Why Can Wearing a Backpack Hurt? How to Relieve Shoulder Pain From a Backpack
Do you get home with achy shoulders from wearing a backpack all day? Whether you are using a backpack for work, to lug around your study equipment, or perhaps you’ve been on a long hike, there’s a high chance that you have fallen victim to shoulder pain at the end of the day, ouch!
How is Wearing a Backpack Related to Shoulder Pain?
- Muscular Imbalances: Weak or tight muscles around your shoulder joint, caused by the strain of wearing a backpack, can alter your shoulder’s normal movement patterns, known as your scapulohumeral rhythm, and place stress on the structures in your shoulder, leading to pain and dysfunction.
- Poor Posture: Whether you feel hunched over to accommodate for the weight on your back or as though you may be standing a little too tall with force pulling you backwards, your altered posture when using a backpack creates an uncomfortable strain on your shoulder joints.
- Repetitive Strain: No matter the weight of your backpack, there’s no doubt that the straps put unnatural pressure on your shoulders over an extended period of time. This can contribute to irritation and inflammation of the tendons and bursae of your shoulder- the structures that have a key role in movement and also cushioning your shoulder joints—and this inflammation is not comfortable!
How Can You Relieve Shoulder Pain? Chiropractic Care is the Answer
- Chiropractic Adjustments! Chiropractors use manual adjustments to realign your shoulder joints, which can improve joint mobility, reduce pain, and enhance your scapulohumeral rhythm.
- Soft Tissue Therapy: Chiropractors use a range of techniques, including myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and soft tissue mobilisation, to address muscular imbalances and alleviate pain by reducing the tension that is caused by the physical stress of wearing a backpack.
- Exercise Rehabilitation: An exercise prescription from your chiropractor can assist your shoulder pain by strengthening weak muscles and improving mobility to prevent future injuries and promote long-term shoulder health.
- Postural Correction: Chiropractors assess and help with postural imbalances that may be caused by wearing a backpack. Their goal is to reduce the strain that poor posture places on your shoulder joints, which in turn alleviates pain.
While wearing a backpack may cause shoulder pain, there are other injury mechanisms and everyday life stressors that can also cause this annoying and inconvenient pain. You can apply the above chiropractic care strategies to shoulder pain, which can stem from various causes, such as rotator cuff injuries and rheumatoid arthritis.
By addressing the root causes and focussing on restoring proper movement and alignment, chiropractors play a valuable role in alleviating shoulder pain, improving function, and enhancing your overall well-being.
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