April 21, 2011 by Susi

Many students that I see in my therapeutic yoga practice have neck pain. The keys to helping them first help them to get out of pain and then to move more effectively is to improve the function of their shoulder girdle.

A key area to look at are the scapulae (shoulder blades). Connecting via myofascia to the humerus (upper arm bone), spine and rib cage, the scapulae are normally meant to move in upward rotation, downward rotation, elevation, depression, retraction and protraction. If they aren't moving well in any of these directions, tension and tightness will occur.

Most of the time, that tension and tightness manifests away from the primary site. For many people, they experience the tension and pain in their neck.  

So, work with your shoulder blades, and see what happens.