Why are my shoulders ALWAYS tight?

Shoulder mechanics are complex and this is by no means a “quick fix / miracle cure” article. My aim is to explore some broader concepts with you so that you can better understand your ongoing shoulder discomfort and better navigate through the solutions. 

Summary:

This article will discuss-

• What makes the shoulder an unstable joint

• A quick anatomical note, explaining that the term ‘shoulder’ actually refers to 4 joints

• Five common reasons for shoulder tension & action points
  

An unstable joint

Shoulders are inherently unstable and are at the mercy of the surrounding structures. The instability has been likened to a golf ball on a tee, but the reality is closer to a seal balancing a ball on its nose. The unstable nature of the shoulder gives rise to its incredible freedom, allowing us to climb, throw, carry, push and pull in many weird and wonderful directions. 

Quick anatomical note

We should be specific with the term “shoulder” as most people are referring to the GH ball and socket joint. A more accurate term for the shoulder region would be shoulder complex as it recognises that the shoulder is composed of four joints- ST, AC, SC & GH. The relationship of these joints and the surrounding musculature plays an important role in the functioning of the GH/ ‘shoulder’ joint. 

Keeping in mind the unstable and interconnected nature of the shoulder complex, lets look at five common reasons for shoulder tension:  

1. Shallow breathing habits

Ideally our resting breath would be predominantly driven by the primary breathing muscle, the diaphragm, and expand outwards. However this innate habit has been superseded by a dysfunctional use of the upper third of our lungs. The upper ribs and upper portions of the lungs are only centimeters away from the shoulders. As a result we are seeing an over use of ‘accessory breathing muscles’ - muscles in the shoulder and lower neck region. And just like when we are overworked, we become irritable and tense. The same happens to these accessory breathing muscles in the shoulders and lower neck.  

Action point: Bring awareness to your breathing habits. Understand the diaphragmatic breath. 

2. Inefficient force transfer

If we are trying to generate force with our arms, ideally we would also get assistance from the larger trunk muscles as they can handle more load. However some people have difficulty with the connection between the trunk and arm muscles resulting in overuse of shoulder and arms. Because the force cannot be transferred from the arms to the trunk, the arms and shoulder end up doing all of the work. 

Action point: Learn how to engage your lats and serratus muscles to improve the muscular connection between arms, scapulae (shoulder blade) and the trunk of the body.

3. Head and neck posture

As our head drifts forwards we experience an increase in strain in the muscles that support it. Very similar to the idea of a tall building- we wouldn’t build a tall building on a lean because it would not be structurally sound. Undue stress would be on the materials, either being over stretched or overly compressed. As our head drifts forwards the supportive shoulder and neck muscles are placed at a non-optimal length and they are constantly over worked.

Action point: Assume an optimal neck posture and learn how to support this position. 

4. Weakness in the tongue and facial muscles

The muscles in our face and mouth are just like other muscles within our body and they too can be weak and/or over used. As mentioned earlier, the body is clever with its problem solving. Some people will overuse neck and shoulder muscles in place of their face and/or mouth muscles. 

Action point: Visit an orofacial myologist to get an assessment and a tailored exercise program. 

5. Habitual 

Lastly I want to flag our instinctive behaviour to imitate. We can collect dysfunctional postural habits by mimicking our family and friends. Perhaps a relative carries their stress in their shoulders as they are constantly elevated, so that was something that you developed as a child. 

Action point: Start to become aware of your and your close family/friend’s postural habits. 

So how do I take it further?

As an Osteopath I always want to understand why pain happened and why it hasn’t resolved. These root causes and maintaining factors are fundamental to Osteopathy practice. During an appointment we are able to work through these in a methodical and detailed way.

If you’d like to book an Osteopathy appointment to address ongoing shoulder tension please visit www.headsuposteopathy.com . Fauntine will be more than happy to help you navigate this area.