Do you have pain coming down your arm into your hands and wrists? Is your arm numb, tingling, or feeling weak? You might be surprised, but the key to your pain relief might come from stretching a small neck muscle. Introducing the scalene stretch.
The scalene muscles are a group of muscles in your neck–3 on each side. So, how might these muscles connect in any way to your annoying arm pain?
Well, the brachial plexus runs right through the scalene muscles. This bundle of nerves sends signals to your shoulder, arm, and hand. [1] There’s also an artery that runs through your scalene muscles–one that pumps blood down to your arm.
So now it might be making a bit more sense.
When you massage and stretch your scalene muscles, you reduce scalene muscle swelling, causing less tension on the surrounding nerves and arteries.
The result?
A normal feeling arm–without that weird tingly sensation.
Today, I’ll share several variations of the best scalene stretch out there. Along the way, we’ll talk about self-massage, anatomy, function, and lots of other great stuff.
We’ll cover:
- Scalene Stretch: How to Stretch Scalene Muscles
- Anterior Scalene Stretch
- Middle Scalene Stretch
- Posterior Scalene Stretch
- Seated Scalene Stretch
- Scalene Muscle Anatomy
- Scalene Muscle Function
- Causes of Scalene Pain
- Scalene Trigger Points
- Scalene Massage Before Scalene Stretch
- Our Best Massage Resources
- Our Best Neck Resources
- Scalene Stretch FAQs
We’re Back Muscle Solutions by the way. Massage is our specialty, and we’re the creators of the QL Claw, the only lower back massage device designed to hit all 5 muscles that cause lower back pain.
Our philosophy is simple: Release the muscles, relieve the pain.
And this concept applies to our lower backs as well as our necks.
Now, let’s talk scalene muscles.
Scalene Stretch: How to Stretch Scalene Muscles
I’ll get into the anatomy later on in this article, but for now, let’s start with the basics.
The scalene muscles are located on either side of your neck.
There are 3 scalene muscles on each side:
→ Anterior Scalene: Closest to the front of your neck
→ Middle Scalene: In the middle of your neck
→ Posterior Scalene: Closest to the back of your neck
As we now know, when your scalene muscles are short and tight, they don’t typically cause a ton of neck pain.
Instead, you’ll most likely feel pain in your arms, wrists, hands, or even shoulder blades.
For the best scalene muscle stretch, pay attention to the angle of your head. Depending on whether you want to stretch the anterior, middle, or posterior scalene.
You can perform a scalene stretch:
- Standing
- Kneeling
- Sitting
- Or Lying Down
The instructions below spell out how to perform a scalene stretch when lying down.
Anterior Scalene Stretch
The anterior scalene is the most common among the scalene muscles to cause pain and discomfort. This is due to its close proximity to the brachial plexus–that bundle of nerves we talked about, which sends signals to your shoulder, arm, and hand. [1]
Head Position for Anterior Scalene Stretch
Turn your head in the opposite direction of the pulling arm.
Anterior Scalene Muscle Stretch How To
1) Lie on your back on a yoga mat.
2) To stretch your left anterior scalene, bring your left hand underneath your hip, setting your shoulder down into the mat as you do so.
3) Next, bring your right hand up and over to reach your left ear.
4) Use your right hand to pull your head gently to the right.
5) As you do this, turn your head to the left–in the opposite direction of the pulling arm, tucking your chin into your left shoulder.
6) Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds–based on your comfort level.
The first time you perform this scalene stretch, it can be helpful to remove your left arm from under your hip temporarily–so you can feel the left side of your neck.
With your head turned in the opposite direction of the pulling arm, you should really feel the fibers of your anterior scalene muscle as you stretch. This is how you know you’re in the middle of a powerful scalene stretch.
Middle Scalene Stretch
The middle scalene tends to cause similar symptoms to the anterior scalene.
Head Position for Middle Scalene Stretch
No head turn necessary. Just keep your head facing straight forward.
Middle Scalene Muscle Stretch How To
1) Lie on your back on a yoga mat.
