Ive recently had a number of clients come to see me who look like a walking apostrophe! They have a sunken chest and the grandma / grandpa hunch going on! Not only does it make them look old, it also really impacts on their daily routine and in some cases, their athletic success. They want to know how to correct this and how to reduce the pain. There are a few muscles working (or not working) to produce this type of posture - one of these is the Rhomboid - actually there are 2 - Rhomboid Major and Rhomboid Minor! Firstly, lets look at what the Rhomboids are: The rhomboids are the very thin muscles located in your upper back between the shoulder blades. Since the rhomboids connect the shoulder blade (or scapula) to the spinal column, the relatively small muscles are responsible for a heavy burden that includes pulling your shoulders back for correct posture. Weakness or tightness (or both) in the rhomboids not only causes bad posture, but also eventually leads to pain. The rhomboid is like your backs designated driver: you really should appreciate it, but, well, you forget! The problem is, it weakens with age or disuse. There are however, some simple steps to improve the functionality of the Rhomboids: 1. HAVE A MASSAGE - one of the best ways to keep your rhomboids in working order is by having a massage. Sports massage and deep tissue massage are particularly good at targeting muscles like the rhomboid. 2. Give yourself a hug - one simple stretch entails holding your left tricep with your right hand and pulling your left arm across the front of your body so, in effect, you hug yourself. Repeat the stretch on the opposite side. If you want a dynamic stretch for the rhomboids try swinging your arms open and closed and try to touch your shoulder blades with your fingers each time you make the closing motion. 3. Pull the trigger…..that is, trigger point therapy - trigger points are muscle knots that cause local pain and so treatment entails a combination of massage, compression and stretching methods to ease the knot. 4. Strengthen…..dont strain - stretching and various kinds of therapy are good first steps towards stronger and healthier rhomboids but if you want a long-term, global (full-body) improvement you need to strengthen the muscle. If youre into lifting weights, then T-Bar exercises, seated rows, reverse flies and wide grip pull-ups will do wonders for the rhomboid. Pilates and yoga courses often target the rhomboids as well, if youre into a lower impact approach to strengthening and toning. BOOK NOW to have a massage! pinkginger.sg
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 07:14:14 +0000
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