HEALTH & WELLNESS The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
Shoulder pain is an all-too-common complaint, making routine activities like lifting, typing, and even sleeping difficult. It seems like every week we get a patient who comes to us with shoulder pain related to poor postural habits. A lot of people know the old song about how the foot bone is connected to the knee bone (and the knee bone is connected to the thigh bone and so on). In the world of physical therapy, we call this regional interdependence. This means something in one area of the body is affecting another area. As the song says: it’s all connected. Well, this is definitely true when it comes to the functioning of our shoulder joints. Poor postural habits and prolonged slumped postures put the shoulder in a vulnerable position, making it susceptible to pain or injury. The good news is our therapists at Restore Physical Therapy have extensive training in identifying all the factors that are contributing to your shoulder pain and, most importantly, how to resolve them, one by one! How Posture Impacts the Shoulder One significant factor contributing to shoulder pain is Upper Crossed Syndrome (UCS). This condition is characterized by postural changes that affect how the muscles of our upper back and shoulder girdle work, which in turn affects the normal movement patterns in the entire upper portion of the body. A Comprehensive Look at How Posture Affects the Shoulder
The classic signs of Upper Crossed Syndrome include:
• Forward head posture: The head is positioned forward in relation to the shoulders. • Rounded shoulders: The shoulders are rounded forward, causing the upper back to appear hunched. • Increased thoracic kyphosis: The upper back has an increased curvature, leading to a rounded appearance. • Protracted shoulder blades: The shoulder blades are positioned more forward and away from the spine. • Weak deep neck flexors: The muscles at the front of the neck that help stabilize the head are weak. • Tight pectoral muscles: The muscles in the chest area are tight and may contribute to the rounded shoulder posture.
Continued inside.
SERVICES/THERAPIES:
www.restore-rehab.com 856-396-8131
• Joint Replacements • Balance Disorders • Vestibular Rehabilitation • Sports Injuries • And More!
• Neck & Back Pain/Radiculopathy • Hip, Knee, Ankle & Foot Injuries • Elbow & Shoulder Rehabilitation • Arthritis — Painful Joints • Headaches & TMJ Disorders
Made with FlippingBook Converter PDF to HTML5