Tight shoulders? Don't forget the muscles in the front.

When our shoulders feel tight and sore, we usually want someone to rub the top and backs of them. The most common places clients point out to me is that spot right in between the shoulder blades, or from the side of the neck down to the top of the shoulder. You know what I'm talking about! Getting these areas massaged can definitely feel so good and help relieve shoulder tension.

When looking at shoulder pain though, we don't want to forget the FRONT of the shoulder. Say what? We are not two-dimensional people, and our shoulders have many sides and many different muscles, joints, and bones to their structure. A very important muscle to remember when looking at the front of our shoulders is the Pectoralis Major. This is the largest of the muscles we commonly refer to as the "pecs".

The Pec Major is a powerful chest muscle. It is important for movements like pushing, reaching, throwing, and punching. The Pec Major works synergistically with the latissimus dorsi (your lats), along with the teres major and the posterior deltoid. Together they create a tremendous amount of power, forcing the lowering of the arm from an overhead position.

In a situation where your arms have to support your body weight, such pushing yourself up from a sitting position, the Pec Major works with the other muscles of the shoulder girdle to keep your chest erect. It also works for you in activities like pulling something down from overhead, or pulling the body up, like getting out of a pool.

There are many activities we do in our daily lives that cause us to "slump" forward. This stretches out the muscles of the upper back and posterior shoulders and can cause the Pec Major to become shortened and tight. Tightness in the Pec Major can contribute to our shoulder pain. Having regular massage and stretching can help keep our Pec Majors at the optimal length, healthy and working well.