Monday 31 March 2014

Subscapularis : 1 of 4 rotator cuff muscles

SUBSCAPULARIS: the final S in the rotator cuff acronym 'SITS'

Official attachment points: 
Attaches to the subscapular fossa of the scapula > crossing the shoulder joint (armpit) and inserting onto the lesser tubercle of the humerus (a teeny bony bump on the front of your shoulder)
Subscapularis can be awkward to imagine because we can show you 'from the outside' - because this muscle lives on the FRONT of your shoulder blade (the part you can't touch! - between the shoulder blades and rib cage!) 

SUBSCAPUALRIS MUSCLE ACTION:

Subscapularis is responsible for MEDIAL ROTATION of the arm at the shoudler joint. (aka internal rotation)

Subscap (nick name)  is neighbours with your chest muscles the PECTORALS (pec major and pec minor!) and these 3 muscles together are notoriously shortened and tight on most people due to our poor posture habits (due to computers/desks/sitting..)

And guess what? to stretch Subscap its practically a Pec (chest) wall stretch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSqIY0lRAvU)

TO ISOLATE SUPBSCAPULARIS: just make sure to give your arm a nice 'external rotation' whilst doing so! (Remember to move slowly and cautiously to avoid injury!

(Here is a video showing two ways you can do external rotation at the shoulder joint.  https://vine.co/v/hYUMiOMO27B

Read Me before You STRETCH !