Shoulder Tightness:
Causes and Relief Stretches
The shoulder is the most flexible joint in the body, but because we use it so much, it can easily get tight. When your shoulders are tight, it can also make your neck and upper back feel stiff. This can make everyday activities harder and even cause pain.
Common Reasons for Shoulder Tightness
- Poor Posture: Slouching or having rounded shoulders can make the front of your shoulders tight. It also makes it harder for your shoulder blades to move correctly.
- Overuse: Doing the same motions over and over can irritate your muscles. This can lead to swelling, muscle strain, and tightness.
- Injury or Surgery: Hurting your shoulder or having surgery can make it stiff and tight.
- Frozen Shoulder: This condition happens when the tissue around the shoulder joint becomes thick and stiff, making it very hard to move.
- Arthritis: Wear and tear in the shoulder joint over time can cause pain and stiffness.
- Stress or Anxiety: Feeling stressed or anxious can make the muscles in your neck and shoulders tense up.
Even if your shoulders aren’t super tight, it is still a good idea to work on relaxing them and keeping them moving well. Below are some exercises that can help relieve shoulder tightness:
1. Chest Stretch: Raise arm to 90 degrees with fingers pointing away and palm flat Rotate away and look over opposite shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat with opposite arm.
2. MC Hammer: Rapidly shrug one shoulder up keeping other shoulder down Repeat 8-10 times
3. Shoulder Extension: Reach back without raising your shoulders up. You could also rest your hand on a surface behind you. Hold for 30 seconds.
