According to the chart, here's where the pain is:
Spinous Process, dead center
Latissimus dorsi muscle, on the left side of my back
Trapezius, on the left side of the back, down toward the middle of the muscle
Massage helps some. In the evening, ice helps some. Hydrocodone and Tizanidine help some, but I avoid taking them unless I'm in extreme pain.
Based on what you said, you probably have bent over posture and kyphosis and tight chest. Basically, your upper back and neck muscles are now 'elongated' forward and weakened and this will eventually cause compression on the vertebrae, possibly leading to herniated disks and maybe pinched nerves when your pushed forward a little bit, leading to tingling down the arms. All common problems particularly for a COMPUTER USER bent over the desk all day .. Your traps are probably elevated to an extent.
The 'common' myth is to stretch the areas you have pain to stretch forward, such as upper back when it's the exact opposite. You'll see this in yoga classes for example, incorporation of damaging stretches.
This is where the foam rollers works theoretically, because instead of stretching your upper back muscles, your muscles besides getting a massage are stretching back. But you'll see people in the gym even doing it wrong, rolling on a foam roller while keeping their neck in their chin and raising their heads compressing their spines forward. It works to an extent provided you use it right.
In the link I provided, there are three main stretches you'll be doing, including the chest and trapezius stretch she talks about, minus all the bull **** methods that create even more issues you find all over the Internet. There is also an upper back and shoulder stretch, where instead of stretching forward, you'll be stretching backwards lifting your upper chest as well.
The point is to lengthen BACKWARDS the muscles back to their normal resting length, to adjust to proper posture once again. It's really about biomechanics and restoring to natural resting position to allow your self to heal.
When your not 'operating' in the functional manner your meant to, such as in upper back pain, things like your scapula will wing, not moving across your back properly, your rotator cuffs will rub against your bones in a manner they aren't suppose to, your humerus will push into the socket and your arms won't raise properly and when playing sports you can easily soarin your neck because of elongated and weak muscles.
It's not about lifting, but resorting proper muscle length and proper movement. Babies and children have very little muscular strength, but they don't have pain because of good biomechanics that they haven't distorted naturally. On the other hand, you'll see the most avid gym freaks with great strength and muscles suffering from all sorts of 'mysterious' pain.
Your at the computer, I'll pretty much guarantee you it's simply your extensively and overly tight in the chest and shoulder area and when your moving in normal everyday life, with this problem, your pain is gradually getting worse. Stretch that area like Dr. Bookspan says and pay attention to your posture and do the upper back extension exercise she mentions in correct posture and you'll see dramatic change. Very simple.. Your body wasn't meant to hurt and doesn't require such complicated and mystical methods.
