The Shoulder

The shoulder is a complex area of the body that has many joints but only one bony attachment to the trunk of the body. It has two main functions;

• Mobility; it must be flexible to allow the hand and arm a huge range of motion.
• Strength; it must be strong to allow for actions such as lifting heavy objects and pushing and pulling against resistance.

The shoulder must be able to execute a range of movements.

Global movements of the scapula

Fig 1.

• Elevation
• Depression
• Protraction
• Retraction
• Downward rotation
• Upward rotation

Fig 1. Movements of the scapula. Illustration by Prue Schafferius

Combined movements of the arm and scapula

Fig 2.

• Flexion
• Extension
• Abduction
• Adduction
• External rotation
• Internal rotation

These movements at their end range can also cause movement in the spine and ribs. For example; Flexion of the arms, can lead to extension of the spine and extension of the arms can cause flexion of the spine. These associated movements are often less present in the movements of dancers, as we train our bodies to isolate arm movements from our spines and vice versa.