The lateral raise and upright row exercises
can be used as alternatives to
the shrug exercise during rehabilitation
of chronic neck muscle pain
(trapezius myalgia) because they result
in relevant and marked increases
in trapezius muscle activation compared
with the shrug exercise. These
2 alternative exercises require less
training weight (3–10 kg) compared
with the shrug exercise (20 –30 kg)
and, from a practical standpoint, may
be easier to carry out as regular training
exercises. Finally, it should be
recognized that these exercises are
to be prescribed for conditions of
myalgia (ie, pain from the muscles)
and that the present study did not
investigate the effect upon other,
more severe neck or shoulder
disorders.