Affiliations: [a] Department of Rehabilitation Therapy, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea | [b] Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Laboratory of Kinetic Ergocise Based on Movement Analysis, Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Oh-Yun Kwon, Laboratory of Kinetic Ergocise based on Movement Analysis, Department of Physical %****␣ies-30-ies210181_temp.tex␣Line␣25␣**** Therapy, Graduate School, Yonsei University, 1 Yeonsedae-gil, Maeji-ri, Heungeop-myeon, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26493, Wonju, South Korea. Tel.: +82 337 602 721; Fax: +82 337 602 496; E-mail: kwonoy@yonsei.ac.kr.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The focus of exercises for restoring the imbalance between scapular upward rotator muscles – upper trapezius (UT), serratus anterior (SA), and lower trapezius (LT) – commonly aims to increase SA and LT activities while not increasing UT activity. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the activity of the UT, SA, and LT muscles during scapation and protraction exercises, which are two traditional exercises, and during a newly designed scapular upward rotation (SUR) exercise. METHODS: A total of 29 healthy young adult men performed all three exercises with maximum isometric contraction. The electromyographic activities of the UT, SA, and LT were recorded. RESULTS: UT demonstrated the highest activity during scapation. SA activity was the lowest during protraction. However, no difference was found in SA activity during the performance of scapation and SUR. The SA/UT ratio was the highest during scapation. CONCLUSIONS: SUR is a new exercise that can be performed at moderate intensity for shoulder rehabilitation to restore scapular upward rotator muscle imbalance.
