3 Fascial Pec Stretch - Pinching sensation

[Jason]

Sorry if this has been addressed somewhere else, I've tried to find it in the forums but haven't come up with anything. 

I've been doing the 3 Fascial Pec Stretch on the floor for several months but still have a pinching sensation in my shoulder on the right side. It's difficult to relax into it and only goes away if I contract (press my hand down into the floor). But it comes back as soon as I release the contraction. Internally rotating that shoulder while I'm on the floor helps a little but this is preventing me from making progess on this side. I'm open to any ideas. Thanks for listening. 

[Nathan]

Hi Jason,

Posting a picture for a form check would probably be best, if you can.

Could you be more specific about where you feel the pinching sensation? Have you done the wall version? If so, do you get the same sensation? If not, try it and find out. How is your non-fascial pec stretch (with palm down)? If it feels okay, is there any reason you're doing the fascial version instead? Have you tried rolling the pec/delt/biceps/forearms before the stretch? If not, give it a try and see if the sensation changes.

Edit: Forgot to mention, I'm sure this has come up multiple times before, but I only found one relevant post in a quick search. This might also give you some ideas: Pec stretch E2 nerve tension.

[Jason]

Hi Nathan,

Thanks so much for getting back to me. 

I have to think about your questions, and try your suggestions, and will get back to you. Thanks again, much appreciated. 

-Jason

[Kit_L]

Liv and I will be showing how to stretch the muscles at the back of the shoulder, as a preparation for the stretch mentioned—because for some people the pinching sensation happens at the back of the shoulder, and what that is is particular muscles cramping, as they are on the inside of the curve being made between the arm in the body. This is much more common than you might think.

For example, for most beginners, they need to stretch their spine forwards before trying any kind of backward bending – because those muscles along the spine will cramp in exactly the same way as your foot cramps when you point your toes. Stretching the opposite direction first, and relaxing the muscles that will end up on the inside of the stretch, is the cure for this. If you're not subscribing to our newsletter, jump over to our site, stretchtherapy.net, and sign up.

[Jason]

Hi Kit, thanks for the reply. 

Yes, I LOVE the newsletter and read every one. Already saw the suggestions for shoulder stretches and will try those out. 

Much appreciated,

-Jason

[Jason]

Hi, 

Coming back to this, I finally made time to try out all the suggestions and get answers to the excellent questions. I'm so appreciative that you guys take the time to read these posts and comment.

@Nathan,

• I did not realize there was a palm up and palm down version of the pec stretch. I am MUCH tighter in the palm up version BUT I did notice that if I alternate back and forth with palm up/down it feels a bit better in my shoulder when I finally try to fully relax into the palm down stretch. 
• I don't like the wall version because I can generate more force on the floor and relax easier without having to hold myself up
• I tried rolling everything and didn't notice much of a change but I'll try a few more times just to be sure
• I'm feeling the pinching sensation where I highlighted it in the attached photo
• The unpleasant sensation occurs when I really relax all the muscles around the shoulder. It's similar to before my shoulders were strong enough to hang passively. Like everything would just fall apart in there unless I maintained tension. As soon as I really let go in the pec stretch I can feel that very unpleasant pulling sensation.

@Kit_L,

• I tried stretching my shoulder in the opposite direction first and it may have helped a little. I'll have to do it some more to be sure. 

Thanks again for all your help. It is so very much appreciated. 

-Jason

[Jason]

Hi,

@Kit_L, I've found the back of the shoulder stretch really helps with the stall bar cat pose. Thank you for the advice. 

@Nathan, I've tried to roll my lats and general armpit area but have not had much success with loosening things up. I'm grateful, though, that this stretch has really highlighted where I need to work on.

If either of you have suggestions on how to eliminate the pinching I'd love to get feedback. Thanks again for all your work and help. 

-Jason

[Nathan]

Hi Jason,

Sorry for the late reply!

On 11/16/2021 at 7:48 AM, Jason said:

I am MUCH tighter in the palm up version

Pretty much everyone will be. Palm up puts extra stretch on the fascia and nerves, so using it to loosen things up before going deeper in the palm-down version can be helpful.

On 11/16/2021 at 7:48 AM, Jason said:

I can generate more force on the floor and relax easier without having to hold myself up

As long as you have the pinching issue, generating more force should not be a goal. Easier relaxation is good, though.

On 11/16/2021 at 7:48 AM, Jason said:

The unpleasant sensation occurs when I really relax all the muscles around the shoulder

You don't need to relax all the muscles. We need a certain amount of tension to be functional. If you can keep a certain amount of tension in the shoulder and get a good stretch in the pec, then there's no reason to force yourself to completely relax as this point. Work on loosening things up separately, and then revisit complete relaxation later.

On 12/3/2021 at 2:42 AM, Jason said:

I've tried to roll my lats and general armpit area but have not had much success with loosening things up

Lats aren't too relevant here, but rolling them is rarely a bad idea. When I mentioned armpit area, I mostly meant pec minor up at the top-front of the armpit. But rolling the pecs might not be what works for you.

Regarding the picture, I would say to back off on the amount of force you're putting into the stretch. I could be wrong, but it looks like you're trying to force yourself deeper than appropriate for now. Focus on getting a good, pinch-free stretch first, before you swing the top leg over that far and push up so much with the top arm. Also, I can't tell what angle your arm is at, but angle is important. Try moving the arm a bit lower, and really focus on rolling the shoulder back in the stretch, and report back.

[Kit_L]

This is a bit hard to describe, but I will try. "Joint distraction" can really reduce, possibly eliminate, the pinching sensation. Once in the start of the stretch position, use the arm that's in front of you to slightly unweight the chest, and use the same arm to pull the trunk away from the arm behind you, while making sure the back arm is held firmly on the floor. This tractions the joint slightly, and makes the world of difference for some people.

On workshops I demonstrate a partner version of the exercise, where I have a foot above and below the shoulder on your trunk (with my heels on the floor), and I pull the rest of the outstretched arm away from my feet, before you roll deeper into the stretch. Imagine that and try to duplicate something like that when you're on the floor by yourself.

[Nathan]

Excellent suggestion from Kit! I like to think of it as opening up the joint, as in creating space inside the joint. This makes it easy for me to visualize. In addition to physically applying force to do this, I find even the mental intention to open up the joint during a stretch can work fantastically.

[Jason]

Hi,

I've tried backing off and it has helped. I've also focused on keeping some tension in the shoulder while trying to isolate the stretch in the pec. Limited success there, it's very hard for me to tension a muscle that's so close to the one I'm trying to relax. The cross body banded stretch has been helpful as well, as an antagonist stretch prior to the pec stretch. Thank you again for that advice. 

I've noticed that my left pec is MUCH tighter and more resistant to stretching than my right. I can feel it after an intense bridge pose stretch (I've wondered if I was having a heart attack) and I can see it when I lay over a Swiss ball in a bridge-like position. The left arm doesn't come down as much as the right. It just feels stuck. Any suggestions for getting as a stubborn pec on one side to loosen up? 

Thanks for any help you can offer. This has been holding back my handstand progress for a while by limiting how much I can open my shoulders. I'm so grateful for your guidance on figuring out the limitation. Now to address it!

 

[Kit_L]

Try this first:

 

[Jason]

@Kit_L, thank you for the suggestion, I’ll work it into my practice and report back.

This looks very similar to part of they Yuri band sequence in L3 of Master Shoulder Flexibility. Do they achieve the same end?