Your Shoulder Isn’t Hurt.Your Posture Just Sucks

Ever get that dull, nagging pain in your shoulder? The kind that makes you second-guess grabbing something from the top shelf or throwing a ball with your kid? Maybe you even had it checked out, and after an MRI, a doctor told you, “Well, there’s no real injury… but take it easy.”

Translation: We have no clue what’s wrong, but here’s some ibuprofen. Good luck.

Your shoulder isn’t broken—it’s just out of position.

And you know what’s causing it? Your garbage posture.

If you sit like Quasimodo all day—hunched forward, shoulders rounded, neck jutting out like you’re trying to read a text from across the room—your shoulders aren’t where they’re supposed to be. This leads to tightness, poor mobility, and pain that feels way worse than it actually is.

The good news? You can fix it.

This article will break down:

• How bad posture wrecks your shoulders

• Why your pain isn’t a real injury (even if it feels like one)

• Three simple ways to fix your posture and get rid of shoulder pain for good

Let’s get into it.

How Bad Posture Wrecks Your Shoulders

Your shoulder is a beautifully designed machine—until you start treating it like a broken shopping cart wheel.

Let’s talk about kyphosis—aka, the classic “hunched forward” posture that comes from years of desk work, phone scrolling, and slouching like a teenager who just got grounded.

When you live in this position, a few things happen:

• Your upper back rounds forward – This stretches the muscles that should be holding you upright and makes them weak.

• Your shoulders roll forward – This puts your shoulder blades (scapulae) in a terrible position, so they can’t move properly when you lift your arm.

• Your chest tightens up – Your pec muscles get short and stiff, pulling your shoulders even further forward and limiting mobility.

Over time, this messes up the entire shoulder girdle—the system of bones, joints, and muscles that allow your shoulders to move freely.

Now, instead of your shoulders gliding smoothly when you reach, press, or pull, they grind through bad mechanics. And that’s where pain comes in.

Your Pain Isn’t an Injury—It’s Just a Bad Position

Here’s why your shoulder feels messed up, even if there’s no actual damage.

When your posture sucks, your scapula (shoulder blade) isn’t sitting where it should. This means:

• Your rotator cuff muscles work overtime trying to keep things stable.

• Your shoulder joint moves inefficiently, causing strain in areas that shouldn’t be working so hard.

• You get tightness and dull pain—not because of an injury, but because your muscles are fighting against poor positioning.

Think of it like trying to drive with your wheels misaligned. The car still moves, but everything feels off, and over time, the wear and tear will cause real damage.

So before you go blaming your “bad shoulders,” take a hard look at your posture. If you’re slouching like Quasimodo all day, that’s your real problem.

Now, let’s fix it.

3 Ways to Fix Your Posture (And Eliminate Shoulder Pain for Good)

The goal here is simple: Get your shoulders back where they belong.

You don’t need a chiropractor. You don’t need a cortisone shot. You just need to retrain your body to hold itself properly and strengthen the muscles that keep everything in place.

Here’s how.

1. Open Up Your Chest (Undo the Hunching)

If your shoulders are rolled forward, your chest muscles are probably tight as hell. The first step to fixing posture is releasing that tension so your shoulders can settle back into their natural position.

Try this stretch: Doorway Pec Stretch

• Stand in a doorway with your arms up like a goalpost (elbows at 90 degrees).

• Step one foot forward and lean into the stretch until you feel a pull across your chest.

• Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat.

Do this a few times a day, especially if you sit at a desk all day. It’ll feel tight at first, but over time, you’ll notice your shoulders naturally start sitting back instead of rounding forward.

2. Strengthen Your Upper Back (Fix the Root Cause)

When you slouch, the muscles in your upper back and rear shoulders get weak. These muscles are supposed to pull your shoulders into place, but if they’re asleep on the job, your posture stays trash.

Try this exercise: Face Pulls

• Grab a resistance band or use a cable machine with a rope attachment.

• Pull the band toward your face, keeping your elbows high and squeezing your shoulder blades together.

• Slowly return to the start. Repeat for 3 sets of 15 reps.

Face pulls strengthen your rear delts, traps, and rotator cuff muscles, all of which help pull your shoulders back where they should be. If you do one thing for your posture, do this.

3. Fix How You Sit (Because You’re Probably Doing It Wrong)

Even if you stretch and strengthen your back, if you keep sitting like a gremlin, you’re undoing all your progress.

Here’s how to fix your sitting posture:

• Sit with your butt all the way back in the chair. No perching on the edge.

• Keep your feet flat on the floor. Crossed legs throw off your hip and spine alignment.

• Pull your shoulders back and down. Think “proud chest,” not “stiff robot.”

• Set a timer to check your posture every 30 minutes. Slouching creeps in fast—so give yourself reminders to reset.

Good posture isn’t about standing like a soldier 24/7—it’s about catching yourself slipping and fixing it over and over until it becomes automatic.

Stop Blaming Your Shoulder, Start Fixing Your Posture

If you’ve got that annoying shoulder pain that never seems to go away, take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

Most of the time, your shoulder isn’t actually injured—it’s just out of position because your posture sucks.

And the best part? You don’t need surgery, painkillers, or endless physical therapy to fix it. You just need to:

1. Stretch your tight chest (so your shoulders can stop pulling forward)

2. Strengthen your upper back (so your posture holds itself up)

3. Fix how you sit and stand (so you stop reinforcing bad habits)

Do this consistently, and that annoying shoulder pain that’s been hanging around? It’ll be gone before you know it.

Now go fix your posture—you’ll thank me later.

If you need more help book a time to come talk to me and the amazing team of coaches at JaxFit: