Massage & Bodywork

March | April 2014

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52 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 1 4 Palpating the Teres Major Positioning: client prone with arm at side. 1. Locate the lateral border of the scapula with your thumb. 2. Palpate the muscle belly as it extends from the inferior portion of the lateral border of the scapula. 3. Using a pincer grasp, follow the thick, round muscle belly as it helps form the posterior border of the axilla. 4. Provide resistance as the client performs shoulder extension and internal rotation to ensure proper location. FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY arm forward and downward— for example, in swimming, hitting, or throwing overhead. The teres major is particularly active when maintaining position of the upper extremity. This static activation is common in computer work, driving, or other activities where the arm is held steady in a given position. Fatigue from prolonged positioning may lead to adhesions, chronic pain, hypertonicity, ischemia, and trigger points in the posterior shoulder and particularly the teres major. The area of muscle convergence in the posterior axillary fold is commonly tender and ischemic, and contains numerous trigger points. Targeted manipulation and active movement (such as the cat/cow pose) can help flush the tissue, decrease pain, and restore function. Christy Cael is a licensed massage therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist. Her private practice focuses on injury treatment, biomechanical analysis, craniosacral therapy, and massage for clients with neurological issues. She is the author of Functional Anatomy: Musculoskeletal Anatomy, Kinesiology, and Palpation for Manual Therapists (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009). Contact her at functionalbook@hotmail.com. Client Homework: Cat/Cow Pose 1. Start on your hands and knees, with your palms flat. Align your wrists and elbows directly under your shoulders, and align your knees under your hips. 2. To perform the cat pose, exhale and round your spine toward the ceiling as you relax your head, allowing your chin to drop toward your chest. 3. Focus on spreading your shoulder blades apart as you round your back. 4. Revert to cow pose as you inhale, allowing your back to sag while you lift your head and squeeze your shoulder blades together. 5. Repeat the sequence, alternating between cat and cow with your breath. Editor's note: The Client Homework element in Functional Anatomy is intended as a take-home resource for clients experiencing issues with the profiled muscle. The stretches identified in Functional Anatomy should not be performed within massage sessions or progressed by massage therapists, in order to comply with state laws and maintain scope of practice.

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