The Levator Scapula
Oh I have a love/hate relationship with this muscle!!
Firstly, what does it do? It kinda says it in the name, it elevates the shoulder blade and is involved in slight neck rotation too. It connects to the spine and attached onto the side of the shoulder blade.
If this muscle is tight, most of the time people will complain that their neck is stuck or they can't turn their head. Then they end up moving their whole body to look at you.
Using trigger point release techniques is so powerful here, and incredibly satisfying! It can have such an impact on the whole body, and has an amazing effect. People who suffer from panic attacks and anxiety or have a lot of 'tension in their shoulders' usually have an extremely tight Levator Scapula as it is the muscle which is encouraging the shoulder blades to lift up, something our body does as a protection mechanism.
You may not even realise it but your shoulders are probably raised now. Have a go, take a deep breath in and actively push those shoulders down.
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