Muscle pain at scapula

apply ice for 20 minutes on and 40 minutes off

Read more: http://www.justanswer.com/questions/a7ci-thoracic-spine-scapula-pain#ixzz0V1VYR44R

1. Get the ice on quickly.
   Icing is most effective in the immediate period following an injury. The effect of icing diminishes significantly after about 48 hours.
    
2. Perform an "ice massage."
   Apply ice directly to the injury. Move the ice frequently, not allowing it to sit in one spot.
    
3. Don't forget to elevate.
   Keep the injured body part elevated above the heart while icing -- this will further help reduce swelling.
    
4. Watch the clock.
   Ice for 15-20 minutes, but never longer. You can cause further damage to the tissues, including frostbite, by icing for too long.
    
5. Allow time between treatments.
   Allow area to warm for at least 45 minutes or an hour before beginning the icing routine again.
    
6. Repeat as desired.
   Ice as frequently as you wish, so long as the area is warm to touch and has normal sensation before repeating.
    

1. Ice Option 1 -- Traditional:
   Use a Ziploc bag with ice cubes or crushed ice. Add a little water to the ice bag so it will conform to your body.
    
2. Ice Option 2 -- Best:
   Keep paper cups filled with water in your freezer. Peel the top of the cup away and massage the ice-cup over the injury in a circular pattern allowing the ice to melt away.
    
3. Ice Option 3 -- Creative:
   Use a bag of frozen peas or corn from the frozen goods section. This option provides a reusable treatment method that is also edible.

Here's How:

1. Get the ice on quickly.
   Icing is most effective in the immediate period following an injury. The effect of icing diminishes significantly after about 48 hours.
    
2. Perform an "ice massage."
   Apply ice directly to the injury. Move the ice frequently, not allowing it to sit in one spot.
    
3. Don't forget to elevate.
   Keep the injured body part elevated above the heart while icing -- this will further help reduce swelling.
    
4. Watch the clock.
   Ice for 15-20 minutes, but never longer. You can cause further damage to the tissues, including frostbite, by icing for too long.
    
5. Allow time between treatments.
   Allow area to warm for at least 45 minutes or an hour before beginning the icing routine again.
    
6. Repeat as desired.
   Ice as frequently as you wish, so long as the area is warm to touch and has normal sensation before repeating.
    

1. Ice Option 1 -- Traditional:
   Use a Ziploc bag with ice cubes or crushed ice. Add a little water to the ice bag so it will conform to your body.
    
2. Ice Option 2 -- Best:
   Keep paper cups filled with water in your freezer. Peel the top of the cup away and massage the ice-cup over the injury in a circular pattern allowing the ice to melt away.
    
3. Ice Option 3 -- Creative:
   Use a bag of frozen peas or corn from the frozen goods section. This option provides a reusable treatment method that is also edible.

Give acupuncture a try, but with an experienced practitioner, possibly Asian-trained.  You can ignore the cultural ideas some acupuncturist-herbalists express ("Chi") and base your treatment on interrupting the electrical signals sent along nerve fibers.  Interfere with the pain impulses to the brain and thereby relieve the pain.  No pain is felt unless the signals from an injured source reaches the brain.  Asian acupuncture describes the nerve pathways as "Meridians". These Meridians appear to be nerve fiber networks.  This ancient practice was probably developed by trial and error over centuries, with the mysticism added in to help give some explanation as to the "whys".   Some practitioners may heat or put small low voltage electrical current into the needles in order to aid the disruption of the pain signals across axions.  It may take a few sessions, and they are virtually painless and have no side effects.  It's not a cure and any organic cause of your pain will still need to be dealt with by Western medicine, but being rid of pain is worth the time spent. Give it a try.  Look in the local telephone directories of cities with sizable Asian populations, which is the main source of their clientele, and seek out reputable practitioners.