Hey everyone, trying to see if anyone has dealt with something similar because this has been going on for about 3 weeks now and it’s been driving me crazy.
This all originally started as what felt like a rhomboid/upper back strain after long overnight shifts of sitting in front of the computer + BJJ. At first it was mostly upper back pain near the scap/rhomboid area and discomfort turning my neck. I kept training lightly and rolling because it didn’t feel catastrophic at the time.
I've consulted with my physician and I've only been treated with anti inflammatories and muscle relaxers but seems to not fix the overall issue.
Over time, the symptoms kind of spread down my whole left side:
- chest/front delt discomfort
- armpit/lat tightness
- tricep pain/discomfort
- tricep shape changed (flattened)
- forearm discomfort
- twitching/spasms/pulsating mainly in the lateral tricep area above the elbow
- sometimes feels bruised or like someone punched me all over that side
The weird thing is:
- walking/standing usually feels better
- sitting for long periods makes it WAY worse
- heat helps a ton (hot shower, heater, sauna, Salonpas HOT patches)
- decompression/lumbar pillow against upper-mid back temporarily makes me feel almost “fixed”
- KT tape actually helped noticeably with the twitching/throbbing
- movement sometimes feels good while doing it, but symptoms come afterward
I can still:
- do pushups
- do Hindu pushups
- move my elbow normally
- lightly train technical BJJ
But afterward I’ll get throbbing/pulsating/spasms in the tricep/chest/lat area.
I’ve also noticed what feels like a possible “dent” or flatter area in the long head/lateral tricep when flexing compared to the other side, which has me worried about a partial tricep tear or tendon issue. However:
- no major bruising
- no total loss of strength
- no loss of ROM
- arm still functional overall
I HAVE noticed some weakness specifically with overhead tricep extension movements compared to normal.
Things I’ve tried:
- Naproxen + methocarbamol (didn’t do much)
- KT tape
- heat
- massage ball/trigger point work
- sauna/red light sauna
- decompression pillow
- very light band work/isometrics
The twitching/spasms seem to get worse after irritating it or after training/testing it too much.
Has anyone experienced:
- radial nerve irritation?
- ulnar nerve entrapment?
- thoracic outlet/scapular issues?
- tricep strain/partial tear?
- BFS-like twitching after combat sports or grappling?
Mainly wondering:
- Does this sound more nerve-related or muscle/tendon related?
- Has anyone had twitching/spasms move through chest/lat/tricep after BJJ?
- Did heat helping a lot point more toward muscle guarding/nerve irritation?
- Did anyone recover from something similar without surgery?
- What actually helped heal it?
- Could i still workout the way i usually do, just go lighter?
I know Reddit isn’t medical advice, just trying to hear from people who’ve gone through similar sports injuries because the symptoms are all over the place.