The upper trapezius muscle is commonly symptomatic and classically the "go-to" muscle when a massage is requested - in the casual setting and, often even, in the professional setting.Why the trapezius may be symptomatic is described to a deeper degree in the accompanying editorial in this Rehabilitation and Prevention section. However, clinical experience suggests that the upper trapezius, especially the clavicular fibres, is commonly found to be short and tight; it is also commonly found to be long and weak (Sahrmann, 2005); it also is a common site for trigger points Ziaeifar et al. (2014); and it is frequently facilitated in its upper-fibers and inhibited in its lower and middle fibers. It is often conditioned in the gym environment through shrug-based exercises, yet some eminent researchers (Johnson et al., 1994) suggest that it cannot shrug the shoulders due to the angulation of the fibers. Needless to say, it is a muscle that attracts attention, opinion and controversy.
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