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Muscle-Specific Deep Tissue Techniques for the Shoulder Girdle

  • Staybridge Suites 3926 Aurora Avenue North Seattle, WA, 98103 United States (map)

MUSCLE-SPECIFIC DEEP TISSUE TECHNIQUES FOR THE SHOULDER GIRDLE

The shoulders are meant to float freely on the ribcage, held in elegant suspension by 16 muscles, but very often they are restricted, stuck down, and in pain. In the morning, you will learn to effectively liberate some of the major anterior structures of the shoulder girdle (such as the pectoralis minor, subclavius, and subscapularis), and help to give your clients a feeling of ease and freedom in their shoulders that reaches all the way around to their back.

In the afternoon, we will work with the shoulder girdle from the side-lying position. Besides being deeply comforting and relaxing, skilled side-lying work gives you excellent access to the structures of the shoulder. You will learn specific, effective, and potent techniques for releasing the muscles of the shoulder girdle, including the trapezius, rhomboids, latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, levator scapula, subscapularis, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, pectoralis minor, and the surrounding fascia.

You will also learn some focused, muscle-specific work to release bound up erector spinae and transversospinalis muscles. These muscles are often glued down and are a major source of pain and limitation for our clients. The side-lying position gives you excellent access to some of the smaller muscles of the back (and their fascial wrappings)--muscles that are fundamentally important to our posture, movement, and well-being, but that are often completely missed in a standard massage.

We sometimes think of side-lying work as primarily for pregnant women, but almost all of your clients can benefit from skilled side-lying work in this area, and it feels wonderful.

The day will focus on straightforward, muscle-specific techniques that can be immediately applied in practice. Body mechanics will also be a focus of this class, as well as proper use of fingers and elbows to save wear and tear on joints.

"This was the best CE class I've ever taken." -Tyler Rapke

"I haven't felt this kind of freedom in my shoulders since before massage school! I have definitely been enjoying my wings." -Amy Ross


Instructor: Brian Utting
CE hours: 8 (NCBTMB-approved for CE credit)

Date and Time: Sunday, March 17th, 2024, 10am-7pm

Tuition: $180 for Sunday’s DT Shoulder class. Take both Saturday’s Tx Shoulder class and Sunday’s DT Shoulder class together for only $320.

Registration: This class is sponsored by Therapeutic Training Center. Click here to register for Sunday only. To register for both days, click here.

Regarding masking: We have moved to a hybrid version of the masking policy—there are different masking requirements for the lecture and non-lecture portions of class.

Lecture: During the opening portion of class, and during any lecture, masking is optional, each person can choose to wear a mask or not.

Masking is required during the non-lecture portion of class when you are doing technique, watching a demo, or doing orthopedic testing. Please bring a surgical mask, N95 respirator or KN95 respirator -- choose what works best for you, and consider bringing two masks.