The trapezius is a four-cornered muscle that covers most of the upper back and helps move the shoulder and support the weight of the head. Having a poor posture or doing physical activities that keep your shoulders raised or arms extended will put stress on this muscle. The symptoms of trigger points here can create labels, like bursitis of the shoulder, disk compression, headaches, or migraines. This muscle can also send pain to the jaw, temples, and down the side of the neck.

The top portion of the trapezius can be treated by lying faceup on your yoga mat or carpeting with the spiky massage tool behind your head. Allow the weight of your head to sink into the spiky massage ball and feel around for tightness along the back of the head where the muscle attaches. Wear a layer or two with a hoodie to protect your skin during massage. Massage behind the neck and head, then begin to slowly move your body or adjust the ball to treat further down along the neck.

The area on top of the shoulder can be massaged best by placing the ball just above the shoulder blade. Use paired fingers to press the top portion of the trapezius against the ball, feeling for tight and painful knots along the band of muscle that runs from the neck to the top of the shoulder. You can do one side, then the opposite.

The other areas below can be massaged by rolling the spiky massage tool over the whole four-cornered muscle in between the shoulder blades and down the middle back. This muscle covers many other muscles below, so as you treat it, you also affect other muscles of the rotator cuff, upper back, and neck. Roll around one side of the upper back all the way up to and along the spine without crossing over or putting direct pressure on the spine itself, then do the other side.

Feel around for tender areas of tight muscle for several minutes or more. Relax your body as you allow the ball to sink into any tight knots or trigger points for 30 seconds or so then move on. You can focus on short massage strokes back and forth, up and down along the muscle until you find another tight spot to sink into. Use your body weight to adjust the pressure. Try to aim for a level of 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is no pain and 10 is very painful. Practice for several minutes until you are comfortable with the massage, then slowly increase the length of your sessions. Practice every day until the pain is gone.

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