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Internally Rotated Shoulders, often referred to as rounded shoulders, are one of the biggest culprits for bad posture.
One possible cause of internally rotated shoulders could be an imbalance in strength between your internal and external rotators of the shoulder joint. First, let’s focus on the internal rotators since these muscles tend to be the ones that are out of balance.
Internal rotation refers to the rounding in your shoulders that can make you look like a hunchback. The muscles responsible for this movement are your pectorals (chest) and latissimus dorsi (back). Both of these muscles are large and are usually stronger than some of the smaller external rotators that are responsible for keeping your shoulders in the proper position.
Dr. Rush’s technical explanation for science nerds:
“Long durations of internal rotation force the shoulder blade into a poor position and can alter the movement pattern of the shoulder girdle, which in turn can alter our scapulohumeral rhythm.”
In plain English for the rest of us:
To start fixing internally rotated shoulder and start working towards a better posture, you can stretch these large muscles to improve their flexibility. If you hang out in that bad posture all the time, you can significantly alter the way your shoulder joint functions. This can lead to shoulder pain and other issues over time.
Watch the video above for some simple stretches using a tool everyone has: a wall! You can do these stretches at home, in the office or the gym to help fix internally rotated shoulders.
If you have shoulder pain, internally rotated shoulders, or poor posture, make an appointment for a consultation today. We can develop a specialized care plan just for you to improve your shoulder strength, balance and mobility.
