Ever felt a deep ache between your shoulder blades and assumed it was a problem with your posture or upper back? What if I told you that pain might not be coming from your back at all, but your neck?
This is where referred pain comes in. It’s a concept many people aren’t aware of, and one that explains why treating the painful area doesn’t always fix the problem.
The Cloward Signs: What Are They?
In the 1950s, neurosurgeon Dr. John Cloward found that irritation in the cervical spine (your neck) can produce pain in areas that seem unrelated, particularly the mid-back and upper shoulder blade region. These are now known as the Cloward signs.
Put simply: an issue in your neck can refer pain to your mid-back.
This is especially common with:
- Cervical disc irritation
- Facet joint dysfunction
- Nerve root irritation
You might feel:
- A deep ache near the shoulder blade
- Mid-back tightness that doesn’t improve with stretching
- A dull, hard-to-pinpoint pain that comes and goes
Why This Matters for Treatment
If you’re chasing pain in your back with foam rolling, massage guns, or stretches, but not getting long-term relief, you’re probably not treating the actual cause.
That’s where a thorough assessment comes in. At Myocare Myotherapy, we look beyond the surface. We assess how your neck is functioning, test movement patterns, and identify whether the pain you’re feeling is really where the issue lies.
If you’ve been treating mid-back pain with no real progress, it might be time to look higher up the chain.
A proper assessment can change everything.