Posture Could Be The Culprit Behind Your Shoulder Pain
Posture Could Be The Culprit Behind Your Shoulder Pain

Posture Could Be The Culprit Behind Your Shoulder Pain

Posture Could Be The Culprit Behind Your Shoulder Pain

Do you have a daily struggle with your shoulders? Do everyday tasks, such as sitting at your desk or standing to cook dinner, cause pain between your shoulder blades or your shoulders and neck? Your discomfort could be due to your posture. 

Our posture affects most of the activities we do every day. Any change in it also changes the way we use our bodies. Sitting or standing with our heads protruding forward can adjust the positioning of our entire shoulder complex. Our shoulder blade rolls forward, which in turn forces the shoulder joint in an abnormal orientation.

Changes to our posture change how well our shoulder muscles work and how the joints function. Over time, these changes can lead to shoulder pain and dysfunction. Fortunately, our team of physical therapists knows how to address these issues and guide you to the results you are looking for!

If you believe your posture could be contributing to your shoulder pain, call Boulet Physical Therapy to schedule an appointment and discuss your treatment options.

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Our Patients Get Great Results

“I’m so thankful for Boulet Physical Therapy- a team of gifted healers who guided me through my struggle with frozen shoulder. My physical therapist was knowledgeable, skilled, and patient with my progress; he never lost sight of my goal to avoid invasive medical procedures. They were the sunshine in my day, gently encouraging, but never pushing me beyond my limits. I will be back to Boulet PT, but hopefully not too soon.” – D.B.

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How posture affects the shoulders

Shoulders are a common area for pain when you slump. When we slouch or hunch too much, the muscles and tendons are being worked in ways that they are not used to. This position also leads to stress on the joints, which can cause inflammation and pain. 

Many patients who seek physical therapy for shoulder pain impingement learn that they can blame years of slouching for the predicament they’re in. Slouching essentially shrinks the space our tendons run through, setting us up for a “pinching” of the tendon (i.e., impingement). When this happens, you may experience pain lying on the shoulder when sleeping or reaching for something to the side or overhead.

Left untreated, poor posture in the shoulders can lead to long-term effects, such as tendonitis, nerve constriction, or even spine misalignment.

Some of the most common postural errors include…

Slouching in a chair – It is so simple to sit at work all slumped over. Over time, sitting this way strains the muscles and eventually causes pain. The more significant issue is that we stay like that for the rest of the day. Sometimes this is due to improper chair or desk height, but we attempt to make ourselves comfortable most of the time. The best way to avoid this is to get into the habit of sitting tall. This means sitting upright, legs uncrossed, feet flat on the ground, with your legs a few inches away from the chair’s seat. 

You can also use a lumbar roll or rolled up towel to help you maintain the proper posture. Place the roll in the small of your lower back. This prevents your lower back from rounding into the chair and helps you stay sitting up tall.

Text Neck – The term text neck is used to describe a position in which the head is tilted downward, and the shoulders are hunched over (as if someone was looking down at a phone screen and texting.) 

This is also commonplace in desk jobs, as many people will experience text neck when hunching over their keyboards or sorting through files.

Over time this can lead to tight chest muscles and weak upper back muscles. As your body gets used to this stance, it becomes hard to get out of it, making you more susceptible to injuring your shoulder and neck.

Rounded shoulders – This type of posture error is caused when the shoulders are rounded forward instead of back, and the head and chest are slumped forward. This position is prevalent with activities that require prolonged standing. We round our lower back and allow our shoulders to slump forward as we stand. Unfortunately, this posture contributes to difficulty reaching, lifting, and carrying things. Daily tasks become painful and limited. This stature makes us susceptible to tension and strain in the upper back, shoulder blades, shoulders, and neck. 

You can also use a lumbar roll to help you maintain the proper form. Place the roll, or roll up a towel, in the small of your lower back. This prevents your lower back from rounding into the chair and helps you stay tall.

How physical therapy helps

Our physical therapists at Boulet Physical Therapy are dedicated to helping you achieve your highest level of physical ability. Improper posture can be a difficult habit to break, but our staff will use the most comprehensive approach to address your needs and determine the specific problem areas of your posture. We will then determine the best course of treatment for your needs, and we will assist you in the necessary exercises and therapies that will ease your body into its intended posture once again.

If you are experiencing shoulder pain, contact us today to set up a consultation. Whatever the culprit may be, rest assured that our therapists will get to the bottom of your problem. We’ll get your posture back where it belongs and help you feel good again!

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A New Year Means A New You

We are offering Free Discovery Screenings this December. This is a 10 minute appointment with a therapist to determine if any treatment offered in clinic can address your pain or condition. Say thank you to your joints by keeping them healthy. Schedule your appointment today.

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How to Approach a New Year’s Resolution

A New Year’s resolution is a promise or commitment made by an individual to themselves, and it can be anything from a pledge to stop smoking to a promise to lose weight. Achieving your goals takes time, patience, and determination. It also requires you to set realistic goals that you know that you can work towards.  Setting a resolution for the New Year is a great way to set yourself up for success. Resolutions give you direction and help you get things done. But how do you set a resolution? What if the resolution is too hard to achieve? What if you don’t know what your resolution should be? It’s essential to start with small achievable goals that will lead to bigger ones. When you’re crafting your New Year’s Resolution this season, keep these 10 tips in mind. 

  1. Start with a list of what you want from life and the most important things to you.
  2. Choose one aspect of your life that you would like to improve from this list. This could be anything from your physical fitness to learning a new skill. 
  3. Write down your goal every day for a month to keep yourself accountable.
  4. Find someone who will hold you accountable if necessary. You might find that working towards a goal with a buddy is also more fun!
  5. Break down large goals into smaller ones so that they are more manageable and less intimidating. 
  6. Your resolution should not be too difficult to achieve.
  7. Resolutions should be specific, making it easier to track your progress.
  8. Your goals should be realistic and attainable but also challenging enough to push you out of your comfort zone.
  9. A resolution should have deadlines, so there is a sense of urgency and accountability.
  10. Pick a goal that will bring you joy. If your resolution brings you a sense of accomplishment or happiness, you’re more likely to stick with it.

Good luck completing your resolutions this year! Our team is confident in your ability to hit your goals. 

Holiday Jam (A Great Homemade Gift!)

Ingredients:

  • 1 package (40 ounces) frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed or 2-1/2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled
  • 1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
  • 5 pounds sugar
  • 2 pouches (3 ounces each) liquid fruit pectin

Directions:

  1. Grind strawberries and cranberries in a food processor or grinder; place in a Dutch oven. Add sugar.
  2. Bring to a full rolling boil; boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; stir in pectin and return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat.
  3. Cool for 5 minutes; skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
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