When it comes to good shoulder function, upper back posture and a content neck, it all comes down to the work across your upper back and shoulder blade support muscles. We call this 'scapular stability.' When your shoulder blades (or scapulae) are supported with the right muscles and in the correct alignment, everything up there in the top of your body just works well and in balance.This can alleviate pain and injury, with everything from neck pain and tension, headaches, rib and upper back complaints, shoulder impingement, rotator cuff and biceps tendon issues and upper limb nerve pain.
Let's keep the shoulder blade and 'scapular stability' awareness super simple.
✅ Imagine your shoulder blades sitting on your upper back. You want to feel that they are gently widened and sitting flat upon your back (not winging or sticking sharply off your back). You could imagine them sitting into their little 'pockets' like you would picture your bum pockets on your jeans.
✅ Like the image in this post, the pockets on your jeans sit slightly splayed away from each other, just as your shoulder blades should also sit.
✅ You will feel a little work across the upper back - this is excellent and exactly what is required to endure your scapular stability throughout your day.
✅ Also notice that your chest at the front is gently widened.
❎ We do NOT want to squeeze the shoulder blades 'back and down.' This creates a dropped shoulder posture, inefficient and non-ideal shoulder movement, pulling on the neck and an over worked or over active "back gripping" posture strategy. Not good end results at all.
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