Back Rub Test

Coracobrachialis Muscle

If you’re experiencing pain in your upper arm and shoulder, the culprit may be the coracobrachialis muscle. This muscle is located underneath the pec muscle, and can often be a source of pain and discomfort. Fortunately, there is a simple test you can do to determine if this muscle has trigger points. In this blog post, we will discuss the back rub test and how to perform it correctly!

Try rubbing your lower back with the back of your hand on the shoulder you are testing. If you feel pain in your shoulder, you probably have trigger points in your coracobrachialis muscle. You will feel pain in motions like putting on a coat or scratching your back. The pain will be in the front of the shoulder joint and down the back of the arm.

To get access to this muscle you must go through the armpit. It lies underneath the pec. Trigger points in the coracobrachialis can be confused with carpal tunnel, bursitis, tendinitis and radiculopathy.

If you believe you have trigger points in the coracobrachialis, please schedule a massage! You should also avoid lifting heavy things with your arms outstretched in front of you. Keep your elbows close to the body. Be careful not to overstretch, but you do want to do some stretches! Using some heat before stretching will help reduce soreness.

Also check out why it could hurt between your shoulders.