2) To stretch your left middle scalene, bring your left hand underneath your hip, setting your shoulder down into the mat as you do so.
3) Next, bring your right hand up and over to reach your left ear.
4) Use your right hand to pull your head gently to the right.
5) As you do this, keep your head facing straight ahead–with no turn or angle.
6) Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds–based on your comfort level.
Feeling the middle scalene muscle during the stretch will be more difficult than the anterior or posterior scalene stretch, but you should still be able to feel the muscle fibers getting stretched.
Posterior Scalene Stretch
The posterior scalene is less commonly cited as a source of pain for most people. That said, when this muscle does get agitated, people tend to feel pain in their:
- Serratus anterior (a muscle that runs along the front of the ribcage)
- Levator scapulae (a neck muscle)
- Rhomboid (a shoulder blade muscle)
Head Position for Posterior Scalene Stretch
Turn your head in the same direction as the pulling arm.
Posterior Scalene Muscle Stretch How To
1) Lie on your back on a yoga mat.
2) To stretch your left posterior scalene, bring your left hand underneath your hip, setting your shoulder down into the mat as you do so.
3) Next, bring your right hand up and over to reach your left ear.
4) Use your right hand to pull your head gently to the right.
5) As you do this, turn your head to the right–towards the arm pulling your head.
6) Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds–based on your comfort level.
During this scalene stretch, if you reach up and feel your neck, you should feel the posterior scalene muscle very prominently.
Seated Scalene Stretch
If lying down on a yoga mat isn’t your jam, you can also perform a seated scalene stretch with all the same benefits.
With the seated scalene stretch, just be sure to keep the shoulder of the working side down and back–not hunched. Lying down can help position your shoulder naturally like this. You just have to be more intentional when it comes to the seated scalene stretch.
Seated Scalene Muscle Stretch How To
1) Sit down in a chair with a neutral posture.
2) For a left scalene stretch, think about setting your left shoulder down and back.
3) Next, bring your right hand up and over to reach your left ear.
4) Adjust your head positioning based on which scalene muscle you want to stretch:
Anterior: Turn your head away from the pulling arm.
Middle: Keep your head looking straight forward.
Posterior: Turn your head toward the pulling arm.
5) Use your right hand to pull your head gently to the right.
6) Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds–based on your comfort level.
Scalene Muscle Anatomy
Now that you know all the techniques for the best scalene stretch, let’s get into scalene anatomy.
We've established that there are 3 sets of scalene muscles on each side of your neck.
All 3 scalene muscles originate from the cervical vertebrae, and they connect the vertebrae to your first two ribs. The anterior and middle scalene attach to the first rib while the posterior scalene attaches to the second rib.
All together, these muscles form a triangular space–hence the name scalene.
And right through the middle of that triangle, you’ll find the brachial plexus–that bundle of nerves we’ve referenced, which controls your arms and hands–as well as the subclavian artery, which carries blood to your arms.
Want to know a surprising fact about scalene anatomy? Some–but not all–people actually have a fourth scalene muscle–called the minimum scalene. [2]
Scalene Muscle Function
You may not have heard of the scalene muscles before, but their purpose is very important.
Neck Flexion & Rotation
All 3 scalene muscles work together to flex and bend the neck, which is why you can very easily feel your scalene muscles as you bend your neck during a scalene stretch.
Breathing
When you think about muscles that help you breathe, I’m sure neck muscles aren’t the first muscle to come to mind. But now that we know the anatomy of the scalene–and their connection to the ribs–this might make a little more sense.
The scalene muscles are considered accessory breathing muscles–meaning that they assist in your breathing by lifting your upper chest and ribs when you breathe.
Causes of Scalene Pain
Considering what we just learned about the role scalene muscles play in breathing, it only makes sense that many activities tending to cause scalene pain involve high respiratory demand.
For this reason, athletes commonly suffer from scalene pain symptoms.
Here are some potential causes of scalene pain:
- Athletic activities (such as swimming)
- Asthmatic symptoms (such as gasping, coughing, etc.)
- Whiplash
- Poor posture
- Stomach sleeping
Scalene Trigger Points
Sometimes, when a muscle is injured you feel pain in that muscle.
