are you suffering from medial scapular pain which is a pain on the middle part of your
back that you think is a back pain but this is really originated from your neck that supplies
the middle aspect of your scapular area of your shoulder blade hi my name is Annie and welcome
back to my channel Annie Pilates physical therapist in this video I'll be targeting
four best strengthening stretches exercises to Target your medial scapular pain utilizing Pilates
yoga and physical therapy if you're new to my channel my channel is about Pilates yoga Physical
Therapy health and wellness please subscribe to my channel so you won't miss any of my video training
in this video you will need an elastic band a mat to join me today [Music]
so let's discuss about medial scapular pain it's really common especially if you have forward
rounded headed shoulder posture and sometimes with weakness on your core muscles it creates
this forward posture without the support on your core muscles and because it's a neck pain that
supplies the middle aspect your rhomboids levator scapulae and over trained upper straps muscles it
causes this never-ending cycle of forward shoulder posture and it also causes This Global problem
on your scapula this can be relieved a little bit with some neck stretches because when you relieve
the pinched nerve from your neck it will help relieve that pins and needles sometimes on your
scapula or sometimes sharp pain or sometimes it's chronic that creates this dull nagging aching pain
but when this becomes weak it becomes really sore tight and then with this weakness if you
don't strengthen this area then it has its own Global problem so it creates this situation no
matter how much we stretch your neck if you don't strengthen this area where you're having peninsula
in one side or sometimes bilateral then it's important to strengthen it and then also do your
neck exercises I have some neck exercises video you can add after this beautiful strengthening
program to Target those muscles that will help support your scapular to open your chest and
help your overall posture so the first exercise we're going to do is a simple row so you can do
this by utilizing the elastic band tie it on the floor knob and you're gonna do some roll exercises
you can start with one band or double band depends on your strength level and you can also do this in
seated position with your knees bent for those with tight knees or tight hamstrings and you're
going to place it around the arch chest of your feet and with the rows you want to make sure your
back is straight core engage and when you're gonna pull it you want to make sure it's not on an arm
exercise not a shoulder exercise but a back upper back exercise targeting your scapula so when you
start pulling the band with your hands grip on it you want to make sure you pull through your
shoulder first so if it's your right side only you can do one unilateral so as you pull you
can place it on your right foot if it's your right shoulder if you have right scapular pain
place the band on the arch of your foot and you're gonna keep your thumb up elbows level to your hip
shoulder back you're going to start pulling with your back scapular engage first before you gently
pull it so you want to make sure the elbows behind your back and hold it for five seconds
hold as you inhale and then exhale release slow and steady this is not the strengthening just
to keep building muscle but to help awareness proprioception on your back again you're going to
scapular pull so shoulder back opening your chest and pull keeping your neck chain tuck protect your
neck core engage pull your belly button to your spine and then pull back again inhale
pull back elbow behind you and then as you progress you want to pull back with a little
bit rotation turning your neck now because I said this is a neck situation as well
if you have Miss scapular pain and look behind your shoulder and back pull and turn your eye gaze
behind your shoulder and then you can progress with your knees bent again both and do both
if you want to strengthen the other side do that 10 repetitions five seconds hold
slowly build up to 10 seconds hold and if you want to Target the other side as well you can
if you want to keep it balanced and stable on your postural muscles so after doing rows then
we're going to do some arm sky dive which means you're going to lie on your stomach if you have
problem on your back be careful when you lie in your stomach and through gravity you're going
to be against gravity line in your stomach with your elbow straight you want to make sure you're
not hiking your shoulder towards your ear you want to pull it down reaching down to your foot
you can place one hand in front of you to rest your neck because it's a neck condition as well
so you're going to reach down to your ankle so I'm reaching down with my thumb down pointing
down and as I reach down towards my foot I'm slowly lifting my hand behind my back
so I'm reaching back and really engaging my scapular muscles and if you have forward around
the shoulder posture you really want to pull back your shoulder blade and the front part of
your shoulder is pulled back not pointing down to the mat but pulling up opening external rotating
your shoulder blade so you're external rotating your shoulder and then your shoulder blade is
engaged and put you're going to feel it on that mid back area where you have pain again
reach down and then lift as you pull back you're going to slowly externally take your thumb is
slowly opening towards to the ceiling and inhale hold it for five four three two one and exhale
and do that ten repetitions the next exercise is going to be in all fours if you have knee problem
you can place pillows on your knees hand level to your shoulder fingers open for support and
we're gonna do some scapular depression and push so this is going to engage your scapular muscles
so you want to make sure your chin tuck protect your neck as I said it's a neck condition as well
and you're going to slowly press down to the mat so this is Against Gravity so it's a little bit
difficult and you're going to push and really elongating that scapular is a gentle stretch
as you inhale and then exhale slowly lowering your chest down keeping your elbows straight
and then squeezing that scapula contract relax so it's like you're Contracting the area
and then exhale push push push push I'm lifting inhale squeezing your core in for a core
engagement and then exhale down make sure your knees level to your hip and your core is engaged
again press I'm really alligating chin tuck retract your neck and then exhale push push push
feel that scapular your medial scapular area you're squeezing it together and then press
it's like a captain camel but keeping your neck retracted so my neck muscles are also engaging
so after doing that 10 repetitions five seconds hold for beginner up to 10 seconds hold you will
need the wall for cervical retraction because as I said it's a cervical condition if you find all
fours difficult you can also do some wall standing wall presses for absolute beginners so we can do
the same thing you're gonna press press and then it's like a push-up keeping your elbow straight
towards the wall you come closer and then back so let me demonstrate press press and then out
so it's a little bit easier if you're very weak for absolute beginners because on all fours it's
a lot with your body weight sometimes and the last exercise is on the wall you can do it this
for beginners and seated position with your knees bent making sure your buttocks is a little bit a
few inches off the wall the most important thing is your scapular muscles pushing back
and then you want to make sure your head is touching the wall your shoulder blades touching
the wall and then your palms on your side Palms open and then this one you're gonna squeeze your
scapula towards the wall you're gonna pull gently your elbows towards your waist and then you're
pushing your head on the wall hold it for five four three two one you're gonna feel the tension
on your neck all the way to that scapular area and then as you release you extend your elbows pushing
your hands out reaching out and then relaxing your neck so again as you pull in you push your head
towards the wall chin tuck you'll make a double chin and then slowly pull in on your elbow and
then reach you can do this in sitting or you can also do this in standing but when you're standing
your buttock should be on the wall and your heel at the back of your feet is a few inches off the
wall so when you do this in standing make two to three inches off the wall and then your head
is touching and your buttocks is touching as well Palms out pressing your head chin tuck and then
pressing your shoulder blade and your elbow and back of your hand on the wall and then as
you exhale slowly release pushing my hand away from me and relaxing again chin tuck poo poo in
and then relax so contract relax five seconds hold up to 10 repetitions and then challenge as well to
10 seconds hold as you get stronger improving your posture to open that chest engage those upper back
muscles and your neck your posterior chain muscles if you love this video and if you want me to do a
follow along video leave a comment down below and I try to make a video just for you if you have any
questions suggestions and concerns about medial scapular pain and if you want to engage more of
your neck muscles and to improve the flexibility Mobility I have videos you can check out over here
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until my next video training always remember be safe be well and health through you bye