Round shoulders are commonly seen in office workers who frequently look at their smartphones or sit in front of monitors for long periods. Most people are unaware that they have round shoulders and simply think they have shoulder or back pain. However, knowing the cause makes correction and prevention much easier. Why not try self-diagnosing through the article below and start stretching regularly if you have round shoulders?
Are my shoulders rolled forward?
With the proliferation of IT devices such as smartphones and tablets, you can easily enjoy online content and media anytime, anywhere. Due to COVID-19, smartphone usage has nearly doubled, and this prolonged use can cause changes in the musculoskeletal system. The most representative of these is ’round shoulders’, which refers to a state where the shoulders are rolled forward and the back is bent. Many of these cases stem from incorrect lifestyle habits, such as perching on the edge of a chair or leaning forward in front of a monitor.
Self-Diagnosis for Round Shoulders
If you have round shoulders, the neck muscles can be excessively used, causing pain in the shoulders, neck, and head. To check if you have round shoulders, when standing straight, if your palms are facing slightly backward instead of your torso, there’s a high probability that your shoulders are rolled forward. Also, you can suspect round shoulders if your shoulders are lifted off the floor when lying down. Lastly, if your elbows are in front of your ears while your hands are cupped around your neck, this also indicates round shoulders.
Rolling your shoulders can also roll your health
Round shoulders can not only cause changes in body shape, such as decreased height and narrowed shoulders, but can also cause health problems if neglected. This is because the curvature of the spine and cervical spine can press on the brain’s blood vessels and nerves which can lead to various musculoskeletal diseases. It’s not just a simple shoulder roll, it can affect the entire body, so it’s not a disease to be taken lightly.
Strengthening back and chest muscles is important
If you have round shoulders, the muscles holding the shoulder blade from the chest side become short and stiff, while the muscles holding the shoulder from the back become weak. Therefore, maintaining a correct posture at all times is important, and you should strengthen your back and chest muscles. Using a foam roller can be helpful. Lie down with the foam roller under your back, place your hands on your head, and bend your upper body backward. Relaxing your shoulders and maintaining this posture for about 30 seconds can relieve tension in the chest muscles, the back of the neck, and the inside of the arms.
It’s important to exercise the muscles in your upper and lower back!
It’s also important to stimulate the trapezius and latissimus dorsi. You can easily exercise the latissimus dorsi using a chair. Hold both ends of the chair, squat, and then stand up. At the same time, keep your shoulders as low as possible and sit as if you’re gathering your shoulder blades. Perform this exercise in three sets of 20 reps each day. For the trapezius, perform stretches like chin tucks or neck bending using your bare hands, but make sure to relax your shoulders before starting.
Exercises using bands or dumbbells are also good
Exercises that strengthen the back muscles can naturally straighten a bent back. You can easily strengthen these muscles using a resistance band. Fix the band on one side and pull it with both hands to develop your muscles. Depending on how you pull, the development areas of the trapezius and latissimus dorsi differ. Slowly pull the band and do three sets of 15 reps each day to see results.
Increased risk of shoulder impingement syndrome
The most representative joint disease that can occur due to round shoulders is shoulder impingement syndrome. This is a condition where inflammation occurs when the tendons of the rotator cuff muscles, which wrap around the shoulder, collide with the bone on top of the shoulder. If the shoulders roll forward due to round shoulders, the space between the acromion and the humerus narrows, which can cause damage to the rotator cuff. If shoulder impingement syndrome is neglected, the rotator cuff collision can lead to a tear, so caution is needed.
Correcting the posture of carrying a bag
As the weight of the backpack increases, the neck tends to tilt forward. When you carry a heavy backpack, a pulling force works from the back, and in this process, the shoulders naturally shrink. This is because our body tries to move the weight centered on the back to the front to balance. Also, be careful when carrying a bag on one side. If you carry a bag on one shoulder, your body can become misaligned from side to side, and this can further lead to disc problems or joint degeneration due to weight imbalance.
How to avoid straining your back and shoulders?
Round shoulders are not a disease itself, but prolonged changes in body shape can harm joints. As mentioned earlier, avoid actions that can tilt the body or apply pressure, such as carrying heavy bags or carrying them on one side. Also, always maintain a correct posture when sitting or looking at your smartphone.
Invest 10 minutes every day at home
Exercises to strengthen the erector spinae can be done at home with simple movements. Lift one arm and leg diagonally, but lift your arm and leg so that they are in line with your torso. Also, lying face down on the floor with a pillow on your stomach and lifting your upper body, holding it for 2-3 seconds, can also help. Do this in three sets of 20 reps each day. By investing just 10 minutes a day at home, you can maintain a healthy back and waist.
By. Jeon Shin Young
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