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How to improve your posture and rounded shoulders
02 Jul

How to improve your posture and rounded shoulders

In our latest blog we explain how to improve your posture and rounded shoulders, one of our most common patient complaints. 

The term rounded shoulders is used to describe a resting shoulder position that has moved forward from the body’s ideal alignment. In Rounded Shoulders, there is an imbalance of tension between the muscles that pull the shoulder blades forwards and the muscles that pull the shoulder blades backwards. It generally involves the scapula being in a position of Protraction:

  • Lateral glide
  • Anterior tilt
  • Internal rotation

The hunched postures you continually adopt throughout the day disrupts the normal balance of muscular activity in your shoulders.

Daily tasks that may contribute to rounded shoulders include:

  • using a smartphone or tablet
  • using a computer or laptop
  • sitting for long periods
  • driving a vehicle
  • bending over repeatedly
  • carrying heavy objects all day

Rounded shoulders are part of overall bad posture, and they can get worse if left untreated.

The good news is that, in most cases, rounded shoulders can be easily fixed or prevented.

Just as the muscles and joints have been trained to hunch forward, they can be retrained to find the correct resting position.

How to improve posture:

  1. Door chest stretches
  2. Shoulder blade squeeze
  3. Wall stretch
  4. Cat and camel poses
  5. Lateral side stretch
  6. Planks
  7. Pulls ups or seated rows

How Physiotherapy Can help to improve your posture:

Here at Total Restore Physiotherapy we can provide a postural assessment, advice about your posture, hands on treatment to release the affected muscles and exercises to help you improve your posture. The advice will be specific to you and therefore will consider your occupation, and other factors/activities. This will allow you to implement our advice into your day.

Get in touch

If you are suffering from bad posture and rounded shoulders and want to know how to improve your posture, then give us a call on 0161 8333008 and make an appointment with one of our Physiotherapists. We are located in the city centre in the Royal Exchange Building just off St Ann’s Square.

Shoulder Pain Exercises
03 Jan

Shoulder Pain Exercises

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the human body. There are many causes for shoulder pain and you may have acute or chronic episodes. Pain can be caused by different parts of the shoulder, the bursa, the joint itself, tendons or muscles surrounding it. There are a lot of things you can do to help your shoulder pain such as:

  • Stay active and mobile – although movement can bring on pain, the worst thing you can do is stop moving your shoulder, this could lead to bigger issues such as, frozen shoulder;
  • Improve your posture – Be aware of how you are carrying yourself, bring your shoulders back and sit up straight whilst at your desk;
  • Use painkillers to ease the pain (e.g. paracetamol, ibuprofene);
  • Do not lift heavy weights above 90 degrees if you are in pain;
  • Stay warm during the cold season (arthritis gets worse in the cold);
  • Do exercises for your shoulder pain (increase flexibility/mobility and strengthen the muscles around the joint)

Shoulder pain exercises

 

Pendulum

  • Make circular movements in all directions
  • 2×10 each direction

Pendulum - shoulder pain exercises

Shoulder Circles 

  • Make circular movements in all directions with your shoulder
  • 2×10 each direction

shoulder pain exercises - shoulder circles

Flexion 

  • Raise your arm as far as you can slowly to achieve full range of motion
  • 2x8reps
  • Use a weight if you are looking to increase strength

shoulder pain exercises - flexion

Shoulder abduction:

  • Raise your arms above your head as far as you can (achieving 180 degrees)
  • Add weight when you feel comfortable
  • 2x10reps

shoulder pain exercises - shoulder abductor

Passive Shoulder abduction:

  • If you are having difficulty achieving full movement actively, use a stick/broom to help achieve full movement passively
  • 2x10reps

shoulder pain exercises - passive shoulder abductor

Scapula setting:

  • Lie down on your stomach and try to bring your shoulder blades together by squeezing them
  • 2x8reps

shoulder pain exercises - scapula setting

Isometric holds (Internal/external rotation):

  • Use a doorway or wall to push the back/palm of your hand in to the frame making an internal/external rotation movement
  • 5x10second holds each direction

shoulder pain exercises - isometric holds

Sleeper stretch

  • Lie on your injured shoulder and perform an internal rotation movement
  • 5x10second holds

shoulder pain exercises - sleeper stretch