Exploring How Our Upper Body Works: Chapter 3 Insights

The following is a brief overview of the recently published book "Top 3 Fix" authored by Robert Schrupp PT and Rick Olderman MSPT.

Let's uncover the secrets of our upper body! In this third chapter, we're going to learn about how the upper body system works. It's like a puzzle, and understanding it can help us solve problems like neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, and elbow discomfort. The cool thing is, it's not as complicated as it might seem at first!

If we look at our skeleton, most bones are like long levers, but two areas have flat bones – the pelvis and the shoulder blades. Think of these flat bones as the centers of function. The pelvis is like the boss for the legs and lower back, and guess what? The shoulder blades are in charge of the arms, neck, and head.

Now, here's something surprising: your shoulder blades might be playing a big role in your pain, even if no one has talked about them before. There are lots of connections between your shoulder blades, neck, and head. When your shoulder blades aren't doing their job well, stress goes to your neck and head through these connections, causing chronic pain and other issues. It's like a chain reaction!

Looking at the upper body as a whole system, we find a pattern of problems that can lead to different types of pain in different people. This happens because of things like our genes, how we exercise, past injuries, the kind of work we do, what we eat, and even our emotions. So, understanding how our upper body works together helps make solving pain simpler. If you want to know more about the rules for your shoulder blades and their connections, there are books you can check out: Fixing You®: Neck Pain & Headaches and Fixing You®: Shoulder & Elbow Pain. They go into more detail about the puzzle pieces that make our upper body work!