How to hack dominant upper traps!
The upper trapezius muscles can be some of the keenest muscles in the body – willing to do everything and anything to ‘help’, even when loads are way beyond their long-term capacity.
Overly dominant upper traps are one of the commonest factors in neck and shoulder pain, headaches, migraines, upper back tension, restricted movement, and forwards head posture.
Using these muscles to do everything is a super easy habit to get into, and a really challenging one to break.
They’re a major contributor to upper crossed syndrome (muscles of the shoulders, neck, and chest are out of balance — some too weak and some too tight) and the front to back support imbalance that characterise this common condition.
I often see people who have been given strengthening exercises in an attempt to address imbalance…only to end up in more pain or restriction. This is because dominant muscles are exactly that – their innervation and activation occur first, so strengthening practices often simply strengthen the existing habits that cause the pain in the first place. Yoga therapy is often a last resort when regular massage, acupuncture, or chiropractic treatment helps, only for symptoms to return between visits. This is where a combination of bodywork and repatterning practice can really help kick the habit…and the pain.
Jane has lots of tricks, tips, bodywork therapies and repatterning movement practices that can help you to:
- Notice habits
- Learn to change the way you move
- Develop new functional movement habits
- Balance muscle activation and strength
- Limit, if not prevent pain and restriction
Here are a few day-to-day movement ‘hacks’ that can help to de-load keen muscles, and teach other functional muscles to wake up and help out a bit more. After all, it is their job!
Kitchen work
Try changing your hand position when chopping or slicing:
- First hold the knife in a grip, chop for a minute or so and notice how active your upper traps are.
- Then change the grip to place your index finger along the spine of the knife. Try chopping or slicing for a while with this grip and see if it feels any different for you.
- The index finger grip is far less likely to fire up the traps and contribute to neck and shoulder tension.
Carrying load
Typically in garden activities but really anything where your shoulders lift up towards your ears when holding or carrying load. Whilst the upper traps are keen, they’re nowhere near as strong as your lats or core muscles – and these have far more change of getting involved when load is lowered to be closer to your centre, with shoulder blades wide and relaxed.
- When carrying a load in a wheelbarrow or trundler, notice how active you upper traps and biceps are when your elbows are bent.
- Then notice how, when your arms are extended to a natural length, your shoulders are almost weighted down into a relaxed yet functional position. Upper and lower arm muscles are equally engaged, and the lats will be helping to support the load and stabilise the spine as the load is moved.
Driving the car
It’s quite amazing how much upper traps can relax and release when you place your hands in the 4 & 8 position with palms facing the back of the steering wheel (rather than the 10 & 2 position). Whilst we’re taught 10 & 2 for safety and control, there are many opportunities to drive safely with the lower grip that can easily be changed when needed, rather than these muscles staying tight and active when they don’t have to be.
Yoga therapy can help
If you’d like to learn more and find some specific practices for your long term body-mind health, book a yoga therapy session with Jane for a personalised assessment, treatment and self-care practice plan.
