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Scapular stabilization exercises strengthen muscles supporting the shoulder girdle, including the rotator cuff and upper back muscles. Exercises and stretches can improve shoulder stability and correct posture.
Scapular stabilization exercises are exercises intended to strengthen the muscles that support the shoulder girdle, which is the bony structure that includes the shoulder blades and clavicles that support the weight of the arms, in their normal, neutral position. These movements are also intended to strengthen the muscles that keep the scapulae stable during lifting movements to better support the shoulder joint. Finally, scapular stabilization exercises can include stretching for tight muscles in the upper body, muscles that can inhibit proper function of the scapular stabilizers.
Because the glenohumeral joint has the greatest range of motion in the human body, it is also the most unstable. Therefore, several muscles must be recruited to maintain the stability of this joint through its attachments at the shoulder blades. The four rotator cuff muscles (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis) are often associated with scapular stabilization, as they are responsible for stabilizing the glenohumeral joint. However, it is the upper back muscles that attach to the shoulder blades, namely the trapezius, serratus anterior, and rhomboids, that need to be strengthened first, as these hold the scapulae in place and thus supporting the rotator cuff in its work. .
The trapezius is the large, superficial muscle in the upper back that contracts, retracts, and depresses the shoulder blades, depending on which part is activated. While the upper trapezius can become quite tight and overactive from hunching the shoulders, the middle and lower trapezius are typically weak, which can result in shoulders that round forward. The same is true of the rhomboids, which lie below the trapezius and also retract and depress, or pull back and down, the scapulae.
To strengthen these muscles, a suggested exercise is the scapular wall slide, which involves standing with your back against the wall, your feet approximately 12 inches in front of the wall, and your elbows and knuckles against the wall so that your Arms form a W. Miming the movement of a lat pull down and keeping the shoulder blades retracted and depressed, one should slowly slide the arms up the wall while applying steady back pressure. You should then slide them down into the W as far as you can without letting go of your shoulder blades or allowing your elbows or knuckles to come off the wall, and repeat.
Another scapular stabilization muscle is the serratus anterior, the grooved muscle that sits below the thorax on either side of the rib cage. In addition to stabilization, the serratus anterior pulls the shoulder blades forward and out, turning them upward. To strengthen this muscle, experts recommend pushups with scapular protraction and retraction, which begins with a military pushup or kneeling position. From this position with the shoulders directly above the hands, the shoulder blades should first be brought together and then separated. Returning the scapulae to neutral, you should perform one repetition of a push-up, and then repeat all three movements.
A final component of scapular stabilization training is to stretch those muscles that are antagonistic to the scapular stabilizers and can therefore inhibit them from doing their job. In many cases, the tight anterior deltoid and pectoralis major muscles, which push the shoulders forward and internally rotate them, require more stretching. To stretch these muscles, located in the front of the chest and shoulder, one should stand in a doorway with one hand placed on the back of the frame, palm facing forward, and arm extended to the side at shoulder height. Keeping your shoulder blades depressed, you should slowly move your chest away from your outstretched hand, applying a stretch to your pecs and holding for 20-30 seconds before repeating on the opposite side.
Similarly, stretching the upper trapezius is recommended, especially for those who sit in front of a computer for long periods. To do so, one should clasp the hands behind the back while sitting or standing, keeping the arms straight and the chest lifted. Retracting your head and slightly tucking your chin, you should pull your shoulders down while pressing your shoulder blades, optionally tilting your head to either side to deepen the stretch. This stretch should be done for 20-30 seconds, and for sedentary office workers or anyone who carries a load like a briefcase by their side, it should be done several times a day.
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