After a thorough examination to rule out the cervical and thoracic spine, what you have left is sharp, localized qi stagnation of the soft tissues causing the “rhomboid pain.” If it’s not the C or T spine causing the problem, then what could be causing this tissue issue? It can be a bunch of different reasons such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, poor posture, muscle imbalances, trauma, deconditioning, overuse, etc.
Edward Chiu, LAc, DAOM
Dr. Edward Chiu has been teaching acupuncture case report writing for over 10 years at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. After earning his Master in Acupuncture from the New England School of Acupuncture and his DAOM from OCOM, he spent time pursuing traditional acupuncture apprenticeships in Taiwan and has also been involved in acupuncture research studies in the U.S. at both Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Arizona. He recently authored a textbook titled Writing Acupuncture Case Reports: Theory and Practice, on the importance of writing case reports and with instructions on how to write one for publication.