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Scapular Winging

Have you seen this on your students?

Scapula (shoulder blade) winging is when the medial border (inner edge) of the scapula ‘peels’ off the rib cage.

In some people, you will see this very clearly when they are standing or sitting. In others, it only becomes apparent during movements or activities that challenge the scapula, for example, during chaturanga and can be a reason they are having issues in this posture.

Winging is a dysfunction you need to address. The control of shoulder movment will be diminished as will be the ability to generate power.  It is also associated with various problems, including rotator cuff issues, glenohumeral joint instability and shoulder impingement syndromes (Kamkar et al., 1993).  

Why does Scapula Winging Occur?

Primary winging is due to injury of the long thoracic or the spinal accessory nerves. It leads to paralysis or marked weakness of the serratus anterior, a key stabiliser and mover of the scapula. One function of the serratus anterior is to 'suction' the scapula onto the rib cage (Peat, 1986). When weak, it cannot do this effectively, and the scapula wings. 

Nerve injury can occur with disc issues in the lower neck (Aderhold et al., 2016) or somewhere else along the course of the nerve as it travels to the muscle.   

Secondary winging can occur due to glenohumeral and subacromial conditions. If this issue is addressed, the winging should resolve (Kuhn et al., 1995). 

In some cases, winging is due to an imbalance of the scapula stabilisers due to faulty training and movement patterns. In this situation, the shoulder adapts to how it is used and finds a new ‘normal’. Although some people can cope with this, if you want full function and minimise the risk of injury, it is best to correct things.
The video on the left is of a student who did not know they had scapula instability. We only discovered it when she shared with me her Scapula Stability Practical Assignment, which is part of the Shoulder Course.

One of the tests we ask students to perform involves raising the arms out in front and above the head five times. During the test, we are looking for quality of movement and to check that the scapula is well controlled. The repetition adds an element of fatigue to the muscles and can highlight weakness more easily. 

You can see from the video, control of the right scapular is dramatically lost almost immediately.

Further testing highlighted weakness of the scapula stabilisers, including serratus anterior, middle and lower traps and rhomboid muscles. There was also an overactivity of upper traps and a lack of thoracic extension.  This lack of extension was significant as this part of the spine needs to remain mobile to allow full shoulder range of motion.

Over the next eight weeks, she carefully implemented the therapeutic program I designed for her. The results can be clearly seen when we repeated the same test.

Week 1 - Week 8 Comparison

You may have also noticed the differences in her posture and muscle tone around the shoulder during this time.  At week-8 she is looking much more balanced.  If you did not notice this replay the video and try to see what I am referring to.

We achieved all of this via improving her awareness and control of scapula movment, restoring the balance between the scapula stabilising muscles, and thoracic spine mobility.

By the end of the eight weeks, the pain in her shoulder disappeared, and she found her ability to perform asanas, such as upward dog and forearm balances, had improved, even though we had not worked on them at all.

So to fix these types of problems, you require a thorough knowledge of the shoulder, which is why I developed the Shoulder Course specifically for yoga teachers.  This 5-week online program covers all the essential information you will need to understand the shoulder and to help a wide range of issues that can arise in this region.  

  • £199 or 3 monthly payments of £67

The Shoulder

  • 57 Lessons

Learn the shoulder and how to work with injuries, including rotator cuff & labral tears, instability & much, much more. 
Buy nowLearn more

Do you have scapula winging or another issue you need help with?

You can arrange an online appointment with me.