A Simple Solution for Rounded Shoulders

Pectoralis Minor on the left. Pectoralis Major on the right.

Almost a year ago I wrote about the pectoralis minor's referral pattern into the shoulder blade and shared a lovely release using a tennis ball (you can read about that here).  I am back at it again with another post highlighting the pectoralis minor and pectoralis major.  Due to the location of their attachment sites on the skeleton, they can affect the function of the head, neck, shoulder and arm.
Pectoralis Minor attaches to the coracoid process of the scapula  and to the outer surfaces of the third, fourth and fifth ribs. Restriction here can pull the shoulder blade forward (you will see the bottom/inferior portion of your shoulder blade lift away from your body wall), potentially bringing the entire arm with it).
Pectoralis Major is a big fan shaped muscle that is attached to the chest at the sternum (breast bone) and clavicle (collar bone) .  The fan shaped fibers coverge at the arm and attach into the bicipital groove of the humerus.  Restriction in this muscle will pull the arm in front of the body and rotate your arm into internal rotation (with your arms at rest at your sides, look in the mirror: where are your elbow creases facing?  If they are turned toward your body, that is called internal rotation.  In neutral, the arms should rest at the sides of the body with the elbow creases facing forward).

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Just get it off your chest and feel more free!

Before you begin with the exercises, do a motion assessment first.  Stand with your elbow creases and palms facing forward.  Lift your arms up and see how far you can lift without arching your back or letting your lower ribs lift away from your body wall.  Complete the movements as show below and then repeat the assessment.  For the first exercise you can use a tennis ball, but I prefer the high grip rubber of the Yoga Tune Up massage balls.

Place the ball at the groove, just under the clavicle.

Lean into the wall. You can add more pressure by shifting your weight forward into a lunge. Find a tender spot and allow your muscles to release. Come down farther onto the ribs and find another spot. Work 2-3 minutes.

Lie down on your side. You may want to have a pillow under your head. Bend your hips and knees to 90 degrees, arms straight out from your shoulder.

Lie down on your side, bring your hip and knee to 90 degrees. Let your leg completely rest on the ground. Reach your left arm to the ceiling stretching your shoulder blades wide, then begin to reach toward your face/over your head. Then begin to sweep your arm in an arc of motion keeping your palm and elbow toward the ceiling from your head down to your side.

Keeping your knees stacked on top of each other, begin to open up your chest by reaching your top arm toward the floor. The driver of this movement is thoracic rotation. Try to increase the motion by using your breath to get deeper. Take a breath into your ribcage and on the exhale try to get your shoulder closer to the floor. Repeat on other side. Hold for 1-2 minutes or until tolerable.

Once your arm gets to your side, turn the palm down sweeping back up in an arc of motion toward your face. You will complete a full 360 degree circle. Repeat the process 5-10 times on each side.

Reassess your arm motion:  Hopefully you have more freedom in your movement!

Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignintegrationandmovement.com.