Preventing Shoulder Injuries II: Pec Minor Assessment and Stretching

In Preventing Shoulder Injuries I: Implications for Pressing Exercises I discussed a problem we see in some athletes during pressing movements. In some instances, a similar problem can be seen in pulling movements where then athlete fails to retract and depress the scapula while pulling the weight closer to the torso.

In addition to causing movement abnormalities (or dysfunctions), this forward scapular posture can also increase the risk of a player sustaining a shoulder separation or dislocation in response to contact, especially if that force is directed from a posterolateral direction. As I mentioned in the previous article, situations like these frequently warrant referral to a good manual therapist. Active Release serves this purpose well. With that said, in some cases stretching alone can help alleviate the problem. The video below is an excerpt from a coaching staff meeting we had at Endeavor, demonstrating a simple assessment to identify pec minor shortness or stiffness and a simple partner stretch we use.

Pec Minor Assessment

It's important to monitor rib cage movement during the stretch. Because the pec minor attaches to ribs 3,4, and 5, if this aspect of the athlete's rib cage rises in conjunction with the shoulder blades being depressed than the pec minor will not experience the intended lengthening load. We tend to have our athletes hold these stretches for 30-60s, and recommend that they perform the stretch no less than twice per day for the first two weeks. When they're at the facility, they perform the stretch as part of their warm-up and/or in between sets. This allows us to create an improvement in range of motion, and then immediately capitalize on it with active muscular control. By alleviating this restriction, we can restore proper upper body pressing and pulling patterns and also minimize the risk of our players suffering unnecessary shoulder injuries.