![]() However, let’s first look at the anatomy and function of the Upper Traps to help us understand them better. I argue that weak inefficient Upper Traps are often the culprit for a lot of shoulder and neck pains, and I argue that most Upper Traps need to be strengthened a lot more, a lot, lot more. ![]() Hence we don’t need to be stretching or massaging these muscles, we need to be giving strengthening exercises, which is completely alien and counterintuitive for some. Most, if not all the painful upper traps I see are weak and long, not tight and short, and yes they can ‘feel’ tight and tense, but they ‘feel’ this way because they are overloaded due to being weak. Well, I argue the exact opposite approach is needed. I also see and hear many therapists choosing exercises to help reduce upper traps activity, by focusing on the Lower Traps to restore the balance between them. I hear them explaining how they can feel or see that this muscle is knotted and tense, and explain how it needs to be released, loosened, and stretched. ![]() I regularly hear physio telling patients that this muscle is too tight or ‘overactive’ and so the cause of their neck or shoulder pain. The Upper Trapezius muscle is one such structure that gets an awful lot of blame, but unfairly and incorrectly in my opinion. There is a strong culture within physiotherapy to blame a specific structure, be it a muscle, ligament, nerve, fascia etc when things are sore and painful for our patients. According to Adam’s view, the reason why the upper traps become tight is because they are weak and thus should be an integral part of the strength training regime instead of just releasing them!Īre you still massaging the upper traps or have you already started training them? Read the article that will give you a different perspective on the role of the upper traps!!! The upper traps get a lot of blame and are commonly released, massaged, dry needled and what not during physiotherapy treatment, while the middle and lower traps receive a lot of attention during training because they are commonly weak.
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