Last week I posted about stretching your SCM, in the front of your neck, to ease the tension created by head forward posture. Today I’d like to show you a stretch for your levator scapulae muscle, also known as “lev scap” or just “levator,” which runs from the side of your neck down to the top of your shoulderblade, like this:

Levator scapulae muscle, image courtesy of Wikimedia commons.

This muscle is one of the most common direct causes of neck pain. When it’s tight and short, it gives you that feeling of wearing your shoulders like earrings. It can also refer pain down between your shoulderblades. Stretching it out can bring immediate relief, although I recommend doing it in combination with the SCM stretch to balance the front and back of the neck.

Thanks again to my Trikinetic colleague, Ray Ranger RMT, for posing for the pictures.

Guidelines for stretching:

• Make sure you’re in a stable, comfortable position.
• Stretch on the exhale.
• If you feel pain, back off a little.
• Hold the stretch for 4-10 breaths, or until you feel the resistance soften.
• 3 times each side is considered ideal, but if you’re short on time then some is better than none.

To stretch levator scapulae:

1. Pin your shoulder on the side to be stretched – sit on a chair and hold the seat, or reach behind and grab your elbow with your other hand.
   
2. Bring your ear to the shoulder opposite the side to be stretched.
   
3. Turn your face down to the floor, away from the side to be stretched, and tip your head forward, as if you’re sniffing your armpit. 🙂
   
4. Find a combination of these movements that creates stretch down the back of your neck.

And that’s all. I hope it helps. Let me know if you’ve got any questions!

© William Wells 2015.