Course Overview

The infraspinatous muscle, with common trigger points, refers pain to the area of the deltoid and the shoulder joint. Seen both as an acute or chronic injury, inflammation of the muscle and tendon, as well as possible strain at the attachment to the humerus makes this rotator cuff muscle an important one to master. Like its adjacent muscle, the supraspinatous, this referral pattern leads many practitioners to a diagnosis of Large Intestine (Yangming) and San Jiao (Shaoyang) disorders, which often results in overlooking this scapular-region muscle.

The Small Intestine meridian encompasses the belly of the infraspinatous in the region of Small Intestine 11. The area between Small Intestine 9 and 10 is the muscle-tendon junction – also a common source of pain. Treating qi and blood stagnation in the infraspinatous is described and demonstrated in detail by Whitfield Reaves in this webinar.

This series was introduced in 2011, and is based upon single individual sports injuries. Each course provides simple and direct video for first time viewing as well as to increase precision through repetition. Even if you have taken the newer series, Mastering the Treatment of Injury and Pain, this old series is still an excellent resource for review and is filled with clinical gems.

Course Objectives

• To perform manual muscle testing to assist in the diagnosis of the condition.
• To use palpation in order to diagnose stagnation at the muscle-tendon junction.
• To be able to describe needle technique on the local zone of the muscle belly, in the region of SI 11.
• To name two adjacent points and two distal points useful in treating the infraspinatous.
• To name three related conditions that SI 11 may be effective in treating.

Course Outline

0 hrs - 15 minAnatomy of the infraspinatous muscle.

15 min - 30 minClinical assessment of pathology of the infraspinatous muscle.

30 min - 45 minDemonstration of assessment - Demo of palpation of the infraspinatous, point location, and palpation of the muscle-tendon portion of the tendon.

45 min - 1 hrsDemonstration of technique - needle technique of Small Intestine 11, Large Intestine 14, and technique for the muscle-tendon junction.