The Shoulder Girdle: Function & Issues

Questions Answered Here

1. What is the function of the shoulder girdle?
2. Describe four movements of the scapulae and give examples of each.
3. What six arm movements are made possible by the shoulder girdle’s mobility? Give examples of each.
4. Name some potential shoulder injuries.
5. What two factors are often considered keys to understanding potential issues and how to keep the shoulder joint safe?
6. What common aspects of modern life may cause issues with the shoulder girdle?
7. Describe the anatomy behind a forward head and slumped shoulders.
8. Describe the serratus anterior muscles and their function.
9. Why are the serratus muscles often tight and weak?
10. Describe practices for healthy shoulders.

Function & Movements

• The shoulder girdle gives the arms support, mobility and stability for such movements as raising and lowering the arms in Urdhva Hastasana(Upward Salute) or applying force as in Chaturanga Dandasana (Four Limbed Staff Pose).
• The direction and quality of arm movement is determined by muscles that form a bridge between the shoulder and the arm bone. If some muscles are tight, for example, the arm bone can rotated internally as we see in a slumping posture.

The movement of your shoulder is actually quite complex; it’s not just those two bones moving relative to one another. Instead, when your arm bone moves in different directions, the shoulder blade slides and glides around on your back and side rib cage, too. Although this makes the shoulder joint’s movements more complex than the hip joint, the shoulder has the same six basic movements, which can be combined in various ways. – Baxter Bell