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Levator Scapulae Stretch

Draftstretch85%beginner⬤ moderate evidence
View FHIR resourceFHIR R4 ActivityDefinition — the interoperable form of this exercise

Positions & Range of Motion

Start
seated tall with a long spine, one hand can anchor the same-side shoulder down; head neutral
End
neck flexed, side-bent away from the target side, and rotated toward the target side (looking down toward the opposite armpit), same-side shoulder drawn toward the floor to elongate levator scapulae
Range of Motion
cervical flexion + contralateral lateral flexion + ipsilateral rotation to comfortable end range, held statically

How to Perform

Similar to upper trap stretch but with cervical rotation toward the target side to bias levator scapulae over upper trapezius. Flexion + contralateral bending + ipsilateral rotation produces highest shear moduli indicating maximum elongation.

Watch on YouTube↗

Opens a YouTube search for “Levator Scapulae Stretch”

Starting position: seated

Coaching Cues

  1. 1

    Long, tall spine before the chin moves

    (verbal)
  2. 2

    Look down toward your opposite armpit

    (verbal)
  3. 3

    Pull the same-side shoulder toward the floor

    (verbal)
  4. 4

    Trace a stretch from upper neck to shoulder blade

    (tactile)

Evidence-Based Dosing & EMG Data

Recommended Dosing

30-60 seconds per side, 2x daily, 5 days/week [Tunwattanapong 2016]

Muscles Involved (2)

Primary Movers

Levator Scapulae— Target muscle — rotation differentiates from upper trap stretch [Yanase 2021]

Secondary Movers

Upper Trapezius— Partially stretched

Easier Variations ↓

1

Active ROM Only

Perform the rotation and lateral flexion actively without hand assistance.

Harder Variations ↑

1

Seated with Arm Behind Back

Hold the chair seat with the stretch-side hand to anchor the scapula down.

Target Movements (2)

Cervical Lateral FlexionCervical Intervertebral Joints (C2-C7)
Cervical RotationCervical Intervertebral Joints (C2-C7)

Why This Exercise Matters

Everyday activities this exercise helps you do — essential means it directly trains the capacity the task needs:

Posture Maintenance

Goals This Helps With

Rehab, performance, prevention, and mobility goals this exercise supports — essential means it's a cornerstone:

Neck PainrehabImprove Neck Mobilitymobility

Research Notes

AUDIT[low]: Dosing (Tunwattanapong 2016) and the shear-modulus / rotation-differentiation mechanism (Yanase 2021) are cited in dosing/notes/cues but neither source is linked (only Kisner, ACSM). → Add Tunwattanapong 2016 and Yanase 2021 to linked sources.

Evidence Sources (2)