MIDDLE TRAPEZIUS

STRENGTH TEST

​• ​Testing for

The strength of the middle trapezius muscle.

​• ​Test positioning

The client is prone.

​• ​Action

The client affected shoulder to 90-degrees.

The client externally rotates arm.

The client attempts to extend their affected arm then hold (grade 3 strength).

The therapist stabilizes the unaffected shoulder.

The client attempts to extend their affected arm as the therapist resists (grade 5 strength).

​• ​Positive finding

The client cannot hold the arm in extension or cannot resist the therapist anteriorly directed pressure.

The Middle Trapezius Strength Test builds on the foundational work of Dr. Florence Kendall and Dr. Henry Otis Kendall in muscle testing, with additional insights from Dr. Vladimir Janda on muscle balance and function.