'Winging' Shoulder Blades
Dancing Smart Newsletter
October 14, 2005
Announcements
There have been some problems with certain Internet providers (like Comcast.net) who over the past three weeks who have blocked email from the server I use for the newsletter. If you have not received the past 3 newsletters but are back to receiving them now, yippee! I believe most of the problems have been worked out – but never hesitate to inform me if you didn't receive a newsletter by Saturday morning at the latest. That way I'll know quickly if there is a problem. I'll make a general announcement when there won't be a newsletter. Thanks to Gwen Pratt for bringing the delivery problem to my attention!
Question of the Week
Hi! My shoulder blades are a little funny. They stick out and my teacher said it's called 'wings'. She keeps telling me to hold my back, but I really can't find a way to fix it. Can you help?
Thanks, Kayleigh
Deb's Answer
This is a great question, Kayleigh, and a fairly common problem. In a young dancer, who has not sustained a traumatic injury to the shoulder area, it is usually a question of muscle balance. The pectorals muscles in front of your shoulder joint tend to be tight, with weakness of the shoulder blade muscles.
Let's start with a few ways to strengthen the scapular, or shoulder blade muscles. Start by lying on your stomach with your forehead resting on the floor or small pillow, with your arms stretched to the side. (You're making a cross with your body) Keeping your forehead on the ground, rotate your arms until your thumbs are pointing towards the ceiling and then lift both arms towards the ceiling. Do 10 repetitions of this upward movement.
Then try getting on your hands and knees (in the cat position). Gently shift forward onto your hands and allow your chest to sag towards the floor bringing your shoulder blades together, and then press away from the floor rounding your upper back like a cat hissing. Putting more weight on your arms challenges the muscles.
Moving onto tight pectorals..
You'll want to notice if you tend to sit or stand with rounded shoulders. This is another clue for tight pec muscles and you can easily stretch them out by standing in a doorway with both hands on either side of the doorjamb. Place one foot in front of the other. Without allowing your low back to arch gently shift towards the forward leg and lean through the doorway. You'll feel a stretch at the front of the chest. You could also do a single arm pec stretch and vary the height of the arm that is on the wall or door to stretch multiple areas in front of the shoulder.
When you are standing in first position try thinking of your shoulder blades hanging towards the floor instead of pinching then together. That will help you keep the shoulder blades in correct alignment, although it won't happen overnight – so be patient!
Certainly many females will benefit from doing some upper body strengthening with theraband or free weights. Look in your library for books on conditioning as a way to get started.
Until next week!
Deborah