I've been studying and using bodymap correction for over a decade now. I am amazed at how powerful it is. We all have a bodymap. A way that we think about how we move regarding our structure, function and size. When our bodymaps are accurate, movement is good. When our bodymaps are inaccurate, movement is often inefficient, tense and injury producing. One of the most common mismappings I run across is the mapping of the arm. I can watch a person move and pretty much tell right away how they think about how their arm moves or naturally functions.
Below are a few pictures of the arm. Take a look.
I picked these three because they are a general view of how the arm relates to the rest of the torso. The top left picture shows the collarbone and how nerves and blood vessels travel underneath it. The top right picture is a front and back view of the torso. It displays how the collarbone and scapula places the glenohumeral joint out away from the ribs. The bottom photo is a bit to take in. It's a top down view of the collarbone, scapula, ribs and spine. Take notice of how the collarbones and scapula are shaped. Notice how they are curved and in no way straight or flat.
The pictures below are the 2 that I use the most in my office. When I ask a client how many joints make up their arm. Most of them say something like 3 joints. When I ask them to show me where the joints are, they rarely mention the joint at the sternum and collarbone. In my world the joint at the sternum and collarbone is the most important joint of the arm. In fact it's the first joint of the arm.....the arm has 4 joints.
The image of the whole arm to is one of my favorites. It clearly shows the 4 joints of the arm. The sternoclavicular joint, the glenohumeral joint, the elbow joint and the wrist joint. I like to call the sternoclavicular joint the conductor of the arm. For if the muscles of the arm were an orchestra, the joint at the sternum and clavicle would be the conductor.....the one responsible for rhythm and timing. Those of us with correctly mapped arms enjoy ease of motion. Have graceful gestures and don't have nearly the tension or injuries of those who have incorrectly mapped themselves. People with correctly mapped arms don't need to stretch their muscles nearly as often as others because their movements throughout the day are far less tension producing.
The image above is my second favorite because it clearly shows the possible range of motion of the collarbone. I appreciate this picture because it demonstrates how movement of the collarbone sets the rest of the arm up for efficient movement. The collarbone has a lot of range and I would love to see more of us using that range on a regular basis.
In my office, I normally use touch, movement and pictures to discuss and correct body mismappings. Mismappings occur all over the body for a variety of reasons. There are a lot of amazing techniques out there to help people move better with less tension. Over the last, I don't know how many years, I've found that correcting the bodymap makes them all more effective. If you struggle with tension, nagging injuries, regular discomfort or injuries that just won't heal, I encourage you to explore these ideas. They are powerful and worthy of your attention.