No one likes dealing with shoulder pain. The discomfort and immobility can prevent you from doing daily activities like grabbing something off a high shelf or reaching up to brush your hair. So, when your shoulder starts hurting, it’s important to figure out why.

Often, shoulder pain stems from an injury. For example, take rotator cuff tears, in which the muscles and tendons that wrap the shoulder become damaged: these injuries are common and can result from a sudden traumatic injury like a fall or develop gradually. 

However, sometimes, shoulder pain might not have such a clear-cut cause. One of our patients learned this for herself–we’ll call her Diana. She was dealing with persistent shoulder pain and couldn’t figure out why. Fortunately, the physical therapists at Therapy Fit Physical Therapy were on the case.

And the culprit? It turned out to be Diana’s posture.

Meet Diana, Receptionist Extraordinaire

Diana had worked as a receptionist and administrative assistant for years. She enjoyed her work, but it did require her to spend long hours sitting in front of a computer as she sifted through spreadsheets and calendar appointments.

Her issues with shoulder pain began gradually. They had always been a little stiff, but the restricted range of motion had worsened in the last few months. She also noticed tightness in her chest and twinges of pain throughout her shoulders and neck.

Diana tried to ignore her symptoms at first, thinking they’d eventually go away on their own. Instead, they became more frequent, worsening enough that Diana struggled to sit at her desk long enough to get any work done. That was when she came to visit us.

Our Physical Therapists Were on the Case

As always, we started Diana with a comprehensive assessment to help us understand the root cause of her discomfort. We took a health history, talked to her about potential injuries, and conducted several movement screens–including a postural screen.

The postural screen was where we made headway. After reviewing Diana’s posture while she was sitting, standing up, and moving around, we noticed the following:

• She held her head forward in relation to her shoulders, a stance called “forward head posture.”
• She tended to round her shoulders, giving her slight kyphosis, or a hunched posture, in her upper back.
• Her shoulder blades were protracted away from her spine.

The signs were clear: Diana had developed upper cross syndrome.

Upper cross syndrome is a condition marked by postural changes that have a waterfall effect throughout the body. Diana’s postural impairments had impacted the muscles in her upper back and shoulder girdle. As a result, the movement in her upper body became impaired, leading to her pain and mobility restrictions.

A Personalized Solution to Lasting Pain Relief

Now that we understood why Diana was experiencing shoulder pain, we could develop a customized treatment to correct her posture and address the muscular impairments and imbalances that had led to her symptoms in the first place.

The foundation of Diana’s treatment was a comprehensive therapeutic exercise program. We began by improving her shoulder’s range of motion through simple mobility exercises. 

After a few weeks, Diana was ready to begin strengthening the affected muscles. Using equipment like resistance bands and weights, we guided Diana through targeted exercises that addressed muscular weakness and imbalance.

Throughout her program, we also helped Diana improve her overall posture. Like many people, she thought postural improvements were about “sitting up straight.” In reality, she needed to keep her spine aligned as she moved through different postures throughout the day.

Because Diana had a desk job, we emphasized the importance of changing her posture regularly by taking quick breaks. Diana began using a timer to remind herself to get up every 30 minutes or so and walk around the office.

While it took a little effort on Diana’s part, eventually, her pain receded, and her shoulders were more mobile than they’d been in years. To make sure she didn’t relapse, we provided her with exercises to do at home to keep her upper body strong.

Is Your Posture Causing You Pain?

Diana learned just how important posture is. If you’re struggling with persistent shoulder pain, call the team at Therapy Fit Physical Therapy. We’ll dig down to the source–and give you the guidance you need to correct the issue. 

Sources: https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-020-4159-9, https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2020.0501, https://www.jospt.org/doi/full/10.2519/jospt.2020.8498