Can Bad Posture Cause Chest Pain?

If you are feeling chronic pain and discomfort, there is a chance that it could be coming from bad posture. A lot of people assume that their back and neck will feel sore if their posture is not very good. Even though that is certainly possible, you might feel pain elsewhere. Can poor posture cause chest pain?

It is important to understand that posture is directly related to the position of the entire body, not just a single part of it. If you have poor posture, you may feel stiff neck, soreness, and even shooting pains due to pinched nerves. If you feel pain in your chest, you might be worried that it is something more serious; however, it is important to take a closer look at how bad posture could cause pain in your chest.



Can bad posture cause chest pain? Learn more below, and don't hesitate to reach out to a chiropractor who can help you.

Poor Posture Could Lead To Chest Pain: Upper-Crossed Syndrome

There are numerous reasons why poor posture could cause pain in your chest, but you could have something called upper-crossed syndrome, or UCS. This is a condition that develops because there is an imbalance between the muscles in your shoulders and the muscles in your back. Think about how the muscles in your shoulders and back work. Essentially, they pull your body in opposite directions. If the muscles in your chest and shoulders are stronger than the muscles in your back, you could end up with a hunched posture.



Eventually, your back muscles will tighten, your spine will become even more hunched over, and it could generate pain in your chest and back at the same time. This is typically a condition that develops in people who spend a lot of time sitting in an office all day, so if you spend time sitting at a desk, this condition could impact you. You have to bend over your computer for a lot of the day, and it could contribute to the development of poor posture and chest pain.

Bad Posture Could Impact Your Breathing, Leading To Chest Pain

If you continue to hunch over, you could eventually develop respiratory issues. If the muscles in your chest become compressed because of the way you are hunched over, they could eventually impact the diaphragm. As a result, your lung capacity may suffer, and you may have a difficult time taking a deep breath.

If you try to breathe all the way in, your chest might eventually feel tight because of the stiffness, soreness, and reduced lung capacity stemming from bad posture. This can contribute to a debilitating chest pain, and it could cause you to get tired more quickly. That is because the rest of your tissues are not getting the oxygen they need.

Precordial Catch Syndrome

You might also develop a condition called precordial catch syndrome. Even though this condition can develop in people who have poor posture, there is still a lot of research being conducted on the exact cause of this syndrome. You may have a muscle strain in your chest, or you may have a pinched nerve somewhere in your chest. Bad posture could make it more likely for you to develop this condition, which leads to a sharp pain located near the heart. If you are wondering, “why does my chest hurt when I sit up,” you could be suffering from this syndrome.

Because it causes a sharp pain, there are a lot of people who mistake this condition for a heart attack. Unlike a heart attack, the pain coming from this syndrome will not spread to the left side of your body. It can cause you to feel like you have a difficult time taking a deep breath, contributing to a tight feeling in your chest. If you lay flat on your back for a few minutes, the symptoms may go away more quickly.

How To Fix Chest Pain From Bad Posture

So, if you have chest pain from bad posture, what do you need to do to fix the issue? Of course, you need to improve your posture. There are a few ways you can do so. They include:

• Consider setting reminders on your phone that can help you to stand up straight.
• You may also want to use a brace to force your posture to straighten up, but you will eventually have to remove the brace if you want to strengthen your back muscles.
• You may also want to consider enrolling in physical therapy. That way, you can strengthen the muscles that you don't use very often, helping you improve your posture.



As is the case with other medical issues, you need to seek care from a professional sooner rather than later. That way, you can develop a comprehensive plan to address the issue, reducing your chances of developing complications stemming from bad posture.

A Chiropractor Can Help You Improve Your Posture

If you want to improve poor posture and alleviate your chest pain, you need to reach out to a chiropractor who can help you. A chiropractor has a tremendous amount of training and experience regarding musculoskeletal issues, and a chiropractor can help you improve your posture and alleviate chest pain as well.

Generally, a chiropractor will start by taking a comprehensive history. This is your opportunity to tell the chiropractor about how your symptoms have developed over time. Then, your chiropractor will conduct a comprehensive physical exam to figure out where your postural issues are coming from.



Finally, the chiropractor can use a variety of treatment techniques to help you improve your posture and alleviate chest pain. For example, the chiropractor may want to perform adjustments to improve the alignment of the vertebrae in your back. Then, your chiropractor may also recommend massage therapy, acupuncture, physical therapy, and corrective exercises to improve and alleviate muscle imbalances. Consider reaching out to a chiropractor in Rhode Island who can help you with your chest pain.

Contact Estner Injury Centers in Rhode Island for Help With Chest Pain

At Estner Injury Centers, it would be our pleasure to help you treat chest pain, improve your posture, and address musculoskeletal issues. We have a wide variety of treatment techniques at our disposal, and we will customize the services we offer to address your specific healthcare concerns. We are confident that we can address your musculoskeletal issues while also limiting possible complications and side effects. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment, and let us help you improve your posture.