — all of which reduce strain around the shoulder blades. Even small changes in rib movement can dramatically reduce pain with twisting, breathing, or reaching overhead. To see how Dr. Sammer approaches spinal and rib alignment, you can visit her bio page here.

2. Targeted Myofascial Release & Trigger Point Therapy

Marcus uses specific, skillful soft-tissue techniques to address trigger points, muscle knots, and fascial tightness that build up between the shoulder blades. This helps relieve nerve irritation, restore shoulder mechanics, and improve overall comfort. Marcus works closely with these muscle and fascia patterns every day — you can learn more about his approach here.

3. Radial Shockwave Therapy for Deep, Stubborn Pain

Shockwave therapy sends acoustic pulses into deep tissues to break up adhesions, release chronic knots, and stimulate healing in areas traditional massage can’t fully reach. It’s especially effective for long-standing rhomboid or levator scapulae tension and rib joint irritation. If you’re interested in newer options like ultrasound or shockwave therapy, you can read more on our services page.

4. Ultrasound Therapy for Pain & Inflammation

Ultrasound provides gentle heat and micro-vibration that calm irritated tissues and improve circulation. It’s an excellent partner for chiropractic and soft-tissue care, especially in inflamed or sensitive areas around the scapula.

Stress, Posture & Breathing — Hidden Contributors to Shoulder Blade Pain

Stress can create subtle, continuous muscle activation in the upper back, particularly the traps and levator muscles. Shallow breathing makes this worse because the neck and upper back have to work harder to expand the rib cage.

Together, this creates a cycle of tension → pain → restricted movement → more tension.

Simply improving breathing patterns, posture habits, and rib mobility can significantly reduce symptoms. For more about the role of stress and the nervous system, our stress relief blog breaks it down.

Home Tips to Manage Shoulder Blade Pain Between Visits

Helpful strategies include:

• Heat therapy

• Thoracic mobility exercises

• Foam rolling

• Posture resets

• Stretching the chest and upper back

• Strengthening scapular stabilizers

  
  

Gentle, consistent mobility work helps break the cycle of stiffness and discomfort.

If you’re new to our office, our New Patient Special is a great way to get started.

Your Path to Natural Relief Starts Here

At Journey Spinal Care, our goal is to help you understand why your shoulder blade pain keeps coming back — and to treat it in a way that’s gentle, thorough, and built around your body’s specific needs.

Whether your pain is new or long-standing, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and shockwave therapy can work together to help you breathe easier, move better, and finally feel relief.

You can book your appointment online, explore our FAQs, or contact us directly to learn more. Call or text us at 321-926-4565 — we’re happy to help you schedule your visit.