02/23/2026
If you saw our posts from last week about pain with overhead motion, you saw that a big contributor is rib flare. Another problem is limited lat length.
The latissimus dorsi is bigger than most people realize, spanning the entire low back, connecting the humerus to the pelvis, spine and even sacrum through fascial connections. Most of us spend the day with our arms at our sides, never allowing the lat to lengthen, leading to tightness.
A confusing aspect of muscle tissue is that a tight muscle does not automatically mean it is strong; tightness can and often does indicate weakness.
So it is not enough to just stretch the lat, it also has to get stronger by learning to eccentrically control the arm moving overhead (in addition to its other functions).
