03/21/2023
Good morning!
This morning I want to chat about something we ALL have in common…
NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN! 😫
Most of us struggle with similar types of pain in the neck and shoulder areas, common complaints from clients such as a burning, stabbing, pain in the top of the shoulders, between the shoulder blades and running up the back, extending to the sides of the neck point to a very important muscles known as the TRAPEZIUS, or traps, for short.
It’s easy to understimate this muscle if you are unfamiliar with it, the size of it is much larger than most people think. Typically we think of traps as those muscles that sit at the top of your shoulders, they pop up a little when your shrug.
It originates at the superior nuchal line, external occipital protuberance, nuchal ligament and the spinous processes of C7-T12, so at the back of your skull all the way to the middle of your back.
And then it inserts on the lateral 1/3 clavicle, acromion and the spine of your scapula. So the outside bit of your collarbone, top of your shoulder and the bony part on the top of your shoulder blade.
It’s shaped sort of like a kite, from the back of your head, out to the top of your shoulder and down to the middle of your back. The trapezius muscle covers so much area that it is divided into three sections; upper, middle and lower.
Because it’s so big and the attachments of the muscle fibres, it has lots of different jobs. The trapezius is responsible for:
-extending the head and neck
-flexing the head and neck to the same side
-rotate the head and neck to the opposite side
- elevate, depress, upwardly rotate, adduct and stabilize the scapula
That is a lot of jobs! No wonder it’s hurting!
Now think about the way you are sitting. Shoulders rounding forward and dropped down, chin to your chest probably holding a device in your hand or leaning over a computer. That whole muscle is now stretched out and held in that position for long periods of time.
This is your sign to sit up straight, roll your shoulders back, point your chin to the sky and take a deep breath in, exhale and let all that tension from your shoulders go with it!
Now! Who needs a stretch to help your trapezius feel amazing?!