Neck and Shoulder Pain from Poor Posture Skip to main content

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Neck and Shoulder Pain from Poor Posture

Neck and Shoulder Pain from Poor Posture - El Paso Chiropractor



A majority of individuals frequently seek medical attention after experiencing constant pain and discomfort on their neck and shoulders, including repetitive headaches. While injury is believed to be one of the leading causes for cervical spine complications among the population, there’s another important and often overlooked factor that may be contributing to the individual’s gradual symptom development; posture.

The Result of Forward Head Posture


Forward head posture is the most common form of improper posture responsible for neck and shoulder pain in many individuals. The head weighs nearly the same as a bowling ball. When the head is placed in a further forward position than normal, it adds an increasingly greater force on the neck, much like when you hold a bowling ball away from you, it’s more difficult to hold it.


The supplementary force from a forward head posture adds even more stress on the cervical spine and increases the demands on the surrounding muscles which function to hold the head upright. Imagine the effects of the increased and sustained efforts from these muscles on the rest of your body. The improper posture can often cause restrictions in blood flow that cause a decrease of oxygen and energy delivery which can impede waste removal. The neck ultimately suffers, causing stiffness as well as trigger points that attribute to the well-known symptoms of head and neck pain along with discomfort on other parts of the body.

The increased tightness resulting from forward head postures can contribute to nerve compression as numerous nerves pass through the surrounding muscles. Because these specific nerves also run down into the arm, any type of neck complication can cause pain, tingling, and numbness on the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and fingers.

Furthermore, rounded shoulders from an improper posture can create a variety of shoulder complications. As the shoulder blades move forward, they restraint the space the rotator cuff tendons have between two of the bones found in the shoulder. The space restriction can lead to compression of the cuff tendons, occasionally causing tears. Additionally, space is also greatly limited between the clavicle and the first rib which in turn can close down on important nerves and blood vessels, eventually causing radiating pain and numbness all the way down into the fingers. Over time, improper posture can also debilitate back and shoulder muscles because these are constantly being stretched, causing them to lose their capacity to keep the shoulder joints in movement without experiencing pain.

Correcting Forward Head Posture



The two most important components for correcting forward head posture and rounded shoulders begin with you. Postural awareness and frequent correction can greatly help an individual start to improve their posture. Stretches and exercises can also play the important function of postural correction. Strengthening exercises can help restore the original flexibility of the muscles in order for the body to progressively and naturally regain the strength the muscles need to pull you neck, shoulders, and back into a proper posture while decreasing and even preventing any unwanted symptoms of pain and discomfort.


By Dr. Alex Jimenez


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The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to contact us. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN* email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com phone: 915-850-0900 Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*