shoulder
Clavicle
Clavicle
is a bone that connects the shoulder to the sternum and ultimately
to the first rib. Therefore, the clavicle is an important junction
that gets pulled out of alignment.
Injuries to the neck and shoulder or even "sleeping wrong" can result in the whole area going havoc. There are many muscles that play a role in stabilizing the bones. The relationships between the humerus, shoulder blade, clavicle, ribs and spine are all inter-related. If one bone is out of alignment, they all get influenced.
I've discovered that working with the clavicle is a great way to start taking apart the tensional pattern of the upper back, neck and shoulder problems. When the clavicle moves better with breathing, the shoulder becomes freer and relates better to the shoulder blade and ribs. There is suddenly more space for the neck to emerge and move with turning of the head.
Some people get sore after working with the clavicle and some don't. I have been working with my own clavicles and discovered that my arm is just the right length to reach it! What a great body engineering of the human body! I bet I have discovered why our arm’s and leg’s lengths match Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. So that we can rolf the clavicles as much as we please!
Injuries to the neck and shoulder or even "sleeping wrong" can result in the whole area going havoc. There are many muscles that play a role in stabilizing the bones. The relationships between the humerus, shoulder blade, clavicle, ribs and spine are all inter-related. If one bone is out of alignment, they all get influenced.
I've discovered that working with the clavicle is a great way to start taking apart the tensional pattern of the upper back, neck and shoulder problems. When the clavicle moves better with breathing, the shoulder becomes freer and relates better to the shoulder blade and ribs. There is suddenly more space for the neck to emerge and move with turning of the head.
Some people get sore after working with the clavicle and some don't. I have been working with my own clavicles and discovered that my arm is just the right length to reach it! What a great body engineering of the human body! I bet I have discovered why our arm’s and leg’s lengths match Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. So that we can rolf the clavicles as much as we please!
More about Ribs
Sunday Jun 06, 2010 Filed in:
Rolfing
I
am obsessed about ribs. I find them to be such a fundamental area
for everything else around them to work “right.” I have spent the
last 11 months working and exploring my own ribs and discovered
some amazing things:
1. Chronic shoulder tightness and pain always involves the ribs.
2. Postural issues always involve restrictions in the ribcage.
3. There are 12 ribs on each side. When one rib is restricted, the whole ribcage is affected.
4. Freeing the individual ribs involves working in the intercostal muscles and fascia. Remember, there are 24 ribs with 16-20 inches of circumference. This may take some time to free!
5. We take on average 17,000 breaths every day. Each breath either reinforces the freedom or the restriction of the individual ribs.
Bring on the ribs!
1. Chronic shoulder tightness and pain always involves the ribs.
2. Postural issues always involve restrictions in the ribcage.
3. There are 12 ribs on each side. When one rib is restricted, the whole ribcage is affected.
4. Freeing the individual ribs involves working in the intercostal muscles and fascia. Remember, there are 24 ribs with 16-20 inches of circumference. This may take some time to free!
5. We take on average 17,000 breaths every day. Each breath either reinforces the freedom or the restriction of the individual ribs.
Bring on the ribs!