Makes sense, right?
What can be confusing to people, however, is the concept of referred pain.
A trigger point is a sensitive place within a muscle that tends to cause pain not just in the muscle itself but sometimes in a completely different part of the body. This is called referred pain.
The scalene muscles are a perfect example of this. While some people may feel pain in their neck–particularly the levator scapula–if they have an agitated posterior scalene…most people with scalene muscle issues feel pain in their:
- Arm
- Hand
- Wrist
- Shoulder Blade
This is because the scalene muscles refer pain to these areas of the body when agitated.
Because of this, many people suffering from a scalene injury complain of numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain in their arms, hands, and wrists. When the scalene muscles are revealed as the culprit in these cases, it’s almost always a surprise.
But this is the nature of trigger points and referred pain.
Scalene Massage Before Scalene Stretch
Whenever you’re dealing with trigger points, it’s best to start with massage–even before stretching.
So, can you perform trigger point massage for your scalene muscles?
Absolutely.
Here’s how:
1) Find the scalene muscles by placing 1-2 fingers just above your collarbone. You should feel a tender spot when you push in.
2) Press in with your fingers. You can begin to lightly massage the area, working your way slightly up from the starting point above the collarbone.
3) You can also add a scalene stretch during the massage by tilting your head away from the side you’re massaging.
It’s also possible to use a massage ball instead of your fingers for scalene trigger point release.
During scalene massage, it’s important to maintain deep, steady breaths to ensure your scalene muscles stay calm.
After you release the scalene muscles with massage, then it’s time to find a scalene stretch that works for you to lengthen the massaged muscle and keep it from becoming agitated again.
Our Best Massage Resources
At Back Muscle Solutions, we’re experts in trigger point therapy and massage–specifically for the lower back.
So, to learn more about trigger point therapy, check out the resources below:
Trigger Point Therapy For Back Pain
Trigger Points vs. Myofascial Pain (1/2)
“Trigger Point Massage: The Secret to Pain Relief”
Or for the best tool for trigger point release, check out the QL Claw.
This is our lower back massage device with a potent trigger point specifically designed to hit all muscle trigger points often associated with back pain.
The QL Claw can even provide massage for your shoulder blade–as shown below.
Our Best Neck Resources
We’ve also got a lot of great resources all about neck muscles, neck health, and neck strength. Check them out below:
“Neck Workouts for a Thicker, Stronger Neck”
“5 Tips for How to Get Rid of Knots in Neck”
“Quick Levator Scapulae Pain Relief With These 8 Stretches”
Neck Training Like Andrew Huberman (Results After 4 Weeks)
This Posture Routine Is Fixing My Shoulders & Neck
Scalene Stretch FAQs
How do you loosen tight scalenes?
To loosen tight scalene muscles, start with trigger point massage. After this, stretch the muscle with a good scalene stretch.
What causes tight scalenes?
Tight scalenes can be caused by intense activity requiring high respiratory demand, intense coughing, and injuries like whiplash.
What are the symptoms of a weak scalene?
When you have a weak and injured scalene, you may feel pain, numbness, weakness, and tingling in your arm, hand, or wrist–and maybe even your shoulder blade.
How do you self release scalene muscles?
To self-release scalene muscles, place 1-2 fingers just above your collar bone to find a tender spot in your muscles. Massage with your fingers or a lacrosse ball.
What related syndrome can the scalenes be associated with?
Scalene muscles are often associated with thoracic outlet syndrome, which takes place when the nerves and blood vessels located between your first rib and collarbone get squeezed, causing pain to shoot down your shoulder, arm, and hand.
What nerve can the scalenes impinge?
The scalene muscles can often impinge the brachial plexus nerve since it runs right through the scalene muscles.
Do tight scalenes cause forward head posture?
Yes, tight scalene muscles can cause forward head posture.
Sources:
[1] https://www.scielo.cl/pdf/ijmorphol/v26n2/art21.pdf
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519058
[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161475410002137
[4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0022510X9400220I
[5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0022510X9400220I