Everyone needs trapezius stretches in modern society because of technology. We sit at computers all day, and it makes our shoulders and chests tight and causes our trapezius muscles to be under constant tension. That tension eventually turns into knots, neck pain and a whole bunch of other issues. All of this can be fixed with some trapezius stretches if you can stay consistent with doing the stretches. Most people lose this battle because they are not willing to stretch on a daily basis.
How Technology Has Created a Greater Need for Trapezius Stretches
We are sitting down too much, and we all know it. We get in our cars and commute to work for two hours a day. We sit at desks on our computer, and we rarely get up to walk as we should. What has all of this done to us? It has messed up the bodies and the way they are supposed to be.
When you are sitting down for long periods of time, your arms are often in front of your body instead of beside you. When you do this, it rounds the shoulders, and if you are looking at a screen, you are probably looking down.
This position means the pec and shoulders become shortened, the upper back and the trap muscles are under constant tension. You can go up to some people today and rub their shoulders and trapezius muscles, and they would feel like steel cords. The reason for that is the muscles are under constant tension all day without a break.
Before You Get to The Trapezius Stretches Change Your Posture
We know you want to get right into the trapezius stretches, but it is not the best idea. The reason is that your posture is the problem here. If you had excellent posture, you would not have rounded shoulders and back muscles constantly under tension. By working on your posture, you will make all of the treatment much more effective. Here are some changes you can work on:
Shoulders Back
- Get your shoulders back
- Chest out
- Will also make you feel more confident
Chin Tucked
- Don’t let your chin stick out from your body
- Tuck the chin
- Make sure neck is in line with spine
Straight Back
- We are not cavemen anymore
- Make sure your back is straight whether you are sitting or squatting 500 pounds
Adjust Screen Height
- Putting your screen higher will help you to look straight when working on your computer
- Bring phone up to eyes instead of looking down at it all of the time
Walk With Excellent Posture
- Practice all of the above points when you walk
- Take breaks from sitting to get up and walk with good posture
Train Core Muscles
- Your core will begin to tire from working on your posture
- By training your core muscles, you will be able to stabilize better
- The core consists of the abs, obliques, and the deep stabilizers
- Breathe into your belly instead of your chest
What Trapezius Stretches Will Help
Once you have begun working on your posture, it is now time to make changes by stretching out different muscles. Doing the posture changes and stretching at the same time is important because they both need each other. You probably will notice when trying to get your shoulders back that it is hard because your chest and front deltoids are way too tight to handle it. Some of these stretches may seem unrelated to the traps, but you have to keep in mind that the body is all connected. You have to relieve tension in more than one area to get the desired result.
Trapezius Stretches – Chest Look Away
- Will stretch shoulder and chest
- If you turn your head at different angles, it will also stretch the traps as well
- One of the best stretches because it hits the main three muscle groups at one time
- Key is to put pressure through your knee with your hands
Trapezius Stretch – Trap Fascial Stretch
- Will stretch the traps and the neck
- Key is to keep palm flat, and wrist flexed for fascial reasons
- When you don’t, have wrist flexed you do not feel the stretch as much
Trapezius Stretch – Chest Fascial Stretch
- Will stretch the chest, shoulder and bicep muscles
- Great stretch because it hits three muscle groups at the same time
- Key is to keep wrist flexed and palm flat
- Great stretch because it stretches the fascial arm line
Trapezius Stretch – Upper Back Stretch
- The upper back needs some attention too
- Will stretch rear deltoids and lower trap muscles
- Breathe deeply and picture body melting to help relax and relieve high tension area
What if The Trapezius Stretches Do Not Work?
One thing to keep in mind is that you will not fix this problem overnight. You did not create the problem with one day so it will not be fixed in one day. You will need to do these stretches daily for a week to start noticing a big difference. If you are tight, it may take even longer.
In some cases, stretching will not be enough, and you will need the help of a professional. The best thing you can do in this case is getting help right away. You do not want to go to a typical medical doctor though because this is a musculoskeletal injury so they will not have much advice for you. You need to see people that specialize in muscle issue and preferably work with athletes on a regular basis. That is how you will get the fastest relief.
Types of Providers that Can Help
- Physical Therapist
- Acupuncturists
- Chiropractor
- Registered Dietitian
- Sports Physician
- Massage Therapist
- Holistic Healthcare providers
How to Find The Best Healthcare Providers for Trap Pain
9INE POINT Health is the best way to find local providers that can help you with your traps and any other pain points. The reason is that 9INE POINT Health lets you search for healthcare providers based on the type of practitioner as well as skill set. Let’s say you want to work with a massage therapist, but you also want someone who has fascial stretching abilities, you can find the best local option on 9INE POINT Health. You can then sift through the different options and compare 9INE POINT Numbers before making a choice.
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
