![]() Elevate your arms and rest your elbows to the side. Freeing this muscle along with the other muscles surrounding the shoulder blade allows for better shoulder flexion and stronger overhead lifts. Instead of sitting slouched to text or use your phone, bend your arms at a 90-degree angle. The levator scapulae length and tension can be assessed by placing the patient in supine, stabilizing the ipsilateral scapula, and contralateraly side bend and. In this video I show you 2 ways you can stretch the. It causes tightness in the neck and shoulders. Youre going to look down and off to the left, like in the picture below. Levator scapulae muscle gets really tight for most people. This position allows the muscles in the scapula-thoracic area and in the cervical spine to relax. Lets say youre going to stretch your right levator. The levator scapulae is stretched passively in the supine position with the head supported on a mat. It has a fascial connection to the supraspinatus muscle of the rotator cuff. Here is a simple way to stretch it: First, youre going to look down and to the side. Whether or not you remembered to put on anti-perspirant, theres nothing to be embarrassed about as you work out that pesky knot in your shoulders. Levator scapula is part of the ‘Core-Four’ Upper. The best part about the Levator Scapula Stretch is you get to do a covert armpit check while youre at it. (Image courtesy of Tom Myers: from his groundbreaking book – “ AnatomyTrains“)Ībove image shows levator scapula on the left – spanning from side of neck down to supraspinatus of the rotator cuff and top of left shoulder blade. ![]() A much more effective approach than jamming an elbow or ball into the top of the shoulder blade! ![]() The goal is not to lengthen the muscle, but free the surrounding fascia, which is accomplished through lateral flexion and rotation of the neck. However, freeing the fascia of the neck with this stretch is a good approach for a more relaxed shoulder and resolving the knot that is often treated with a therapists elbow or through treatment with a lacrosse ball. Proper treatment includes improving thoracic flexibility and ribcage position to allow the head to be better supported. Tom Myers calls this muscle ‘capitus preventus (from going) forwardus’ – referring to this action, which is not the muscle’s normal healthy function. That knot at the top of your shoulder blade is often a sign that levator scapula is acting as a brake to control forward head position (computer posture). ![]() Levator scapula spans from the top of the shoulder blade to the side of the neck.Ī tight levator scapula interferes with the fixed position of the shoulder blade during shoulder flexion – compromising shoulder position during overhead lifts. ![]()
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