The Effects of 4-Week Serratus Anterior Strengthening Exercise Program on the Scapular Position and Pain of the Neck and Interscapular Region

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of serratus anterior strengthening exercises on scapular position and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain measurements taken at the resting position in young adults with adducted scapular. The exercise program included stretching of the scapular retractor and strengthening of the serratus anterior muscle. We measured the distance from the midline of the thorax to the vertebral border of the scapular with a tape line (Superior Kibler), and the distance from the 7th cervical spinous process to the acromial angle with 3-dimension motion analysis system, to compare the resting scapular position before and after exercise. Fifteen subjects with adducted scapular were recruited to compare the resting scapular position and VAS. The distance from 7th cervical spine process to acromial angle of the scapular and VAS decreased significantly (p<.01) after exercise, while the distance from the midline of the thorax to vertebral border of the scapular increased (p<.05). The conclusion is that the serratus anterior exercise program altered the resting scapular position and decreased VAS.