Massage Tutorial: Lifting the Shoulder Blade
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- čas přidán 19. 09. 2017
- My new book is out! It's called Massage Is Weird: massagesloth.com/book/
Want to give your massage clients a new sense of freedom in their shoulders? Here are 4 ways of working under the scapula (and why you don't need to force it).
0:32 Method 1: Scooping the shoulder
2:10 Mobilizing the shoulder blade once you have it lifted
2:35 Method 2: Bolstering with a towel
4:10 Method 3: Placing the client's hand behind their back
5:24 Method 3.5: Side-lying arm rotation
6:20 Method 4: Pressing upward while the client is supine
7:50 Why work under the shoulder blade?
11:18 How to work with clients with immobile shoulder blades
If your client has upper back pain or pain between the shoulder blades, it can be useful to mobilize the scapula. My most frequently used method is to scoop the shoulder as I work with the medial scapula-I form my hand into a lever and use it to bring the shoulder into retraction. This reduces tension in the rhomboids and allows me to lift the shoulder blade away from the ribs in many clients. From here, I can use the rocking of my stance to mobilize the scapula in all directions. I find that I'm able to work this into my massage routines seamlessly, not interrupting the flow of the session.
I also use the last method fairly frequently. By "walking" my fingers under the shoulder, I'm able to end by curling my fingers toward the medial scapula and creating some space there. I often do this in combination with other techniques that target the upper back and rotator cuff while the client is supine, allowing me to massage and mobilize that posterior tissue with very little effort on my part.
I don't see massaging under the scapula as a means to an end. I don't do it to "break up knots" or to get the rhomboids to "release." The area between the shoulder blades is often chronically long and taut, making it a region likely to end up with some sensitivity and hypertrophy; this isn't something I think I can "break up" with my hands. Instead I try to work broadly with all the muscles of the shoulder girdle and beyond. If we can get those to release their tone, it's possible for those postural muscles in the upper back to finally get some slack.
So why work under the shoulder blade? Because it's an interesting new stimulus. It demonstrates to the client, both consciously and on the level of the spinal reflexes, that this area is capable of stretch and movement. It tells the client how their scapula works, and about its relationship with the rest of the back and shoulder girdle.
If you can't get under a client's shoulder blade, I say take it slow. Think about working with mobility over ten sessions rather than one, and realize that any massage techniques that move the shoulder blade in new ways will be useful for their nervous system. Some clients will always have stubborn scapulae, and that's okay.
Let me know what you think, and if you have any techniques you'd like to share! Thanks for watching!
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I can offer this content for free thanks to the direct support of 159 wonderful Patreon supporters. If you find my videos useful and want to read more about it, click here: www.patreon.com/MassageSloth Oh, and I just hit 75,000 subscribers. How weird is that? Thanks everyone!
Thank you Ian for inspiring and updating a former massage therapist. I love to keep in touch with the trade although I've moved on to other things. It is always nice to watch your techniques and listening to your calm voice.
Thanks so much, Thofus!
@@MassageSloth Are you still uploading on your patroon?
Old friend of mine used to do massage, and standing facing away from him, he would pull my shoulder back with one hand, and scoop his fingers underneath my shoulder blade with the other. Felt amazing.
I'm not a massage therapist but I find your videos incredibly interesting. I also can't afford massages for my back pain, so watching these helps me live vicariously through your clients.
Julia if there is a massage school near you, call them to see if they have a student clinic that is open to the general public. If they do, it will be a great price since it's just with a student. When I was in school, our student clinic offered massage to the general public for $25. :)
@@LesleySmith105 i’ll do it for free.
I don't even do massages and I find this very interesting.
Excellent tutorial, the massage world needs more videos like this . Keep up the good work!!!!
Absouluty brilliant tutorial. On point with techniques & saftety things to watch out for.
Subscribed
I enjoy watching your videos! Thank u for sharing your knowledge and educating me as well as others on the anatomy and physiology of the muscles. Thank u, thank u!
Much respect for your professionalism. Great technique as well. Your earned a subscriber!
