Muscle tightness causing Chest Pain or Shortness of Breath?
Pectoralis minor is a small & deep muscle.
Spasm mechanism of this muscle will limit the ability of the rib cage to expand, resulting in Shortness of Breath, spasm pain.
This is because the SHBiceps is attached to coracoid process of scapula.
Both muscles’ contraction can caused scapula protraction.
Besides that, we will look into levator scapulae as this muscle responsible for scapula upward rotation.
We believe that rounded shoulders not only involving scapula protraction but also scapula upward rotation due to the coupling muscles.
- Draws the scapula downward and forward into rib cage
- Elevate ribs during abnormal breathing patterns or respiratory distress
- Deep chest pain
- Unable to elevate shoulder, reaching forward and upward
- Numbness through the inner arm, elbow, into wrist, hand and 4th and 5th fingers
- Shoulder locked in “Guarding” position
- Same side neck rotation pain
- Breathing difficulty
- Paradoxical breathing (chest breathing) during respiratory distress.
- Overuse of pectoralis major (excessive push up exercise)
- Pectoralis minor tightness can be due to poor posture presented with rounded shoulder.
- Scoliosis
- Poor shoulder / posture
- Chest breathing
- Excessive exercise - push up
Pec Minor Tightness Test
Pec Minor Stretch
Method 2:
07 May 2021