Having a limb of the body slightly shorter than normal may sound unusual, but it's far more common than you might suspect! Many of us have one leg slightly shorter than the other, one hemipelvis slightly smaller than the other side, or as we will discuss in this issue of Muscle News, upper arms that are short in comparison to our torso length. These limb length differences can cause chronic musculoskeletal problems leading to mild to severe pain issues and deterioration over the span of our lives if they are not addressed.
 Dr. Janet Travell (pictured above with President John F. Kennedy) was the pioneer of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy. Her success at treating myofascial pain led to her becoming the first woman to be appointed the president's personal White House physician. Dr. Travell assisted President Kennedy with numerous myofascial pains and dysfunctions, including short upper arms! In the above picture, you can see President Kennedy keeping his hand in his pocket to support the weight of the arm, a recommendation Dr. Travell made for many patients with short upper arms.
Here also is a picture of the famous rocking chair she prescribed for President Kennedy which allowed his arms to rest comfortably on a high arm rest. A high arm rest is another solution to relieve chronic neck and shoulder pain for someone with short upper arms. (Incidentally, this prescription led to rocking chairs becoming popularized in the US.)
Short upper arms are easy to check for and a wonderful benefit to correct if you have them. Perform the following quick tests and self-care tips below to identify and correct this condition for you and your loved ones!
*The information in this article is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition and does not substitute for a thorough evaluation by a medical professional. Please consult your physician to determine whether these self-care tips are appropriate for you. |
(2) Quick Self-Tests to Tell if You have Short Upper Arms:
Follow the instructions below to test whether your upper arms are disproportionate in length compared to your torso.
TEST 1: Elbow to Hip Test
PASS:
 While standing, find the top of your hip bone, called the Iliac Crest. The easiest way to do this is to walk your fingers down the side of your rib cage until you fall off the lowest rib into the soft abdomen. Just below this point you will find the bony prominence of the Iliac Crest. You can mark this point on your body with a pen if you like.
Now, drop your elbows to your side, letting them hang naturally and see where they fall. If your elbows reach to your Iliac Crest, you have Passed this test.
Not PASS:
 If your elbows do not reach your Iliac Crests, then you have short upper arms. You can measure the difference between the bottom of your elbow and your Iliac Crest, if you like. Your chances of having mild to severe pain in your neck and shoulders is increased greatly by this condition.
TEST 2: Arm Rest Test
 Sit in a chair you use and rest your arms on the arm rests. A Passing result is being able to rest your elbows on the arm rests, allowing the weight of your arms to be supported. This support allows your neck and shoulder muscles to relax, which is especially important when seated.
A Not Passing result is if your elbows hang above the arm rest (as shown). This result indicates that you either have short upper arms or your chair has inadequate arm rests and should be corrected. (In the case of the model shown, since she passed Test 1, it is her chair that has arm rests set too low, rather than her upper arms being short.)
If arm rest height is not corrected, you will often find yourself leaning to the side in your chair or leaning forward to give your arms a break to rest on the arm rests. Both of these unhealthy postures have damaging effects in the long run to other parts of your body such as your spine.
Simple Self-Care Remedies
Here are simple self-care remedies for addressing short upper arms:
Step 1: Elevate Your Arm Rests
These days, office chairs can be purchased with adjustable arm rests. Adjust these settings until your elbows are fully supported on both sides. Some chairs have naturally high arm rests, such as chairs for nursing mothers and many older style rocking chairs.
Homemade adjustments using sponges and tape can be made as well to just about any chair you may be using. And finally, simply using pillows under the elbows can be enough to correct for having short upper arms. Additionally, when standing, it is helpful to put your hands in your pockets to relieve the pressure caused by the weight of your arms.
Step 2: Compression
The muscle that is most affected by short upper arms is the Upper Trapezius, which we discussed in our "Migraine Maker" issue. Having the arms hanging in the seated position creates chronic shortening and development of trigger points in this muscle. The following is an abbreviated review of the instructions from our "Migraine Maker" issue. For full instructions, please click on the link.
 To treat your Upper Trapezius, press your chosen self-care tool into the muscle tissue along the tops of your shoulders and the back of your neck with enough pressure to feel the tenderness but not cause you to withdraw from the pain. Hold for 10 seconds while completing at least two full breaths in and out. You may continue searching for more tender areas along the Upper Trapezius.
Advanced
A very effective technique for treating the Upper Trapezius is to combine stretching with compression, as shown below.
 Perform the same compression, only with the head tilted to the other side. You may also rotate the head toward the same side for additional stretch.
Step 3: Stretching Your Upper Trapezius
Stretching while experiencing a headache may be counter productive and aggravate your symptoms. Stretching is better performed when there is no acute headache after performing the heat and compression steps. Simply stretch the Upper Trapezius by placing it in the Head Rotation and Lateral Flexion test positions shown in our "Migraine Maker" issue previously and hold for 20 - 30 seconds to tolerance. Perform 2 sets of each stretch on each side. If there is any aggravation of symptoms, return to heat and compression and leave stretching for another day.
If you correct your Arm Rest Height and perform the self-care steps to treat your Upper Trapezius, you don't have to suffer the short or long term consequences of short upper arms!
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Sincerely,
Your Friends at The Pressure Positive Co.
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Link Highlights:  National Association of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists________________
by Rich Poley, author of Self Massage for Athletes |
Self Care
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