As a chiropractor in Colorado Springs I see it all the time—tension and achy pains between the shoulders. This most frequently comes from spending too much time sitting in front of a computer or other electronic device. This is all too common for the majority of people out there, whether for work or in their free-time. Here is one easy exercise, which when done consistently can make a huge difference in that discomfort you feel.

​This easy exercise is called a posture break. And it really is what it sounds like—it gives your body a break from that posture you tend to get into when sitting at the computer. But before I explain how to do the posture break, let’s talk a little about the posture we are taking a break from.

When we sit in front of a computer we all have a tendency to get into a typical posture. Even with the best ergonomic set up—though it does help—if we are at the computer too long we tend to fall into this posture. This includes the head coming forward so it is no longer over the shoulders, the shoulders round forward, and we hunch over in the mid to upper back. I know because even as a chiropractor if I am not careful I fall into the same habit.

​So knowing what the typical posture is that contributes to that pain between the shoulders will help you understand why the posture break helps. When we get into the posture described above, what does that do to the body? As the head comes forward, it increases the stress on the muscles and joints of the neck and upper back. Also the muscles of the neck need to work overtime to hold your head up and many of these muscles attach in the upper back between the shoulders. When the arms are brought forward to work in front of your body, the shoulders round forward this stresses and pulls on the muscles of the shoulders, especially between the shoulder blades. Now can you see why you might have pain and tightness between the shoulders?

Okay so finally how do you do a posture break? It really is quite simple. Just follow these steps:

I recommend doing a posture break every 20-30 minutes when working at a computer. This gives the body a chance to basically ‘reset’ your posture and gives those muscles that are constantly being stressed a break. This often makes an enormous difference in the pain and discomfort that you feel.

​If you are experiencing pain and tightness in this area and this exercise doesn’t seem to help much, it would be a good idea to have the problem checked out by a chiropractor. There are a number of other factors that may be present that could contribute to your tension and discomfort and why the posture break doesn’t seem to help much.