From the Greek, for little table. The name indicates this muscle’s relative flatness and four – cornered shape when the left and right sides are viewed as a whole.
Trapezius covers a narrow area from the base of the skull down to the bottom rib and then over the top of the shoulder blade from neck to shoulder. It helps move the shoulder up and down and is used heavily in sports like boxing and rowing.
If trapezius is tightened or shortened as is often the case if you spend a lot of time at a computer, it can lead to neck pain or stiffness and headaches. To help loosen the upper fibers of this muscle with stretching:
Turn head to right and tuck chin in.
Pull left shoulder down.
Pull head and left shoulder apart from each other.
Concise Book of Muscles, 2003.