Mentoring Minutes: Neck Pain and Shoulder Position

Welcome to PhysioU’s Mentoring Minutes! Each episode of Mentoring Minutes directly applies a clinical approach with relevant research for effective results.

Did you know that 4 out of 5 patients improved their neck pain drastically by passively elevating their scapulas and unloading the shoulders? Great for the acute, irritable patient. In today’s episode of Mentoring Minutes, Dr. Marshall Lemoine will be discussing how you can apply this unloading technique in the clinic!

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Van Dillen LR, McDonnell MK, Susco TM, Sahrmann SA. The immediate effect of passive scapular elevation on symptoms with active neck rotation in patients with neck pain. Clin J Pain. 2007 Oct;23(8):641-7. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0b013e318125c5b6. PubMed PMID: 17885341.

  • With the scapulae passively elevated, patients reported a significant and immediate decrease in symptoms with right and left neck rotation.