Name: Lower Trapezius Activation Taping
Uploaded: 2023-04-26T01:01:17.000Z
Duration: 6 min 53 s

English captions

https://stream.mux.com/15Pb2z9lhKlqnAcZVU6U00aq1z6tzB34pYlasLyJ78cA.m3u8

Learn how to properly perform lower trapezius activation taping in this comprehensive step-by-step instructional video from the Brookbush Institute. This evidence-based video provides expert coaching on setup, positioning, alignment, and tape application technique to improve lower trapezius activation and scapular stability. Enhance scapular depression and upward rotation while supporting optimal shoulder mechanics and postural alignment with this targeted taping technique. Perfect for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and rehabilitation clients seeking to improve posture, enhance shoulder stability, and restore optimal movement mechanics while reducing injury risk.

Introduction to Lower Trap Activation Taping

Indications for Use in Dysfunctional Movement Patterns

Techniques for Taping Application

Demonstration of Tape Placement on Model

Reinforcement of Lower Trap Activity and Postural Reminder

Lower Trapezius Activation Taping

This is Brent of the Brookbush Institute, bringing you more kinesiology taping videos. In this video we're doing lower trap activation, or facilitation taping. Now why would I use this taping? I would use it to number one, reinforce lower trap activation exercises done during the session. The people who would get that type of exercise for me include all of those individuals who maybe have arms fall forward, or shoulders elevate on the overhead squat assessment. If we're talking more clinically, then we're probably thinking towards scapular dyskinesis, glenohumeral pathologies, cervical spine and thoracic spine dysfunctions, lower trap activation taping might also come in. I'm going to have my friend Melissa come out, she's going to help me demonstrate this taping. And I'm glad we have a female to model for us, because although men this taping is very easy to just have them go okay, why don't you take your shirt off and let me lay down some tape, with women that becomes a little bit more of an issue. Obviously we can't just have them take shirts and tops and bras off, that that could be very uncomfortable, especially if all we're going to do is lay down some tape. There is a technique though for just moving stuff around a little bit, and then laying the tape underneath a garment like this. Now how am I going to put this tape down? Well as I've explained in other videos, I like to put the muscle in the shortest position possible, and then use tape off tension. So as opposed to the more inconsistent and a little bit more complicated, I'm going to do this with thirty percent tension, or fifty percent tension. I just go ahead and put that muscle in the shortest position and then lay down with tape off tension. How I'm going to get the lower trap in its shortest position, took a little practice, took a little experimentation, but I think I finally found something that I really like that really works. What I'm going to have Melissa do here, she's going to go into scaption, as high as she possibly can. Now what that's going to do is force upward rotation of her scapula, which is going to shorten my lower trap a little bit. Now we have to be careful that she doesn't do this, right we go arms up. A lot of people will do this elevation thing, which then lengthens my lower trap again. So I'm gonna have you start over for me Melissa. What I usually tell people to do is go, okay arms up, and then I want you to depress, pull down as far as you can, you can even give me a little chest up, a little bit of thoracic extension, that will help shorten the lower traps a little bit more. Now I've already pre-cut my pieces of tape here, and for Melissa we have just over four blocks. So I would find that four to five blocks with the tape usually works out, and what we're going to try to do is tape from this proximal portion of the spine of the scapula, or the root of the spine of the scapula, all all the way down to T12, which of course is the vertebrae that her last rib attaches to. I'm going to pull off my anchor here. I got about an inch there, two, maybe three centimeters. Alright the anchor gets absolutely no tension whatsoever. We want to just stick it on nice and flat, no tension. Tension on your anchors will pull the tape off faster than if we have no tension at our anchors, and then what I'm going to do, you guys can see here kind of have her arm braced up, and I'm kind of keeping her in depression while I hold this anchor down. Is I'm going to go tape off, and once i get to her sports bra i might bunch it up a little bit, so i don't have to go through as much. I'm going to grab that paper that is coming off the end of the tape there, i'm going to pull the paper all the way through, and voila, that lays down the tape. You guys catch that, it's like a little magic trick. Alright go ahead and put your arms down, how's that feel? Yeah so Melissa can feel this pulling her scapula into kind of like posterior tipping really, as she goes to raise her arm though, it'll definitely help cue a little bit more lower trap activity, get more upward rotation without that compensatory elevation we see in upper body dysfunction. I'm going to go ahead and do the other side. Let me have you take a step towards me just so you guys can see this again. Alright so I'm going to have Melissa arms up and down, good, rip off my anchor here. I'm going to palpate that proximal portion of the spine of the scapula, that would be the insertion of the lower trap. I'm just going to lay down my anchor, no tension. Alright then I kind of showed you guys that bracing technique. I kind of use my shoulder to keep her arm up, and I use the weight of this arm to keep your shoulder down in depression. Let me go ahead and tape off tension. Bunch up her sports bra a little bit, get that little piece of paper end underneath the sports bra there, and pull all the way through. So you can see where the lower corners go, right down to about T12. Go ahead and cover that back up. You guys can see how this goes right into the insertions of lower traps, and when she puts her arms down she should feel almost like she's getting a little reminder to stay in a really good posture. Thank you Melissa. So there you go, lower trap activation or facilitation taping. And once again I would use this to reinforce lower trap activation exercises done in the session. I use taping personally to help reinforce activity, and to improve carryover. As I was discussing here with Melissa, she feels like she's getting that little reminder to stay in good posture. My hope is, is that reminder to stay in good posture, that's that little stretch on the skin is telling her to continually fire her lower traps a little bit, which means more signal, more activity from the lower traps over time. Which hopefully means stronger, more active lower traps, and a return to optimal movement patterns faster, because we will have greater session to session carryover. I hope you guys enjoyed this technique, I'll talk with you soon. 

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