Mitigate Chest & Rib Pain Caused By Poor Posture

Disclaimer: If you’re currently experiencing chest pain or have been experiencing recurring bouts, seek medical attention immediately to rule out any serious conditions. 

What’s the root cause of chest or rib pain, assuming underlying medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease have been ruled out? For some, it could be a sports injury. A noticeable or subtle movement, say, for example, during a bench press, may have caused a slight tear in the pectoral muscle or an inflammation of the rib cartilage (costochondritis). 

Many people normally associate poor posture with lower back or neck pain. However, more often than some may realize, chest and rib pain is also attributed to poor posture. In fact, “Several studies have reported that a slumped, poor posture significantly reduces lung capacity, expiratory flow [exhalation], and lumbar lordosis [an exaggerated curve of the vertebrae in the lower back] compared with a normal upright posture,” says a study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 

The authors of the meta-review attribute chest discomfort or breathing problems to smartphone usage. 

“Many people use smartphones with their head shifted forward and the smartphone placed near their waist or lap while in a sitting position. Changes in cervical mobility, head posture, and dysfunction of local and global muscle systems are believed to lead to changes in force-length curves, muscle imbalances, and segmental instability, all of which can potentially affect thoracic cage function and rib cage biomechanics,” explain the co-authors.

Why Poor Posture Causes Chest And Rib Pain 

In other words, to put it simply, when the neck, head, and different muscle groups in the body don't work as they should, it can alter the way muscles lengthen and contract. This creates muscle imbalances and instability in certain parts of the spine, affecting how your rib cage functions and feels.

More specifically, imbalances between the anterior (front) muscles of the ribcage (the pectoralis major and minor, and serratus anterior) and the posterior (back) of the ribcage (the rhomboids, which are in between the shoulder blades, and underneath it, the serratus posterior superior) can cause improper rib alignment.  

When this misalignment occurs, you can feel it in your breastbone. This is because of stress placed on the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum. 

In addition to rib misalignment, neck and upper back misalignment, or pinched nerves, can contribute to chest pain. The solution to managing or possibly reversing chest pain could take as little as 15 minutes per day, as you’ll learn about shortly. 

But first, let’s learn about specific postural patterns or conditions that may cause chest pain. 

Don’t Get Cross With Chest Pain: Upper Cross Syndrome

One of the most common problems that arises from staring at a screen with poor posture is upper cross syndrome (UCS). A research study in Scientific Reports explains that UCS is “altered muscle activations and movement patterns in scapulae along with some abnormal alignment in the upper quarter, which may contribute to the dysfunction of the cervicothoracic [neck/chest] and glenohumeral [shoulder] joints.”

In other words, UCS is like a tug-of-war between your shoulders, which tends to round forward when staring at a screen. This poor posture creates an X-shaped pattern ('cross') in your upper body. The muscles that get overworked and tight are the chest muscles in the front and the muscles at the back of your neck. Meanwhile, the muscles supporting good posture, like the ones between your shoulder blades, tend to become weak. With Upper Cross Syndrome, your body's anterior (front) musculature is winning the tug-of-war battle over the posterior muscles. Consequently, you can feel neck and shoulder strain, chest pain, and reduced breathing capacity.

Why Does Tech Neck Cause Chest Pain?

Whether it’s called tech neck, nerd neck, iPosture, or excessive forward head posture, sitting with your chin forward leads to tension in the scalene muscles. Attached to the first and second ribs, the scalene muscles are three paired muscles on each side of the neck. Having tight scalenes can refer pain down to the chest as well as the arm—which is why it’s important to rule out a serious medical issue). 

Sit Up Straight, Sort Of

While scrolling or gaming, you should try to be mindful of correct posture. However, there’s sitting up straight, and sitting up too straight. In some situations where a spinal disc has degenerated, excessive upright posture may contribute to chest pain or make it even worse. Many assume that sitting at a 90-degree angle is ideal for chest pain (or neck and lower back pain). However, prolonged upright sitting can also cause muscle imbalances, such as tight lower back muscles. Rather than sitting upright for an extended period of time, try sitting at an angle of 100-120 degrees. This may actually be better for preventing discomfort in the chest area. 

Sitting at a 90-degree angle for an extended period of time stresses the nerves of the spinal column. The thoracic spine runs from the base of your neck to your lower back. If you have muscular imbalances, the tissue becomes inflamed, aggravating nerves, and sending pain signals. More seriously, a pinched nerve can radiate to the chest or ribcage.

Breathing Problems? It Could Be Your Posture

In addition to obvious causes, such as lack of exercise and smoking, poor posture sometimes leads to breathing problems, as the aforementioned Journal of Physical Therapy Science study suggests. This is because poor posture results in breathing with the chest muscles rather than the diaphragm, the dome-shaped muscle that separates the thoracic (chest) cavity from the abdominal cavity. Located at the base of the ribcage, the diaphragm attaches to the lower ribs, sternum, and spine. 

During inhalation, the diaphragm contracts and moves downward, creating a vacuum that expands the lungs. However, chronic “tech neck” decreases inhalation capacity and tightens intercostal (rib) muscles, preventing full expansion of the lungs—and possibly leading to rib pain.

Posture Pump®: A Minutes-A-Day Solution For Chest/Rib Discomfort

Usually, the longer a problem has persisted, the longer it takes to correct it. The good news is that no matter how long you have experienced discomfort in the chest, neck or lower back, you can feel an improvement in as little as 5-15 minutes per day from the comfort of your home, thanks to the patented Expanding Ellipsoidal Decompression (EED®) technology of Posture Pump® Disc Hydrators®. 

A session with a Posture Pump® device takes just 5-15 minutes a day. Each session decompresses and shapes your neck and back's natural curves and hydrates the discs and joints. Meticulously researched and endorsed by the world-renowned neurosurgeon, C. Norman Shealy, M.D., the inventor of the modern TENS unit, Posture Pump® is portable, lightweight, and easy to travel with. 

Over 3 million Posture Pump® units have been sold with thousands of success stories. We’re confident that you’ll experience similar relief. Your transformation awaits! Learn more about the Dual Deluxe Full Spine unit. We recommend it for relief of neck, back and chest discomfort.