The Obstinate Pec Minor

The Obstinate Pec Minor (PMI) can produce a hailstorm of problems throughout the body especially in the shoulders, arm, neck and respiration. Working with it effectively goes a long way in helping you help your clients with neck and shoulder issues, breathing restrictions and even wrist and elbow pain. If the iliopsoas is the hidden prankster of low back pain (Travell and Simons), the PMI is the hidden trickster of the shoulder girdle.  

 Imagine three long fingers extending on an inferior and medial diagonal path from the coracoid process to ribs 3-5 (attachments have been found on ribs 2 and 6 on some folks). This multitasking stabilizer connects the shoulder girdle (scapula and clavicle) to the thorax. The PMI seems to glory in pulling the coracoid process towards the ribs (whether it needs it or not) causing a profusion of myofascial and bio-mechanical distortions. PMI drags the glenohumeral (GH) joint with it as it pulls the coracoid process towards the ribs. 

If you found this video helpful, you’re only seeing one small piece of the shoulder puzzle. In my Rotator Cuff Mastery course, I teach massage therapists and bodyworkers how to assess and treat the entire shoulder complex—from the rotator cuff to the scapular stabilizers—so you can create real, lasting results for your clients.

Learn more about Rotator Cuff Mastery here.