This month we are talking about the serratus anterior muscle. Let’s start with where this muscle is and what it is meant to do. This muscle starts under the arm and attaches to the upper 8 or 9 ribs then wraps around and attaches under the scapula at the medial border (the side closest to the spine).
This muscle is meant to; Abduct the scapula, Upwardly rotate the scapula, depress the scapula and hold the medial border of the scapula against the rib cage. The last action, holding the scapula against the rib cage, is what I want to focus on in the rest of this blog. When the serratus anterior muscle becomes fatigued and weak the scapula will begin to “wing” out away from the body. There are multiple reasons this may happen so it would be best to come talk with one of our massage therapist who can pinpoint the exact dysfunction causing the winging. When this winging occurs you may experience pain along the side and back of the chest and down into the hand due to the thoracic compartment syndrome that occurs here. Injury to this muscle may result in shortness of breath and pain during inhalation. Massage is a great way to address and fix dysfunction in this muscle along with some stretches. So if you feel that you may be having issues with your serratus anterior come see the massage team here and we will help get you back into balance.
Thanks for reading. Sean