Physical Therapy For Rounded Shoulders (“Mom Posture”)

Do you ever catch yourself looking in a mirror and noticing your shoulders curve forward?

Maybe from time to time, your friends or family will gently tell you to stand up straight.

You’re not alone.

At our physical therapy clinics we see this a lot.

It’s a common issue, but the good news is that you can do something about it.

Today, we’re talking about rounded shoulders, commonly called “mom shoulders”.

We’ll talk about what it is, how to tell if you have it, and how a physical therapist can help to correct it.

What Is Rounded Shoulders?

Think about how your shoulders look when you’re just standing or sitting relaxed.

Rounded shoulders means your shoulders are resting more forward than they should be in good posture.

RELATED: Physical Therapy Treatments For Poor Posture

But here’s something interesting you might not know.

Rounded shoulders are actually more about where your shoulder blades sit on your back (on your rib cage) than about how your spine is curved.

Your shoulder blade, called the scapula, is a bone that sort of “floats” on your back.

It’s not directly attached to your spine with a joint.

Instead, it’s held in place by many different muscles and two small joints at the ends of your collarbone.

Because it’s held by muscles, the shoulder blade can rest in many different spots.

Sometimes it ends up in a rounded position.

Rounded shoulders are often just part of your overall posture.

If left alone, they can get worse over time.

They can even train your body’s muscles to think that the slumped forward position is normal, which isn’t ideal.

What Could Rounded Shoulders Indicate?

So, why do shoulders get rounded?

It’s usually a mix of things that happen over time.

Your posture is built from how your body is made, habits you learn, and even things around you.

Let’s take a look.

1. Your Lifestyle

A big reason is your daily habits.

Things you do every day can make your shoulders slump forward.

These include things like:

• Looking down at your smartphone for a long time
• Working at a desk for long hours
• Sitting for long periods
• Driving a car over long distances
• Bending over again and again
• Carrying heavy things all day

These activities make you look down and forward.

When you do this a lot, it changes how the muscles in your neck, back, and shoulders work.

These muscles are supposed to help you keep good posture all day.

When you stay in these slumped positions, these muscles don’t work the right way.

You might notice a lot of these things are what moms are expected to do.

That’s where the name “mom shoulders” comes from – it’s a common issue with primary caregivers.

But it’s not just a women’s health physical therapy issue.

Rounded shoulders can happen to anybody, regardless of your gender.

2. Muscular Imbalance

Another big reason is muscle imbalance.

Some muscles get too tight, and others get too weak.

In particular, the muscles in the front of your chest, called the pectorals (or pecs), can tighten.

This pulls your shoulder blades forward on your back.

At the same time, the muscles in your upper back that are supposed to hold your shoulder blades in the right place can become weak.

These muscles include your:

• Serratus anterior
• Rhomboids
• Trapezius (traps)

When your back muscles are weak, the tight chest muscles can pull your shoulders forward easily.

This is because there’s not enough strength in the back to pull them the other way.

This muscle problem is often linked to something called “upper crossed syndrome”.

This means your chest and some neck or shoulder muscles are tight.

3. Ergonomics

Even the things around you can play a part.

For example, car seats can sometimes be shaped in a way that encourages or even forces you into a rounded shoulder position.

This wasn’t as common many years ago.

As well, if you work at a desk and use an older chair, you may find it causes your shoulders to round.

Modern desk chairs are designed with ergonomics in mind, but that isn’t the case with antique chairs.

As stylish as it might be, consider getting a newer model.

RELATED: Ergonomics Consulting

4. Self Esteem

Sometimes, how we feel about ourselves or how we think others see us can make us round our shoulders.

For example, young girls going through puberty might try to hide their developing bodies by rounding their shoulders.

Or, someone who is taller than their friends might slouch to try to fit in.

You might even round your shoulders without thinking about it because you’re afraid you’ll seem arrogant if you stand up too straight.

5. Forward Head Posture

Also, rounded shoulders often happen along with a forward head posture.

This means your head sits too far forward on your neck.

It happens because your neck naturally follows your upper back.

If your upper back bends forward, your neck does too, making you look down.

To be able to see what’s in front of you, your body makes a change: you tip your chin up while your upper back stays bent forward.

These neck and upper back problems create a cycle where one makes the other worse.

To truly fix your posture, you need to fix both the rounded shoulders and the forward head.

What Does Rounded Shoulders Feel Like?

The most obvious sign of rounded shoulders is right there in the name – rounded shoulders.

But how else can you tell if you have rounded shoulders?

