Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
POSTURE COULD BE THE CULPRIT BEHIND YOUR SHOULDER PAIN
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.
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 Physical Therapy Specialties were on the case. And the culprit? It turned out to be Diana’s posture.
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