It can sometimes be hard to see what you are doing wrong in your lifestyle because, well, it’s your lifestyle.

Your daily routine is so well known to you that it can become second nature to read before bed, look on your tablet or going for that game of golf on a Saturday morning.

What if I told you that all of these could be making your shoulder pain worse? That all these movements cause unnecessary strain on your shoulders, leaving you in pain the next day?

So here are a few ways that you can ease your shoulder pain in your day-to-day routine…

First things first, when you wake up don’t forget to stretch.  You have been in the same position for roughly 8 hours, without much movement, so it is very important to stretch in the morning.

You may have woken up but your joints haven’t yet. It’s like going for a run without warming up. So with this in mind, stretch before you get up. Even if it’s just for a few minutes,  it’s better than doing nothing.

Looking at your phone or tablet has to be one of the worst culprits for shoulder pain. Yes, looking at your phone or tablet can have an effect on your neck as well, but the pain often starts at the neck and spreads to your shoulders.

You may need to check emails on your tablet, or catch up with social media or friends and family on your phone but with many of us spending hours on our devices, it interrupts our body’s natural state.

Since your head is facing down using these devices can result in poor posture and slouching. What most people don’t know is that your head is supposed to be in a position where your ears are in line with your shoulders.

As soon as you start looking down, your body is more likely to feel a strain in the neck and shoulders.

Try to only use your phone for about 10 minutes at a time to avoid strain. As for other devices, try to get a stand for your device to avoid straining your neck and shoulders.

This also goes for reading at night too. I understand that reading at night is sometimes a habit picked up as a child, which is a great habit to pick up. For your body however, it can sometimes have an effect on your posture.

Another problem that can come from reading on a night is actually from holding the book. It’s not something you really think about but holding a book cause particular muscles to be tensed.

Not only this but your neck is also likely to be tensed to keep you upright whilst reading. Now think of how long you read for. How many times do you say, ‘just one more chapter’ before you finally drift off?  Try to only sit in the same position for up to 20 minutes.

Another great way of thinking about your shoulder pain throughout the day is to think about when it occurs. Is it when you tend to carry the shopping, when you sit at work or whilst you exercise?

If you have an idea when it occurs, then focus on making sure your head is straight and your ears are in line with your shoulders. This is a great tip and if you apply it as much of your daily routine as possible, you will start to know a difference.

If you’d like more quick tips like this to help ease shoulder pain, click here to download our free guide to neck and shoulder pain.

If you are in pain right now, and want more than just advise, arrange a FREE taster consultation where you can speak to one of our Physios and see if we can help you with your pain and get you on the road to recovery!

Call us on 033017 59838 and speak to our team to arrange a FREE assessment