Poor Posture and Shoulder Pain

Did you know that your shoulder pain could be caused from poor postural habits?

One of the most common complaints I have received as a physical therapist is shoulder pain that the patient may or may not have been dealing with for a long period of time.

The most common shoulder complaint is due to a shoulder impingement. This occurs because of the way the tendons of your rotator cuff become compressed within the shoulder joint.

Let’s Get Started

Let’s take a look a little closer…

As you can see in the picture above, when the shoulder is rolled forward due to poor posture and “slouching,” the rotator cuff tendons become compressed in between the gap of the acromion process and top of the bone of the arm. With already slouched posture, there’s a reason why your shoulder hurts doing any overhead movements!

So why does it matter?

When you are resting, you may not show any signs of shoulder pain. Unfortunately changes in posture also can change the way we move and use our body.

Poor Posture can Impact:
-Positioning of the Shoulder Blade
-How efficient the muscles of the shoulder are
-How well the muscles of the shoulder work together
-Space available at the shoulder for movement
-Psitioning of the arm as it raises

Try it yourself: Sitting with a slouched posture, try to raise your arm as high as you can manage. Assess what you feel then sit up tall, raise your arm as high as you can and assess what you felt at that point.

How can I improve my posture?

Changing posture frequently and having greater awareness of positioning are vital to changing your habits. If you’re having difficulty with proper posture, you should consider getting professional help to gain motion, strength and knowledge to change your habits.