Disproportionate shoulder position can cause neck and back strain that triggers chronic pain and sometimes severe headaches. Poor posture can occur or get worse due to the habit of sitting at work using a computer while slouching and causing muscle atrophy. This article explains how to maintain proper posture and manage shoulder pain.
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Part 1 of 2: Restoring the Shoulder Position
Step 1. Perform movements to strengthen the muscles in the middle back
The ability to pull the shoulders back and keep them at the same level is determined by the strength of the muscles in the middle back that sits between the two shoulder blades, namely the paraspinal, rhomboid, trapezius, and infraspinatus muscles. Shoulders will bend if that muscle group is very weak. Strong upper back muscles play an important role in maintaining correct posture.
- Increase the strength of the muscles between the shoulder blades by doing rowing movements using equipment for weight training (rowing machine). Start training with light weights and a few repetitions of the movement. Gradually, use heavier weights and do more movement over 4-6 weeks.
- Perform a reverse fly while holding dumbbells to strengthen the rhomboid and trapezius muscles. Sit at the end of a bench to train with weights holding dumbbells, 1 dumbbell in 1 hand. Lean forward and look down. While holding dumbbells, bring your arms together and stretch them out to the sides at shoulder height so that the shoulder blades are close together. When your arms are parallel to the floor, hold on for a few seconds and then slowly lower the dumbbells back to their original position.
- Swimming is a very effective exercise because it works the muscles throughout the body, especially the shoulders, back, and legs. In addition, swimming helps you maintain the correct posture so that you can stay on the surface of the water and swim in a straight line.
Step 2. Practice flexing the thoracic spine
A normal spine has a natural curve in the back, but a posture that is too bent will form a hump so that the back becomes stiff and painful. A stiff hump (medically called kyphosis) pushes the shoulders and neck forward. Therefore, try to flex the spine joints by stretching the spine (curving the spine in the opposite direction) so that the position of the shoulders can be corrected.
- Lie on the ball to exercise with your feet on the floor and looking up. Move your feet so that your upper back is on top of the ball so that your head is almost touching the floor. When you feel a comfortable stretch (no pain), hold on for 15 seconds. Do this exercise 10-15 times a day.
- Do the "Superman" posture. Lie facedown on the floor on a mat while extending your arms above your head. Raise your chin, arms and legs as high as you can like "Superman" is flying and hold on for 15 seconds. Do this movement 10-15 times a day. Place a thin pillow under your stomach to prevent your back from arching too much when lifting your head, arms, and legs.
- Swimming, rowing using weight training equipment, and yoga are beneficial for flexing the spine and other parts of the body.
- Lie on your back on the floor on a lumbar stretcher placed at your waist. Start lying down for 1 minute and then gradually increase the time to 5 minutes. Do this exercise every day. After lying on your back with a lumbar stretcher at your waist, slowly stretch your back. This exercise is useful in eliminating the habit of sitting hunched over.
Step 3. Stretch your chest and neck muscles
In addition to weak upper back muscles, very stiff chest muscles will also pull the shoulders forward so that the shoulder position is problematic. Ironically, many men who train regularly in the gym have this posture. They train the chest and front shoulder muscles too often, but not enough to train the rhomboid muscles (between the shoulder blades) and the back shoulder muscles. Instead of just focusing on strengthening, make sure you have time to practice stretching your chest muscles. The same problem occurs when the lower neck muscles (trapezius and levator scapulae) become very stiff / strong because the shoulders will be lifted so that the body seems to be curled up.
- To stretch your chest muscles, stand next to a door or wall and raise your arms (which are close to the door/wall) at shoulder height while bending your elbows. This posture is like a goalkeeper who is raising one hand. Touch your arm to the door/wall to stretch your shoulders for 30 seconds. Turn your face to the opposite side (with your arms raised) for a more intense shoulder stretch. Do the same movement to stretch the other shoulder. Practice 5-10 minutes daily to flex your chest muscles and pull your shoulders back.
- After warming up your neck muscles, stretch by tilting your head to the side while bringing your ear to your shoulder and holding it for 30 seconds. Do this movement left and right 5-10 times a day. Your shoulders will come back down little by little if you stretch your neck muscles regularly.
Step 4. See a chiropractor
A chiropractor is a certified therapist capable of performing posture assessments. In addition to determining whether a person's posture is good or bad, he is able to determine the cause and provide solutions. He is able to diagnose spinal abnormalities that cause shoulder position problems (scoliosis, osteoporosis, hyperkyphosis), usually using X-rays. He is also able to perform spinal therapy through manual joint manipulation to flex and restore spinal function.