Some other signs may include:

• Shoulder pain
• Upper back pain
• Neck pain
• Stiffness or tightness
• Reduced lung capacity

If left untreated, rounded shoulders can become worse over time.

How Can A Physical Therapist Help Rounded Shoulders?

If you think you have rounded shoulders, working with a physical therapist can make a big difference.

It all starts with an evaluation.

The goal is to find out if you have rounded shoulders, and what might be causing it.

They might just watch how you stand relaxed.

Someone with rounded shoulders might look like they are slouching even when they try to stand straight.

Your physical therapist might also look at your hands – in good posture, your hands face your body with your thumbs pointing forward.

With rounded shoulders, your hands might face behind you with your thumbs pointing toward each other.

They might do other tests too.

If it turns out you do have rounded shoulders, your physical therapist will create a plan designed to meet your unique needs.

The good news is that rounded shoulders can be corrected in most cases.

And it’s about more than just “sitting up straight”.

While that helps your spine, it doesn’t fix the rounded shoulders.

To truly correct it, you need to change how your shoulder blades sit on your back.

Your physical therapist can show you how to gently roll your shoulders up, then back, and then down, lightly squeezing the bottom part of your shoulder blades together.

This helps your shoulder blades move from the sides of your back to lie flat against your ribs, where the right muscles can hold them.

Fixing rounded shoulders takes a few steps: stretching, strengthening, and retraining your brain.

Your physical therapist will create a plan just for you.

Here’s how they can help:

1. By Recommending Stretching Exercises

Stretching is important because it helps loosen the muscles that have gotten too tight.

That’s especially true for if your chest muscles are pulling your shoulders forward.

Your physical therapist might recommend stretches like:

• Lateral neck flexion stretch
• Chest doorway stretch
• Reverse shoulder stretch
• T stretch
• Wall stretch
• And others

2. By Recommending Strengthening Exercises

Stretching is only half the battle.

You also need to strengthen the weak muscles in your upper back and around your shoulder blades.

These are the muscles that help hold your shoulders back in the right place.

Your physical therapist might suggest exercises like these:

• Prone I, T, Y
• Shoulder blade squeezes
• Band pull-apart
• Scapular wall slides
• Planks
• And others

3. By Helping You Correct Other Areas Of Your Posture

Remember how we talked about rounded shoulders often happening with forward head posture?

And how these issues make each other worse?

Your physical therapist won’t just look at your shoulders.

They look at your whole posture.

Correcting all the connected problems is important to truly fix your rounded shoulders and make sure they don’t come back.

They’ll help you fix these other areas, too.

For example, if your upper back is also bending forward a lot (kyphosis), they might show you stretches using a long foam roller.

You can lie on the roller lengthwise with your head on it and stretch your arms out.

Or you can lie on it sideways and gently arch your upper back over it.

If you have that forward head posture where your chin is tipped up, they’ll help you with that too.

A common exercise is called a chin tuck.

You lie on your back with or without a thin pillow.

Keeping the back of your head on the surface, gently tuck your chin down toward your neck, like you’re trying to make a double chin.

You’ll feel a stretch around where your skull and neck join.

Hold this for a few seconds and repeat.

As you get stronger, you might do this while lifting your head slightly off the mat, making sure your chin stays tucked.

Fixing these other areas helps break the cycle of bad posture and makes it easier for your shoulders to stay in the correct position.

Retraining Your Brain Through Physical Therapy

Most importantly, working with a physical therapist is about retraining your brain.

When you’ve had rounded shoulders for a long time, that slouched position feels normal.

Your brain needs to learn that the correct position is the new normal.

They’ll help you get used to how the right posture feels.

Doing the exercises and trying to keep good posture throughout the day gives your brain repeated chances to learn this.

It takes time and effort, but as your body gets used to the better position and you feel less pain in other areas, the corrected posture will start to feel natural.

Book Your Appointment With Our Physical Therapy Clinic Today

Rounded shoulders are a common concern often caused by daily habits, muscle imbalances, and even things in our environment or social life.

If left untreated, they can lead to pain and discomfort.

But you don’t have to just live with it.

Our team of physical therapists, we have the knowledge and tools to help you correct your posture.

Correction is possible in most cases.

Consistency is key – maintaining good posture is a habit you need to practice all day, every day, not just during exercises.

We can help you build these habits and develop a plan specific to your needs and how your body works.

Don’t wait for rounded shoulders to get worse.

Let us help you stand taller, feel better, and move more freely.

Book your appointment with Capitol Physical Therapy today.