Effects of pulling direction on upper trapezius and rhomboid muscle activity.
Won-Gyu Yoo
PMID 28626320WHAT IT FOUND
Pulling a band with the arm at 120° shoulder flexion produced higher rhomboid activity and lower upper trapezius activity than at 60° in 15 healthy men.
This describes muscle activation, not patient outcomes.
Key findings
01Pulling with the shoulder flexed to 120° produced rhomboid activity of 31.2 ± 9.8% of maximum voluntary contraction, higher than 22.5 ± 11.0% at 90° and 21.1 ± 10.8% at 60°.
02Pulling with the shoulder flexed to 60° produced upper trapezius activity of 29.3 ± 19.5% of maximum voluntary contraction, higher than 15.9 ± 10.5% at 120°.
03In the horizontal posture condition, rhomboid and upper trapezius activity did not differ significantly.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included 15 healthy males, not people with neck, shoulder, or posture problems. It measured muscle activity for 5 seconds, not pain, function, posture correction, or treatment outcomes. The sample size was small. Participants were not accustomed to the exercises, and fatigue was minimized. The paper reports two different upper trapezius values for the 120° condition (15.9 ± 10.5% MVC and 19.9 ± 16.1% MVC).
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that pulling at 120° improves posture or reduces neck pain. The study measured muscle activity for 5 seconds in 15 healthy men, not patients or clinical outcomes.