Your ability to raise your arm above your head is
dependent upon the healthy function of a major joint in your shoulder region -
the glenohumeral joint. This is what
most of us know as the “ball and socket joint” of the shoulder. It allows you
to move your scapula in pretty much every direction.
The rotator cuff muscles are what support the glenohumeral joint. A lot of people
think there’s just one rotator cuff, but guess what? You’ve actually got four
of them!
A lot of people damage their rotator cuff because the big
muscles supporting it aren't in optimal shape.
They’re not very powerful muscles, and they are used to
keep the arm in the socket, so a lot of people injure or tear a rotator cuff
because the big muscles supporting the shoulder - like your latissimus,
rhomboids, and serratus - are not working efficiently. This leaves you trying
to use more of these stabilizing rotator cuff muscles for strength and power,
and they don’t like that. So you end up injuring one or more rotator cuffs.
To keep your shoulders healthy and strong, I’m going to
share with you:
1. How to use manual therapy to improve your problem
areas.
2. Some basic and natural movements that will build
shoulder strength.
The Supraspinatus
Of the four rotator cuff muscles, the supraspinatus is
the main one people tend to injure, especially in any traumatic accident.
Falling on your shoulder is a good way to tear this muscle. So, first things
first, either don’t fall when you’re climbing or make sure to fall properly.
Your supraspinatus comes down from deep in your upper
trap on top of your scapula - which is where most people want to have their
shoulders rubbed after sitting in a chair and being stressed out all day - and
inserts right into the top of the humerus. That’s your upper arm. So, if you
have a problem with the supraspinatus, look for a trigger point in that area
(one of those big knots you feel). Work on that point and see if it helps you
move your shoulder and arm more freely and with less pain.
If you have a problem with the supraspinatus, look for a
trigger point in that area.
The Other Three
Of
the other three rotator cuff muscles, you’ve got the infraspinatus and the
teres minor that allow you to externally rotate your
upper arm. Then there is the subscapularis, which allows you to push down and
forward. Think of it as lightly throwing something. Your subscapularis muscle
is a bit like your armpit muscle, and it integrates with the serratus anterior
to provide essential stability and motion to the scapula.
A lot of people who have pain deep in their shoulder or
even their upper back are actually experiencing subscapularis problems. Working
on the trigger point in front of the scapula, as well as in your armpit area,
can provide dramatic results. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? How do you determine if
this is your problem?
Lay supine (on your back) and bring your upper arms out
perpendicular to either side of you. Then, let your forearms fall back (ninety
degree elbow hands facing up). Can your forearms touch the floor? Are they
equal left to right? That range of motion is going to be most dependent on your
subscapularis muscle. If you’re having issues, then look for trigger points up
in your scapula and see what you find.
Beware: This is a sore and sensitive area for most
regardless of whether there’s an issue to be dealt with or not. Proceed slowly
and be cautious of nerves. If you experience numbness or tingling sensations,
then move out of that area.
The Rhomboid
Another important muscle that stabilizes the shoulder
blade is the rhomboid. These muscles attach the inner part of your shoulder
blade to your spine and oppose the action of your serratus. This is where
people would tend to say, “I have pain between my shoulder blades.”
If you feel pain when you try to move your arm toward or
away from your body, your rhomboids may need work.
You could have pain anywhere in your shoulder blade as
you move, but if the problem occurs when you try to move your upper arm toward
or away from your body (rather than forward or backward), then the rhomboids
may need some work. The trigger points are typically easy to find, as they’re
right in between your shoulder blade and spine. You can roll on a tennis ball
or ask your friend (or enemy, if you want it deep) to stick an elbow in that
area.
A lot of times, the rhomboid that needs to be treated is
on the side where you’re not feeling pain with movement. These muscles have to
balance each other. So, if the right one is bothering you, the weakness might
actually be on the left side and it’s causing the right one to spasm.
Therefore, you want to treat the trigger points on the side of weakness.
Latissimus
You also have the large latissimus muscle attaching to
the upper arm. This raises your arm up and helps you pull things down. Your
latissimus muscle helps you both with shoulder motion and shoulder power.
People think of their lats when they’re climbing, but as you know, it’s much
more than just that muscle responsible for the natural motion of climbing.
Climbing is actually a great tool for keeping your
shoulders strong and healthy. It will help you develop selective tension,
improve your upper body strength, and improve the mobility of your shoulders.
The climb up, as well as passive and active hanging will help develop your
shoulder joints and especially the mobility of your glenohumeral joint.
How to Do the Climb Up
The climb up is used when hanging from a vertical surface,
to extend yourself up and reach a higher point:
1. From the hanging position, keep the arms lengthened and
walk the balls of the feet towards knee or waist level.
2. The higher you can place the feet, the greater the force you can be generated through the legs. Depending on the surface and the grip, the legs can be parallel or staggered, flexed or extended.
2. The higher you can place the feet, the greater the force you can be generated through the legs. Depending on the surface and the grip, the legs can be parallel or staggered, flexed or extended.
3. From this setup, drive through the legs and feet (or push
off the surface with the legs if beginning with the legs in extension).
4. As the legs are extended, continue driving and generating force through the balls of the feet.
4. As the legs are extended, continue driving and generating force through the balls of the feet.
5. Keeping the heels high, drive the hips forward and extend
one or both arms to secure a higher point of support with the hand(s).
6. The side swing traverse is the next essential Natural
Movement skill to master, and then onto getting yourself up and over a
horizontal bar. This is a rewarding accomplishment that will get your shoulders
developed like no other drill. Plus it’s practical and you’ll look awesome
doing it.
https://youtu.be/pys42MTuJv8 by MovNat - Steve Gangemi
