| >What’s the clinical definition of “tight shoulders”? Chronic contraction of the upper trapezius. >[I]s it shown to correlate significantly with inhalation problems? There’s not much in the medical literature beyond noting that that upper trapezius is an accessory muscle in expanding the lungs. (MDs correct me if this is wrong.) Physiotherapy research is less rigorous but more expansive on the point. See e.g. Kim et al. >BACKGROUND:
Forward head posture (FHP) causes changes in the strengths and rigidities of cervical muscles. OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to investigate correlations between FHP and respiratory functions and the muscle activities of respiratory accessory muscles in young adults in their 20s. METHODS:
A volunteer sample of 33 healthy young adults participated in this study. Craniovertebral angle (CVA), cranial rotational angle (CRA), vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and upper trapezius activity ratios were measured. RESULTS:
Significant positive correlations were found between CVA and VC, FVC, FEV1, PEF, and MVV, and a significant negative correlation was found between CVA and SCM activity ratio. Significant negative correlations existed between CRA and VC and FVC, and significant positive correlations between CRA and SCM and upper trapezius activity ratios. |