My thanks to the two of you. 😊
Love the scapula massage techniques
very nice perspective on things, and I must add you have a beautiful tone to aid all your great teachings, thank you.
Omg. I need this. This video is great!!
Love your techniques and gentle manner - fascia loves you too :)
Best massage videos hands down
Thank you again for all the information, is helping me allot learning and getting much better with my style of massage. I would love to see more about agones, antagones, synergis. thank you again.
Fantastic - I too love your calm manner 😎
You are just the best. Big fan. Thanks for the lovely vid. 💜
Love this POV!!! Thanks man
Great techniques & pointers!
Another great video :) great tips too
Great Content as usual!! I'm a LMT and it helps me tremendously.
I appreciate you! ❤🙏🏾
i need a massage .... and a few beers .... best massage channel on youtube
Excellent explanation . Subscribed your channel.
I've been watchinh your video and using it through my practise as a therapis here in Bali,indonesia. Looking forward to see you in my massage studio whenever you visit Bali
Wow, I need a massage from you. I have serious shoulder issues. And to find someone who can give a very good massage is very hard to find. Average massages are everywhere :I
Watching every video you have
IT IS VERY USEFULL THAT I LEARN IT AND IMPROVE MY SKILL
Thank you sir
U make me want to go back to LMT school!
My PT does some of this and I wish he would do much more.
Thanks for great videos👍🏾congrats on 75000. Do u ever use small equipment such as TENS unit or ultra sound. I never noticed any being used.
good
hello, i wanted to ask for an advice, since one of my friend is doing some muay thai + she has tendences to have a roundback forcing her scalpula out , she kinda has pain on her right and left shoulderblade, a bit lower from the trapeze. now i want to know how i can take off that pain and in what way should i massage her shoulders. she feels like its a "locked pain" like she stuck or something and it has to be released.
Omg I need to know what this is called so I can ask my therapist to do it or find another one who can! I had one that did this it was amazing but she left and I have never had another one do it. I really need it for my chronic shoulder tension!
THE LITTLE "hi" AT THE BEGINNING🥺
Scapulizing the mobilla
Do this work for uneven shoulders? Or do you have any recommendations? Was told I don’t have scoliosis but I do have Klippel-Feil Syndrome still testing for other abnormalities and my shoulders are uneven and my small one hurts deep toward the bottom t5/t6 area
Hi Nia, this type of massage (and any massage, really) will likely be useful for muscular pain caused by structural imbalances; it's not that we're able to change anything about your shoulders/neck with our hands, but rather that massage can help convince your nervous system that so much sensitivity and tightness aren't needed. This can be especially helpful in conjunction with a stretching and strengthening regimen as prescribed by a physical therapist, so if your medical team doesn't have you started down that path, it could be useful to bring it up. Best of luck!
My question is with this part are you using oil? Or dry hand?
What should you use in cases where your client may have more meat on their bone & the scapula is not easily visible?
Yeah. I have the same question. Especially to males with broad shoulders
Hiii…I have also left shoulder at they same point…but I dnt know how to relish pain…help me
Cant wait for next vid. I have a question ian one of my clients cant have any cream, oil or soap or anything similar on her skin. I was totally at a loss to how to massage. I felt so incompetent and amateurish. What a disaster, no myofacial work as it was impossible to glide . Has this ever happened to you.
Hi Sari! I've heard of that phenomenon, but it's not something I've had to work with. It would definitely throw me for a loop! I think my strategy in that case would be to adapt work from chair massage to the table: Rhythmic compressions, static compressions, and circular friction using various tools. I wouldn't really try to glide, and I might choose to do some of the work through the drape to allow easier movement. Here's some work I did with a clothed client: czcams.com/video/X6ghJKqG5hk/video.html I might slow way down and do less movement with a client there for relaxation, but I think some of the principles should apply.
