A Move You Should Do MONDAY – Scapular Relaxercise and Arm Elevation Test

You should be able to lift your arm up over your head and reach across your body without feeling a “jam” or “pinch” in the top or front of your shoulder. Give it a try and try this week’s simple fix, scapular relaxercise.

Relaxercise exercises are based on the work of Moshe Feldenkrais, who was not a therapist but rather a physicist, who hypothesized that slow and methodical movements could be used to retrain movement patterns and restore symmetry. His method was known as Awareness Through Movement.

Why does this matter?

The scapulothoracic joint, the joint responsible for movement of the scapula on the thorax, is often overlooked and yet it is integral in achieving normal ROM of the the arm. It often becomes stuck with sedentary positions or playing on our phones. Doing this week’s exercise, scapular relaxercise, can help unlock this joint and it only takes a couple of minutes (or less).

Memorize it so you can do it at your desk at least one time a day and share it with someone you think it might help. Get rid of a shoulder jam.

Because nobody has time to be in pain.

Until next time…