sternocleidomastoid muscle, pay attention to posture, even non-professionals should have heard of it, but the in-depth analysis of this muscle has not been done, this sharing will give a pair of points from the perspective of fascia For everyone, the more novel ideas are for those who are willing to learn to think more.
The sternocleidomastoid muscle, commonly known as "beauty muscle", can be clearly displayed when turning the head.
Why is this muscle called "beauty muscle", there is actually a certain reason, the more developed this muscle, The better the stability of the cervical spine, the less compensation for the shoulders, the shape of the shoulders and necks will look good, and the temperament will naturally be better.
In fact, the sternocleidomastoid muscle is a very important part from a posture perspective. This is the effect after the main offline operation of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Can you see the difference between before and after?
(the head and neck are neutral, the lower neck is straightened, the rib cage is raised, and the overall straightness becomes better)
Let’s start from this picture and analyze
Why a small sternocleidomastoid muscle makes people tall and straight
First understand or recall the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
As its name suggests, the sternocleidomastoid muscle is a strong neck muscle that starts from the clavicle and sternum and converges to the mastoid of the temporal bone.
Contraction of the sternocleidomastoid muscles on both sides at the same time will cause the neck to flex and the head to be pulled toward the chest. Similarly, when the head is neutral, the sternocleidomastoid muscle can also pull the rib cage toward the neck.
Unilateral contraction of the sternocleidomastoid muscle will make the head turn to the opposite side and tilt up
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can also make the neck bend laterally.
Judging from the previous surface line described in the anatomical train, the sternocleidomastoid muscle is part of the front surface line. Functionally speaking, the front line is more like a good support, balanced with the back line, maintaining the stability of the entire body.
In the posture of head and neck extension, the sternocleidomastoid muscle is shortened and weak. The surface line is dysfunctional and the fascia descends. If you lean your head forward, you will also be restricted if you want to move it back, because when the fascia of the sternocleidomastoid muscle is relatively short and sticky, it is difficult to tilt the head back, which is also a lot The reason why a person is unable to assume a neutral head and neck posture even if he realizes that his head and neck are stretched forward. Some techniques and training must be involved to break one state and enter another state. And as the "hanging" position moves down, the front side of the body will go down, forming the so-called "thoracic droop".
Looking at the balance of the head and neck from the structural mechanics
C Ge drew a sketch to explain the balance of the rib cage and the head
The head and thorax are balanced with a certain dynamic axis as the rotation axis. When the sternocleidomastoid muscle has sufficient strength and length, it can achieve the dual effects of head and neck straightening and chest lifting . If sternumIf the exo-muscles are shortened and weak, the head, neck and thoracic cage will both droop, and balance will be maintained by the back tension of the body. Therefore, it will also cause a lot of shoulder and neck pain.
How to deal with the weakness of the sternocleidomastoid muscle?
To solve this problem, it is necessary to activate the sternocleidomastoid muscle to restore its proper tension and better stabilize the chest and the head and neck. position. For people with relatively weak abdomen, training the sternocleidomastoid muscle will also activate the rectus abdominis (which is also a component of the front line). The activation of the rectus abdominis is equivalent to the chest An upward support is very helpful for stabilizing the rib cage.
Therefore, training the sternocleidomastoid muscle to restore the function of the front surface line is one of the upper stretches Important link. This allows the chest to maintain a very upright state under the pull of the sternocleidomastoid muscle when the head is in the neutral position.
At this time, the pressure on the neck, especially the lower neck section, will also decrease, and the discomfort of the neck will take effect. The curvature of the cervical spine tends to be normal, the back of the neck will be stuffed back, and the shoulders and back lines will be smooth. .
