B.A.S.S. – Balance. agility. strength. stretching

BEACH B.A.S.S for Week 7 - Super Shoulders

By dr. kate roberts

Quick check

Next time you reach up to a high shelf, notice what happens to your shoulders and neck.

Do your shoulders rise towards your ears? Does your neck tighten? Or can you reach comfortably while your shoulder blades move over your ribcage?

Your shoulders have an amazing range of movement, but they don't work alone.

Why this matters

Your shoulder is a shallow ball-and-socket joint, giving your arm an amazing range of movement. But all that flexibility means it needs plenty of muscular control to stay stable.

Look at the image above. Your shoulder blade (scapula) sits against your ribcage, while your collarbone connects it to the rest of your skeleton. Together, the shoulder blade and collarbone form the shoulder girdle, which helps position and move your arm.

This helps explain why shoulder pain isn't always just about the shoulder joint. A stiff ribcage or poor thoracic posture can change how your shoulder blade moves, sometimes making reaching overhead uncomfortable or causing your neck muscles to work harder.

When we're treating an unhappy shoulder, we look at how changing the position or movement of your ribcage, shoulder blade or arm affects your pain. This helps us decide which muscles need more strength, flexibility or better control.

What to do this week

Start by paying attention to your thoracic posture. If your centre dot drops and your upper back becomes rounded and stiff, your shoulder blades may not move as freely as they need to.

Remember our familiar Physiocise cues: shine your light and widen your dots.

Then follow this week's B.A.S.S. video, where we'll work on shoulder stability, relaxed movement, strength and flexibility.

The aim isn't to hold your shoulders rigidly in a perfect position. It's to develop the strength and movement options you need to reach, lift and carry comfortably.

Take a closer look

Want to see just how many muscles work together when you lift your arm?

Watch the shoulder muscles in action

Kate has selected this anatomy clip because it shows the remarkable connections between your shoulder, neck and trunk.

Some of the written explanations are quite technical so ignore those and start watching from 17seconds. Watch how the muscles move and work together. It helps explain why shoulder problems can be complex and why improving movement sometimes takes time.