We’ll dive into each one, and I’ll give you the best ways to address each.įorward head posture has become a huge problem. There are 3 major causes behind levator scapulae pain. 3 Reasons Why You Have Levator Scap Pain (and how to fix it) Instead, let’s do things to make a lasting change. So while it might temporarily provide a little extra length to the muscle, it’s simply going to tighten right back up. It doesn’t do anything at all to address the root causes of WHY you have levator scapulae pain. Image by This stretches the right levator scapulae.īut there’s a problem with this levator scapulae stretch… You then use your left hand on top of your head to encourage your chin down, while using your right hand to grab the chair behind you and resist. In this stretch, you sit on a chair or bench and take your chin down towards one shoulder – let’s say your left. How Do You Stretch the Levator Scapulae?įaced with these tight levator scapulae symptoms, most folks will try a classic levator scapulae stretch. Image by If either of these movements are limited it’s a sign you probably have very tight levator scap muscles. Here you should get to about 90 degrees, seeing straight out to the side. Next try to keep your shoulders stable, but rotate your head toward the side. You should be able to get to about 45 degrees of motion. Standing up straight, side bend your neck, taking your ear towards your shoulder. We’ll use thee motions to see if your levator scap has the range it should have. Remember that when your shoulder blades are stable, contractions of this muscle can lead to side bending and rotation of the neck. If you have symptoms like chronic headaches, shoulder pain, neck pain or trigger points, you can perform a few quick mobility tests to see if a tight levator scapulae might be contributing to the problem. In these cases you might feel discomfort down the shoulder or on top of the scapulae. Referred pain from the levator is another common problem. Levator scapulae pain is commonly felt as trigger points in the neck, but it also causes restricted movement and for some folks it can even cause some pretty nasty headaches. Lugging around heavy bags over your shoulder, sleeping with improper support, and a big one – POOR POSTURE – can all also contribute to pain in this muscle. When your scapulae are fixed the levator scapulae assist in side bending and rotation of your cervical spine. We’ll dive more into forward head posture later, but this is a good thing to keep in mind. If you’ve got a common postural problem called forward head posture, this anterior tilt of the scapulae can become exaggerated. It also assists in pulling your shoulder blades toward the midline with a slight downward rotation and anterior tilt of the scapulae. This motion is common in activities like swimming, racquet sports like tennis or squash and throwing a baseball or football. Its primary function is to elevate your scapulae (hence the name), when the spine is fixed. This muscle originates at the first four cervical vertebrae of your neck and inserts into the upper corner of your scapula, called the superior angle. Your levator scapulae is not a massive muscle, but it can have a big effect on your pain and function. Instead, it’s time to understand the root causes so you can recover effectively. A simple levator scapulae stretch won’t do much to ease that pain in your neck.
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