Exercises for Scapular Winging

Training Bodybuilding
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Apologies for interrupting your debate, but I have been wondering if I have a winged scapula or simply underdeveloped muscle. My right scapula is fine, but I can feel the edge of the left, as it is not covered by muscle as the right is, but does not stick out in any way. Is this simple underdeveloped muscle or a different problem?

My left arm is stronger than my right, which may have something to do with it, as I use DB rows as my primary back exercise. I thought perhaps my arm was doing more of the work and therefore less muscle is being built on my back, but I know next to nothing about this. Any ideas?

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[quote]threewhitelights wrote:
on edge wrote:
Your comprehension is poor.

Then why can’t you comprehend that everyone that has ever taken a single class on the biomechanics of the shoulder understands something that you will need “years to see”.

on edge wrote:
Again, COMPREHENSION! I never said it would take me years to understand. I said I would change my mind if I saw evidence. Just some before and after photos would be fine. I suggested it would take years for Bushy and others to change their mind. And that was not a slight, that is just the nature of recognizing patterns over time.

Do you happen to know what level “a single class on the biomechanics of the shoulder” would be on? I’m sure the people who have taken such a class are capable of comprehending both sides of this debate. Some of them might consider my belief worth looking into. You certainly are not in a position to speak for everyone.

[quote]threewhitelights wrote:
Here’s your reference:
Orthopaedic Examination, Evaluation, and Intervention
By Mark Dutton
Page 433

Disorders of the Shoulder: Diagnosis & Management
By Joseph P. Iannotti, Gerald R. Williams
Page 1299

Those are the only 2 I brought with me to Virginia.

Scapular winging is one of the most commonly treated deformities of the shoulder. To say that it can’t be treated, is retarded.

The causes of scapular winging are also well known, and yes, it is often treated even when the patient does not present with pain. The way we know this, is that when there is scapular winging, and we fix what we think the cause is, the scapular winging goes away (as does any pain that may or may not have presented).

Your idea is simple, but wrong.[/quote]

Thank you for the references. You are very vague here, though. Are you citing the texts here or giving your own opinion?

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[quote]threewhitelights wrote:
I’ll go ahead and go through a full explanation.

There are 3 types of scapular winging. Primary, secondary, and voluntary. Primary is usually due to injury, secondary is due to biomechanical issues, voluntary is not caused by anatomic issues.

The original poster is most likely talking about secondary scapular winging. Primary is usually treated with surgery, while secondary is often treated through physical therapy. In many cases, secondary scapular winging can present with pain. In fact, this is most cases, since most people don’t see a PT without some pain presenting.

The therapy designed to treat the underlying pathologies behind the winging (ie the issues causing the pain, since winging is a symptom and not a cause) also in many cases corrects the winging.

However, in cases where it does not, the most common explanation is the short duration of the therapy (this is what happened to you). Pain often resides before the winging fully corrects, since usually there is a good deal of winging prior to the presentation of pain. As a result, many patients stop their therapeutic regimen as soon as the pain subsies, and NOT when the winging is corrected, since it is possible to have a small degree of winging and not experience other symptoms.

Pain often subsides in a matter of weeks, whereas it would require a matter of months in order to fully correct the scapular winging itself. However, even in patients that do not follow the regimen for the full time, STILL SHOW SMALL IMPROVEMENTS in the winging, despite the fact that the time they do the exercises is small compared to what would be required.

Make sense?[/quote]

For the most part, this is a much better post. You’re bringing in additional information that supports your case. Good job. It doesn’t, however, directly address my critique of the accepted idea of scapular winging.

Where you are blowing it on this post is assuming you know about my injury and what I’ve done for it. Prehab/rehab work is part of my warm up and it has been for years. Typical Scapular Winging Therapies get hit in my training at least a couple times a week.

My injury is a subluxation from a snowboarding, whiplash incident. This subluxation causes my lower left Trap, Rhomboid and maybe a little bit of my Lat to spaz out. The subluxation was fixed and I learned what to do to keep it from reoccurring. That is what it took to cure my problem.

The scapular winging was coincidental. There’s no reason to conclude I didn’t wing a little bit all along.

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I’m not talking about your injury. Physical therapy is a very individual practice. However, to say that no one can correct scapular winging through exercise, is a blanket statement that is very wrong.

In your individual case, you have a primary impairment presenting scapular winging. This would normally be treated through surgery, unless PT was deemed effective. However, in all likelihood, it would take a great deal time to do enough rehab to move the scapula back in place.

However, to apply your particular scenario to the original poster or to others is ignorant. Physical therapy is INCREDIBLY INDIVIDUAL and needs to be done on a case by case basis.

As for the other posts, they are texts that I am pretty sure you could find in any library since they are fairly popular, and both of them address my point on the pages I noted. I could type them out, but what’s to prevent someone from calling bullshit after I take all the time to type out a half a chapter?