Tight or aching shoulders

Common Causes

* Deskbound or seated work
* Poor posture kept for long periods of time. Common examples are driving and operating machinery or computers
* A build-up of lactic acid, resulting in hardness and pain in the affected muscles

Treatments

What you can do

* Take frequent breaks.  This will help to avoid the onset of the problem in the first place.  You can also do exercises such as shrugging your shoulders and stretching your shoulder blades back to meet each other.
* Study your posture.  Make sure you are sitting as upright as possible (i.e., not sitting forward in a “hunched” position) - you could seek help in this from an Osteopath

What we can do

* If your muscles become too hard you will need treatment by an Osteopath.  This will stimulate the blood flow in the hardened veins of the shoulder muscles.  The deposits of lactic acid can then drain away.
* Osteopathic treatment is advised if movement stays restricted after a few days or if you suffer from bouts of stiffness on a regular basis.

Related link: Pain Free in the Office