Scalenes - Trigger Point Anatomy

Neck pain is often associated with trigger points, and these may develop as a result of postural issues or by way of over-compensation for an injury or trigger points elsewhere in the body (commonly the shoulders).

If the alignment of the head and spine is not optimal, the neck can be predisposed to injury and/or the degenerative effects of wear and tear over time.

In cases of neck pain we are typically looking for trigger points in the scalenes, suboccipital, subscapularis, pectoralis minor, and levator scapulae muscles.

Forward Head and Shoulder Posture:

The most common postural condition that contributes to the formation of trigger points and neck pain, is forward head and shoulder posture.

Forward head posture is when the neck slants forward placing the head in front of the shoulders. This may lead to several problems:

The forward pull of the weight of the head puts undue stress on the vertebrae of the lower neck, contributing to degenerative disc disease and other degenerative neck problems.

This posture causes the muscles of the upper back to continually overwork to counterbalance the pull of gravity on the forward head.

This position is often accompanied by forward shoulders and a rounded upper back, which not only feeds into the neck problem but can also cause shoulder pain.

The more time spent with a forward head posture, the more likely it is that one will develop neck and shoulder problems.

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