10 Body Sense
Shrug It Off
If neck or shoulder pain nags you,
or rounded shoulders has become
your work-from-home posture,
the rhomboids could be to blame.
The rhomboids are comprised of two
separate muscles—the rhomboid major
and rhomboid minor. They are part of
the shoulder girdle musculature and
they serve as scapular stabilizers while
also contributing to upper limb
movement. They work with other
muscles to stabilize the scapula on
the rib cage during weight-bearing
movements; pulling motions, such as
rowing, are the result of the rhomboids
and trapezius working together.
The rhomboids are commonly
underdeveloped and elongated. This
can contribute to a rounded-shoulder
posture and is commonly seen in people
who work at computers or otherwise
maintain forward-arm positions for
long periods. When the scapula is
held in a protracted and depressed
position, the rhomboids elongate
and the serratus anterior shortens.
This creates muscle tension and
decreased mobility in the shoulder
Simple Shoulder
Movements for a
Healthier Upper Back
By Christy Cael
