New hanger experiencing pain in the muscle behind the shoulde blade.

**makkan** · 10-01-2014, 01:19

Hi there,

So yesterday I did my second overnight. Actually I was meaning to put my bottom insulation to the test, two windshield protectors taped together. Temperatures were around 7*C when I got out in the hammock at 22.30 and had dropped til 5*C when I decided to go inside at 02.45. I did get some nice Z's but one thing annoyed me way more than the cold.

In the muscle just behind my left shoulder blade, I started experiencing pain after about an hour or so. It wasn't no sharp piercing pain but rather a soreness that just wouldn't give. It did get better when I tried to move around and was less of a nuisance when I slept on the side. However it didn't go away until I got back inside and in my bed.

I really don't want this to put and end to my days of hammock glory so I'm really interested in hearing about suggestions to what I can do and if any of you had the same problem.

EDIT: I should probably mention that I had the exact same pain when I did my first overnight this summer.

**Firesong** · 10-01-2014, 04:58

Question. Do you sleep head left feet right? When I first started I got a pain in my right shoulder (I'm a head right, feet left) opposite of you. I was finding that laying on my back if I turned a bit (or rolled a slight bit towards the middle it it got rid of the shoulder pain. I think it was the edge of the hammock causing a stretch or compression in the shoulder. (Not sure which but it was happening). Now if I notice it i change my position just slightly and it's gone. I sleep in a diy 11ft x 5' hammock I made. 1.6 fabric.
The other possibility is the fabric of your hammock might have too much stretch for your weight causing a bit of compression. What hammock/fabric/size of hammock do you have? Your height and weight?

**makkan** · 10-01-2014, 05:55

Originally Posted by Firesong

Question. Do you sleep head left feet right?

Do you mean whether I lay diagonally head left, feet right or do you mean if I tilt my head to the left and tilt my feet to the right. Anyways the answer to the first claim is sort of yes. I'm not really finding it easy to lay diagonally in my hammock so it's more of a straight but still a bit diagonal lay.

Originally Posted by Firesong

What hammock/fabric/size of hammock do you have? Your height and weight?

I have a DD Frontline 2.7m x 1.4m (8.8 x 4.6 ft) unfortunately I don't know what material the fabric is.
I'm 184 cm (6 ft) tall and weigh 68 kg (150 lbs).

**dkurfiss** · 10-01-2014, 06:23

Couple of things to try that might help.

First off loosen up your suspension on the hammock so you can get a good flat diagonal lay. If my suspension is too tight I find it much harder to lay on a flat diagonal. If I am not on a diagonal then my head/neck is bent forward and my shoulders are pinched.

Next is to check your neck position. There is a nerve that comes out of the C6/C7 vertebra that goes directly behind the shoulder blade (my disc collapsed on it and the pain behind my shoulder was unreal). You might want to try a small pillow or your jacket to support your head. If your head/neck is being bent forward on that nerve it can cause the discomfort you are describing.

**gargoyle** · 10-01-2014, 08:50

DD is a narrow hammock. The shoulder squeeze can be eliminated by using a wider hammock.
60" wide is a popular choice for many.

**FLRider** · 10-01-2014, 12:30

Originally Posted by gargoyle

DD is a narrow hammock. The shoulder squeeze can be eliminated by using a wider hammock.
60" wide is a popular choice for many.

It's also a very short (8.8 ft) hammock. Most folks, myself included (I'm approximately your height and about a third again your weight) prefer hammocks in the 11' range. My ideal hammock is 11' (3.35 m) by 55" (1.397 m) after hemming, but before gathering. This offers the best trade-off of weight and comfort for me. I find that I do not have to get terribly diagonal on that size hammock; it provides a nice "pocket" for both my head and shoulder as well as my legs and feet.

Perhaps an order of some cheap fabric to test different lengths and widths might be in order? The test hammock need not even be hemmed; this is just to find the most comfortable trade-off between length, width, weight, and cost.

Hope it helps!

**hutzelbein** · 10-01-2014, 12:54

The pain could be caused by a lot of factors. A few have been mentioned already. Unfortunately, there's a good chance that the DD Frontline simply isn't the hammock for you. This doesn't have to mean that it's too short, too narrow, too stretchy or what have you - it's likely a combination of many factors. Which makes it all the more difficult to advise.

Since you're located in Sweden, buying or trying other hammocks is expensive. What you could do is, get some heavy duty nylon fabric (also called polyamid - but polyester works as well), and make a simple DIY hammock. Get a 4m piece of fabric with a width of ~150cm - then whip it at different lengths. Also try different whipping styles. You'll find that little changes can have big results. And you might get a better idea of what works for you. If you can't find fabric in Europe, consider ordering some in the US. This is what I'm doing, and it's a lot cheaper than you might expect. I'd go with a 1.9oz ripstop fabric or heavier. I'm a bit lighter than you, and I get back/shoulder pain when I try sleeping in my 1.6oz Argon DIY hammock. It simply is too stretchy for me - my body doesn't like it.

If you don't want to bother with cutting fabric, you could order a simple Ticket to the Moon single hammock. It's not a bad length (10.6') and the width of 61" is good as well. TTTM hammocks are widely available in Europe, don't cost much, and you can experiment with whipping styles. The fabric is also quite firm. If you want something longer, check out this UK seller. I have never seen one of their hammocks, but chances are, they're similar to other parachute hammocks like TTTM - but they are 11.6' long! And the 64" width is likely more than you need.

**makkan** · 10-02-2014, 05:02

Thanks for all the helpful replies. Reluctantly I've realized that I probably have the wrong type of hammock for me. I sold my DD Frontline this morning and will look at DIY alternatives. But first stop will be my next door neighbor who actually has a TTTM hammock so I will check out that option first.

again thank you for all the help!

**Gravity** · 10-02-2014, 07:40

Check this link: https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ammock-nirvana

**ShooTa** · 10-08-2014, 15:23

I shall come at this from a physio point of view rather than a hammocker ...

and that is to watch Dr kelly Starrets youtube videos concerning shoulders using a lacross ball.

i have many old age shoulder complaints due to old rugby/army injuries and constantly get stiff shoulder muscle pain.
what you do is to take said ball (can be a hard dog toy ball- far cheaper) and place it onto the floor - then lie on the floor positioning yourself so the ball is next to your spine
approximately 4 fingers down from your neck - - from there move your arm from your hip on the oppposite side to above your head - think drawing a pistol and firinging it above your head
to increase the preasure you can lift your hips off the ground.... do this movement till the gnarliness is gone.
you can also move the ball down to just under your shoulder blade (helps to have someone place it in the right spot until your used to the position) and do the same motion...

hope that helps.