- The chiropractor may manipulate the back joint between the shoulder blades to treat shoulder pain. This area is often overlooked when dealing with shoulder pain, but research shows that spinal manipulation can be very beneficial for shoulder pain.
- A problematic shoulder position can be caused by a mild dislocation called a subluxation because the joint is not in the proper position. Have the chiropractor examine both shoulder joints in addition to the spine.
- Sometimes, unequal shoulder height is caused by problems with the lower body, such as a shorter leg or a tilted pelvis. In order to have a positive impact on your upper body, correct the position of the pelvis so that it is back upright and wear shoes that have a higher heel.
- Remember that spinal therapy is not a way to treat spinal deformities, such as scoliosis and hyperkyphosis due to osteoporosis.
Part 2 of 2: Understanding the Cause
Step 1. Get in the habit of maintaining proper posture
Often, poor posture is caused by the habit of sitting or standing while hunched over. However, it is impossible to straighten the spine like a post. There are 3 natural curvatures in the normal spine so that it looks like the letter S when viewed from the side. The forward arch in the neck connects with the backward arch in the upper back and the forward arch in the lower back. When viewed from the side, the shoulder is a unit with the hip joint (in the middle of the pelvis) to the ankle.
- When sitting, standing, and walking, make a habit of pulling your shoulders back, activating your abdominal muscles, holding your head up, and looking straight ahead. Don't slouch, look down, or sit on your side because it's resting on one side of your body.
- Poor posture is very detrimental for children because growing bones will deform because they are used to bending over or doing activities with bad posture. Deformed posture is very difficult to restore as an adult.
- Poor posture strains muscles and joints causing pain, triggers chronic pain, and increases the risk of arthritis and injury.
Step 2. Treat shoulder injuries the right way
Shoulder injuries from sports or trauma, such as in a car accident or a fall, can change the shoulder joint and upper body posture. For example, shoulder dislocations, dislocated shoulder joints, fractures of the upper arm or collarbone, sprains, and muscle tears of varying severity will pull the shoulder joint further down or forward. Therefore, make sure that you treat the injury in the right way and that your shoulder is fully healed before returning to activities that require shoulder strength.
- Sometimes, physiotherapy is needed to treat a severe shoulder injury to restore strength to the entire shoulder muscle group and restore the ability of the glenohumeral joint (shoulder hump and recess) to achieve the greatest range of motion.
- The inability to move and use the shoulder due to chronic pain, an unhealed joint injury, or arthritis causes the muscles around the shoulder to atrophy and shorten in a short period of time. Gradually, the shoulder position becomes abnormal due to weak and stiff muscles.
Step 3. Talk to your doctor if you have scoliosis
Scoliosis causes an abnormal (deformed) spinal curvature. This usually occurs in the spine. Shoulders that are not the same height can be an indication of scoliosis. In addition, one of the shoulder blades is usually more prominent. Disproportionate shoulders and poor upper body posture are usually indicators to a school health worker or family doctor that a child has scoliosis.
- Scoliosis begins to appear and continues throughout childhood (early adolescence). After reaching adulthood, the spine forms and the skeleton stops growing.
- Scoliosis is more common in adolescent girls and tends to get worse.
- Unequal shoulder position due to scoliosis cannot be corrected. However, try to strengthen your shoulder so that it can function properly. Get used to maintaining the correct posture so that the problem does not get worse.
Step 4. Prevent osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis, also known as bone loss, occurs due to a lack of mineral intake to the bones. Lack of minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and boron makes bones break easily, especially the hip and spine. Fractured bones due to compression in the back are the most common problems and tend to cause a hump (hyperkyphosis) so that the shoulders and neck are pushed forward. The hump can only be treated surgically to restore the shape of the spine and the position of the shoulders.
- Osteoporosis is more common in older Caucasian and Asian women, especially those who are lean and rarely move.
- Prevent osteoporosis by consuming calcium and vitamin D in the right doses and exercising regularly.
- Calcium is found in foods made from low-fat milk, green vegetables, salmon, tofu, fortified cereals with vitamins and minerals, and fruit juices.
Tips
- An important aspect of maintaining good posture is being aware of your posture. For that, look in the mirror every now and then to improve posture, observe what it feels like, and get used to being aware of posture during daily activities.
- Practice maintaining balance by walking with a thick book overhead. This method seems old-fashioned, but it is still useful for establishing good posture, especially for training the position of the head, neck, shoulders, and upper back.
- If you have scoliosis or other spinal problems, consult your doctor, chiropractor or physiotherapist before any exercise.
- At first the exercise to improve posture may seem strange because you are used to sitting and standing with a certain posture (bent).
