5 Exercises to Help Fix a Winged Scapula *Mechanical Root Cause*

Here are five exercises to help fix a mechanically winged scapula. These exercises address some basic mechanical dysfunction that can cause the shoulder blade to wing. Its important to note that there can be some neural issues associated with scapula winging which may need further assessment beyond these helpful stretches. Each are helpful in their own right, however, the real benefit comes when you stack them on top of one another!

- Grant

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00
Lacrosse Ball Posterior Cuff: 1:42
Lacrosse Ball Upper Back: 6:51
Chest Stretch: 8:13
Banded Rows: 11:47
The Importance of Better Posture: 14:04

About Your Wellness Nerd:
Your Wellness Nerd offers a new perspective on pain, injury, and improving your quality of life based on the work of one really passionate Physical Therapist. Grant is a HUGE nerd about optimizing human function and performance and hopes to provide the "a ha!" moment you didn't realize you were looking for.

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[YourWellnessNerd]

Hey all! I hope this video adds some extra ideas into the conversation surrounding scapular winging! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

[loriwilliamson]

LOVE that you mention posture is not a one and done thing...we will always be fighting to keep good posture! I recently found myself losing good posture because I found it by time and consistent work so I let up on the awareness and boom - bad posture resurfaced! Thank you for your channel and sharing your expertise.

[loriwilliamson]

From golfers elbow to winged scapula to under developed right pec minor(plus still winged scapula)! What a long road still traveling. 😞 Glad I found your channel. Very helpful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[so_perspective]

I have been looking for exactly this video for years. Thank you so much for this! Makes so much sense!

[LNDNMAN]

Thank you for all this information. I have a bilateral scapular winging. Worse on the left side as I had a shoulder injury 3 years ago, thoracic nerve is intact. So, we are trying to strengthen the inferior trapeze and the rhomboid muscles to stabilise the scapular with rowing exercises? You didn't mention any A, T, Y exercises and exercises for the serratus anterior? Which ones would you recommend? 😊😊

[ShelleyhitzTV]

I think the lacrosse ball is going to need to be part of my daily routine for awhile. How long would you say it typically takes to see a difference in these muscles using the ball?

[nicolemcmanus]

I have scapular winging and also thoracic outlet syndrome on the right side only due to a bad computer setup when I was working from home during Covid over a year ago. I don’t feel like the back of my shoulder is tight but I always get a tight neck on the right side and stretch it daily. I’ve been incorporating back exercises for a few weeks now as advised by my Physio but it seems to be taking so long to get better! Do you have any advice?

[dbliziot]

Hello. Nice video. I just watched this one and the other one where you discuss about the shoulder blades position and you make pretty valuable remarks about the misconception of back and down. I am currently facing a tight right upper trap, tight neck and small winging on the right blade. I am curious as you haven't made any mention on the importance of serratus and low trap strengthening for such situations, where these muscles tend to be the more problematic to such cases including winging. What is your opinion on focusing on strengthening these muscles for such issues? Also pulling exercises like low row etc, which require shoulder retraction wouldn't "aggrevate" the winging problem where strengthening protraction seems more natural for such cases? Thanks.