Scarring in deep muscle tissue

[TheEnforcer]

I am pretty sure that I have scarring mixed in with the muscle fibers of my trapezius.  It is knotted up in several places and I feel another one forming right now near its insertion into my neck.  Basic trigger point therapy has very little effect on it.  I have had some ART work done on it, but it is located in the belly of my trapezius, so it is very difficult to get anything accomplished, especially since it is fairly developed.  Note that all of the work I have had done on it is by chiropractic students and massage therapists, all with varying levels of expertise.  Lately, I have been using my own devices and doing my best to strip it down and loosen it up, using a self-massager called a TheraCane, standing under the shower rod to use that as a heavy duty massage tool, and performing my own "ART" using the handle of a hammer to really dig in to the belly of the muscle.  I have been able to completely dissolve several of them, however I have done some reading on it and it appears that the muscle is shortened because one of them has reappeared.  I think the trick for me is to somehow get it all stripped down at the same time, then take the right steps to lengthen the muscle before they reappear, however difficult these two steps may be to accomplish in unison.  

Please give me some feedback and let me know what other options are available to remedy this.

  

[activechick]

Whoa, Dude, you're gonna hurt yourself!
In "stripping" your muscle, you could be causing so much damage that your poor body is just on the defensive, trying to recover from all the tissue aggravation you're doing.
I think your idea is correct--you need to break down the adhesions you feel.  Trouble is, it's pretty hard to do it yourself, especially for a trap, and you probably aren't addressing the whole kinetic chain of healing, the areas around the trap that are helping to cause your injury.

I would strongly recommend spending the money to get to a certified physical therapist.  Massage students and beginning chiropractors ain't gonna help much, unless they are lucky.  

If you live in the States, I strongly recommend a treatment called ASTYM, which is provided by PT's.  I've had it done twice, and it really works.

Good luck, and be nicer to your muscles!

Activechick