Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/720675
C h e c k o u t A B M P 's l a t e s t n e w s a n d b l o g p o s t s . Av a i l a b l e a t w w w. a b m p . c o m . 83 movement. Suggestions for active movement include retraction, protraction, upward rotation, downward rotation, depression, and elevation of the scapula, along with humeral movement. I always invite my clients to contribute to the movement pattern. Take advantage of the wisdom of their body. After 4–5 repetitions, check in with your client with the question, "Is this point better, worse, or the same?" If it's better, ask how much better; 50 percent or more is what we're going for here. If it's worse, chances are you've landed on a trigger point at a deeper layer. If it's the same or less than 50 percent better, try another movement pattern or add resistance to the current movement pattern. The body will yield its secrets if we are patient, creative, and curious. Since the pectoralis minor can be difficult to release, I have found massaging it, then stretching it, then massaging it again to be effective. 1E. This muscle needs all the help it can get, so I always include supine work. Working with muscles from different positions allows you to access different fibers. You can palpate the pectoralis minor in the supine position by grabbing the pectoralis major in a pincer grip. Push your thumb under the pectoralis major toward the midline. Feel for a diagonal band of tissue. Use the techniques described above: Pin and Rock, longitudinal stripping, and Pin and Move. THE OBSTINATE PEC MINOR Palpating the pectoralis minor in the supine position. Since the pectoralis minor can be difficult to release, I have found massaging it, then stretching it, then massaging it again to be effective. 1A. Palpating pec minor: Slide two or three fingers under the pectoralis major (I call this the pectoralis major tunnel). Feel for a diagonal band of tissue. 1B. Pin and Rock: We'll start with a technique I call Pin and Rock. Passively shorten the muscle (protract and depress the scapula), gently pin the pectoralis minor with multiple fingers for a broad, dispersed pressure, and add a slow, rhythmic rocking of the joint. Rocking stimulates a parasympathetic response and prepares the pectoralis minor for deeper work. Come back to this technique whenever you need to give your client a break. 1C. Longitudinal stripping: When you feel the muscle relax a bit, begin longitudinal stripping from the attachments at the ribs to the attachment at the coracoid process. Stroking in this direction encourages the muscle to lengthen. As you work to release the pectoralis minor, place your other hand under your client's back and passively move the scapula through a range of motion. These scapular mobilizations aid in freeing the scapula to assume its rightful role as a freely moveable bone. If your client finds this work too painful, you can hold the scapula in protraction and depression while you work, which puts the muscle in a slack position. 1D. Releasing trigger points with Pin and Move: Once you have felt the muscle soften and yield a bit, it's time to release trigger points and fascial binding with an active movement technique I call Pin and Move. You've been working with multiple fingers; now it's time to go to one finger for specificity. When you find a congested area, pin the tissue to the first barrier (deep pressure is not necessary here—the active movement is the portal to the muscle's deeper layers). Have your client do an active