Sore, tight or aching shoulders

Osteopaths treat tight or aching shoulders using a variety of different techniques which, in turn, depend on the cause of the condition.

Common Causes

• Sedentary working environment.
• Poor posture maintained for long periods of time. Common examples are driving and operating machinery or computers
• Tightness or aching is typically caused by a build-up of lactic acid, resulting in hardness and pain in the affected muscles

Treatments

• Take frequent breaks to avoid the onset of the condition in the first place and perform exercises such as shrugging your shoulders and stretching your shoulder blades back to meet each other.
• Analyse your posture to ensure you are sitting as upright as possible (i.e., not sitting forward in a "hunched" position) - if necessary seeking assistance from an Osteopath
• If your muscles become too hard you will need treatment by an Osteopath, to stimulate the blood flow in the hardened veins of the shoulder muscles and allow deposits of lactic acid to drain away naturally
• Osteopathic treatment is recommended if movement remains restricted after a few days or if you suffer from bouts of stiffness on a regular or not infrequent basis

The content of this page is informed by feedback from osteopathic practitioners in Middlesex and also a practitioner in Worcester. Further input was received from clinics in Croydon and practices in Glasgow. Finally a contribution was made by osteopaths in the Oxford area