Shoulder Blades
Rolling Back
Shoulder blades or Medical term: Scapula
In today's episode we walk through our rolling back or " rolling like a ball" movement. One of my favorite moves because it makes me feel like a little kid again. Playing is exercise we didn't realize it when we were younger though.
Monkey bars
Swings
Tag
All play...
All exercise...
Back to rolling back... You'll hear me reference "the points" of the shoulder blades or "the tips". I'm referring to the Inferior Angle of the Shoulder blades. The points are our goal to roll back to, to stay off the cervical spine. Or, laymen's terms, the neck. Putting too much weight or pressure on your neck can cause damage or injury with a healthy neck, now add a pathology...
Let's talk about the shoulder blades. They are two triangle-ish shaped bones on the back of the shoulders. Each shoulder blade connects the upper arm bone to the collar bone and has groups of muscles attached to them. These muscles help move or stabilize the shoulders.
The muscles are as follows:
Serratus Anterior: a stabilizing muscle. It originates from the first 8 ribs going along the rib cage to insert along the anterior (front) medial aspect of the scapula. Spreading along the medial border, with the lower part inserting into the inferior angle(or point of shoulder blade).
Rhomboids: (major and minor) These are also stabilizers. The rhomboid minor starts from the spinous process of c-7 vertebrae & first thoracic vertebrae or T-1, and inserts into the medial border or the scapula. The rhomboid major starts from the 2nd to 5th thoracic vertebrae and inserts into the medial scapular border.
Trapezius: (upper/middle/lower) offer help with movement. Attachments for the Trapezius include C7-T12, the clavicle, and the acromion on the scapula.
Levator Scapula: Attachments are C-1 through C-4 and the medial border of the scapula.
More information about what each muscle group does and more specific attachment points are located here: The International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy.
How do we roll back?
Listen to Episode 12 for modifications. Grab a yoga mat and sit at the front. Knees are bent, feet start flat on the floor. Hug the legs wrapping the arms around the outside of the legs holding onto the shins. Nod your chin towards your chest leaving space between the chin and the chest, round through your thoracic spine drawing your abdominals in and back. Keep rounding until your feet pick up off the floor. Round even more feeling the oppositional pull between the shins and the hands. Keep rounding until you rock back stopping at," the points", of the shoulder blades. With control rock yourself back up to balance on your sit bones. Keep repeating the motion up to 3 times. Control each movement more and more every time. Have fun... it's play time!