yogabook / explorations / abduct turned in arm

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last modification: 30.5.2003
Name: Arm twisted lateral abduction

• Classification
• Contraindication
• Effects
• Preparation
• Follow-up
• Derived asanas
• Similar asanas
• Diagnostics
• Instructions
• details
• Variants

Instructions

1. Stand in tadasana.
2. Raise your right upper arm to a horizontal position, keeping your forearm perpendicular to the floor.
3. Try to lift the upper arm further sideways to the maximum.
4. Now turn your upper arm out so that your forearm is pointing towards the ceiling.
5. Now try to raise your arm further sideways to the maximum.
6. From the maximally raised position, try to turn the upper arm in again so that the forearm points downwards as far as possible.

details

1. This exploration shows how much the ability to laterally abduct the arm depends on the exorotation of the upper arm, i.e. that the lateral abduction abilityis a function of the rotation. Initially, with the forearm pointing downwards, i.e. with the upper arm rotated into the shoulder joint, the upper arm could barely be raised 90°; after exorotation of the arm, the full known range of motion is available. The attempt to turn the arm back in again from the maximally raised position with the arm rotated out shows the impossibility and at best leads to the shoulder blade being elevated and perhaps even to the WS being laterally flexed to achieve a forearm pointing halfway vertically downwards.