Know your muscles, without the Jargon 2! The Upper body

THE CHEST, SHOULDERS & BACK.

You may have heard of your trainer calling their Biceps “guns”. This is believed to refer to the arms being used like weapons in boxing and other fighting sports, but also from a historical basketball reference, where the term was used when referring to a strong throwing arm. So what about your “Traps” which has nothing to do with ensnaring some poor unfortunate animal, but is in fact shortened terminology for the Trapezius muscle group.

In the second of this series of blogs, Weald Fit and Therapy are here to debunk the jargon so you can identify where these muscles actually are located; the next blog will deal with the arms but now let’s start with…

THE TRAPS/TRAPEZIUS MUSCLE GROUP.

This muscle group is triangular shaped and found over most of the upper back. It is subdivided into 3 sections on each side of the spine, referred to as Trapezius I (Superior), II (Middle) & III (Inferior) due to the alignment of muscle fibres in each of the 3 segments, thus causing different movement patterns when any particular segment of the muscle contracts. As a whole, the muscle group attaches into the spine from the base of the skull all the way down the thoracic vertebrae and extends across the width of the shoulders, so bringing about shoulder blade and some neck movements. It also helps to stabilise the shoulder while the arms move. Tightness / stiffness in this muscle group, as well as poor posture can bring about such problems as shoulder or neck pain, tingling or numbness in the arms as well as a decreased range of movement in the shoulders &/or neck. As a massage therapist, I see a great many clients with these particular problems and release of the tension through manual therapy is extremely effective in this regard. PLEASE NOTE – current Covid 19 guidelines only permit me to dispense advice on self management until the situation changes. Please do contact me via our website should you require assistance.

THE RHOMBOIDS.

These are situated at a deeper level to Trapezius, located either side of your back, attaching the vertebrae to the edge of shoulder blades. Repeated slouching posture or carrying a heavy backpack can put strain on this muscle, the symptoms of which include pain or discomfort centred into the upper back and possible increase in discomfort with moving the affected area, swelling, bruising or even pain when breathing.

THE PECS/ PECTORAL MUSCLES + SERRATUS ANTERIOR.

There are the 2 main chest muscles, Pectoralis Major and Minor. They fan from the breastbone and the collarbone, across to the front wall of the armpit and attaching to the humerus (upper arm bone). They create the bulk of the chest and can be easily seen in bodybuilders, boxers etc. The smaller Serratus Anterior is found at the sides of the chest wall, attaching to the ribs rather than the breastbone. As the Pecs attach to the humerus, their main major function is moving the arm. However the smaller two muscles also attach to the shoulder blade, thereby stabilising it against the ribs at the back of the body. Hence the shoulder is such a complex joint which in turn is supported by ….

THE ROTATOR CUFF MUSCLES.

This group of 4 muscles are not easily detected and work together to help other larger muscles move the arm, with their tendons stabilising the ball shaped head of the humerus into the shallow socket of the shoulder, thereby allowing the extensive variety of movements that the arm can perform. However they are relatively vulnerable to injury, especially one particular muscle called Supraspinatus with problems with this muscle more prevalent age or in those whose occupations require a repeated overhead motion. The Supraspinatus can easily become inflamed and trapped inside the shoulder joint complex because it runs through the shoulder from the back of the shoulder to the front.

THE DELTOID.

This muscle is named after the Greek letter delta and is like an epaulet forming a rounded triangle at the top of the arm and around the shoulder. It is in 3 portions, attached to the collarbone at the front, and different parts of the shoulder blade at its middle and rear segments. All the segments blend together into a point that attaches to the humerus so it moves the arm in several directions, depending on which segment is dominant while contracting.

THE LATS / LATISSIMUS DORSI.

The broadest muscle in the upper body, the Latissimus Dorsi is a flat muscle found below the Trapezius muscle and sweeping around the lower back from the vertebrae and lower 3 or 4 ribs to form the back wall of the armpit, inserting onto the humerus. They are most active when pulling the body upwards in activities such as rock climbing and when swimming. They also assist in breathing by lifting / expanding the rib cage when breathing in and in the act of side bending. Should you suffer from a postural condition called Scoliosis, (a C shape or S shape of the spine) affecting the lower back alignment, one the the Lats will likely be tighter than its opposite, hence stretches that target specific muscles may be of assistance and can be provided by Daniel or Joe from Weald Fit and Therapy.

THE THORACOLUMBAR FASCIA.

Not actually a muscle, but is connective tissue that is a huge diamond shape, covering a central location on the lower back and displays a degree of flexibility. Frequently the root of nagging lower back pain the TLF (sometimes just called the Lumbar Fascia) enables the transmission of movement forces between upper and lower body as muscles contract and relax. What’s that? Jargon again ????! Well a perfect example is walking; the coordination of legs motion, torso adjustment and arms that naturally move to complement the leg movement.
So how does the TFL play a part in lower back pain?
Firstly inflammations or micro-tears are believed to cause the stimulation of nerve endings in the fascia and the free nerve endings that are present in your Central Nervous System.
Secondly, after an injury, the surrounding soft tissues & the TFL become immobile or overloaded, which is in fact a structural change that will affect your posture and the way that your body moves. These changes may mean your pain threshold may be lowered, simply meaning the pain you feel is more intense and faster to occur.
Hence dealing correctly with this type of injury is critical to a successful rehabilitation. Daniel is specifically trained in Back Rehabilitation and contacting him via our Weald Fit and Therapy website maybe the best decision you ever make!