Massage Tutorial: Rhomboids (myofascial release, pain between shoulder blades)

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Got clients with pain between their shoulder blades? Here's a strategy for dealing with it without causing excessive soreness the next day. We go over some of the anatomy and do some palpation as well.
0:00 Introduction
0:35 Anatomy and palpation
5:43 Working directly with the rhomboids
7:35 Working with the pain indirectly

The rhomboids are mostly covered by trapezius. It can be very difficult to distinguish between the two, leading some massage therapists to identify the border of trapezius as a "knot." While you can work on the rhomboids through trapezius, just realize that both will be affected.

Also realize that both are quite thin, and that they're likely chronically overstretched and hypertonic. This can lead to all sorts of pain symptoms and dysfunction. While I do work directly in that region with some myofascial steamrolling, I find it much more beneficial to work on all of the muscles creating that force outward: The rotator cuff, serratus anterior, and pectoralis minor.

Let me know what you think! Do you prefer more direct interaction in this area? Have you had success with the indirect method? Thanks for watching!

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