Hey sorry to hear about that difficult situation. I have had a similar client but she could withstand talcum powder so that was what I used. I mostly focused on compression and skin rolling techniques but the talcum powder did loosen my grip enough to allow for some gentler gliding movements. It wasn't the same as a regular massage but it was at least functional and she enjoyed it enough that I have seen her several times since. Hope that this may help you, good luck!
Hey Ian, can you help clear confusion for me? What muscle is that under the scapula? Because it doesn't seem like the lower trapezius because the border isn't quite under the scapula-just medical to it. Is it the rhomboids that continue under the scapula a bit? I'm still trying to figure this out even a year after being a therapist. And it's risky business because not knowing the anatomy super well leads to discomfort for the client
As you displace the medial border of scap laterally, you're scooping the rhomboids and taking them along for the ride. They latch on to the medial border, and as you dip your hand underneath, they mold to that depression and get some stretch and compression. Serratus posterior superior will likely get some compression, or at least some fascial pull. As for what's on the ribs as you travel laterally? Not much! Approaching the subclavicular ribcage from medial to lateral doesn't put you in touch with much muscle-we're now in the region where the scapula molds to and slides across the thorax, and we're thinking connective tissue on the rib side, and subscapularis, serratus anterior, and those stretched rhomboids on the scap side. Basically, there's nothing under there on the ribs that I'm trying to work directly with, I'm just thinking of mobilizing that scap and letting the nervous system know that the upper back can feel free and easy.
So I looked this up because i saw a guy on Instagram doing this, only a lot more extremely. He lifted the shoulder blade so much that it looked like he was holding a separate body part. I thought it was a scam or something and this is how I got here.
Is it safe to lift the blades so high that you can basically fit your hand under there?
I came here looking for a tutorial on that technique because I love and need it so bad, and people are afraid to do it to me when I explain it to them. lol
I'm 17 and have pain and a weird feeling in that area it all hsppend 2 years ago lifting weights it was too heavy and my arms were straight in a 11 o'clock position which led to a big crack followed by pain it has always been there since my shoulders also crack and ache
I just want you to know that you deserve to be pain free. If you've got persistent pain, it's more than okay to talk to your doctor about it. They can run some tests, and they can refer you to a physical therapist; a PT will be able to evaluate your shoulder and give you a regimen of stretching and strengthening that will help you feel not only comfortable, but able to continue with your strength training. Basically, please be a squeaky wheel!
I have a client that is very small so she has slit of visible bony structures. Thing is she want real deep pressure and always want me to work under her scapula. She says it hurts sometimes and feels like I'm hitting her bone. I know I'm definitely not. I try to use less pressure but then she asks for more. What technique shown here do you suggest?
I think you'd both benefit from experimenting with the supine method, the last one I demonstrated. It would give her that feeling of relief from having contact deep to her shoulder blade, and it's much less effort on your part. Just keep in mind that it requires the client to thoroughly relax the region (if they try to help, the scapula will stick tight to the rib cage). That "feels like you're hitting bone" sensation is interesting, and it's something that I've heard from clients before. When I know I'm on soft tissue but it feels like bone contact to the client, I find that using broader tools can help. They're feeling a sharp sensation, and going broad (like by using 8 fingers together, as in the supine method) can ameliorate that.
As always, if a client asks for contact or pressure that is uncomfortable for you, or that you fear might be doing more harm than good, I encourage you to communicate that and to preserve your own body and boundaries. If you can find a way to accommodate them that you're comfortable with, that's great. If not, then definitely follow your clinical judgment.
0:02
i need to be honest, i only watch your vid for the asmr vibe :/
You can put your knee under the shoulder while they're prone and use it in the same manner you used the towel. Combine it with putting their arm behind the back and rhomboids should be able to relax almost completely. Your client already has scapular winging though so might just feel to her like you're trying for a shoulder dislocation.
I'd be concerned that my knee would add too much elevation, but I'm always interested in ways to use my body to bolster the client. It sounds like it's worth experimenting with!
#massagesloth Is it weird to say I get ASMR from your videos ?
If you're saying I've got a Bob Ross thing going on, I'll take that compliment any day :)
i need a masseuse friend who can practice on me