Scalenes- and why they might be the cause of your symptoms.

The scalene muscles are three paired muscles located in the lateral (or away from the centre) aspect of the neck, also known as the posterior triangle of the neck. 

These muscles are responsible for flexion of the neck and act as accessory muscles of respiration. 

There are a number of important structures that lay beneath, or pass through the scalene muscles, such as the brachial plexus and subclavian artery. The Phrenic nerve runs through the front of the anterior scalene, if you don’t know what the Phrenic nerve does, it provides exclusive motor control of the diaphragm which is the primary muscle of respiration; basically it helps you breath! 

When we break down the structures of the neck in this way it’s easy to see the importance of addressing the neck early if you are struggling with pain or limited range of motion (ROM). 

It is much easier to address an issue in the early stages of pain rather than waiting until you’re experiencing headaches, dizziness, fatigue, pain through your shoulder and arm and pins and needles to the fingers; these are just some of the symptoms related to compression of the structures that I outlined above... (compression  is when the muscle is tight and pushes on nerve and blood vessels).

If this is something you’re struggling with or would like more information about I am available for a phone call anytime, alternatively you can email me at chloeroberts.acu@gmail.com