Nowadays, human beings are spending more time than ever sitting — with one survey finding that one in four Americans sits for more than eight hours each day. And whether you’re working at a desk or catching up on your favorite TV series, this can mean a lot of time spent with your spine curved forward.
Long-term, posture like this can lead to problems like tech neck and rounded shoulders, straining your muscles and throwing off your body mechanics as a result. Luckily, if you’re looking to combat rounded upper body posture — or the strain that comes with it — massage therapy could help.
Keep reading to learn about massage for rounded shoulders, including the benefits, simple techniques, and tips to know below.
What Causes Rounded Shoulders?
The most widely accepted cause of rounded shoulders? Poor posture — often thanks to too much sitting. However, research has also shown that females are more likely to wind up with rounded shoulders than males, and it’s not always just about screen time. Other factors that can play a role include:
- Lugging around a heavy bag or backpack
- Unconsciously, habitually maintaining a slouch (even when you’re upright)
- Living a sedentary lifestyle, which can weaken core muscle groups
While not necessarily causal, psychological factors have also been linked to rounded shoulders and poor posture. For example, being under lots of stress (or having a negative self-image) might lead to feeling withdrawn, and this emotional state can trigger subtle changes in the way you hold your body.
How Rounded Shoulders Affect Your Muscles (and Vice-Versa)
When your shoulders are constantly rotated forward, many upper body muscles can become stretched and weakened (or tight and strained) as a result. These include the:
- Upper trapezius muscles: Curving forward can stress your upper trapezius muscles, forcing them to work harder to keep your head up.
- Deep cervical flexors: These back-of-neck muscles can also become strained while supporting your head’s weight.
- Pectoralis minor and major: With rounded shoulders, these chest muscles can contract and tighten over time.
- Serratus anterior, lower traps, and rhomboids: These back and rib muscles often become stretched, underactive, and weakened as a result of hunching forward.
How To Know If You Have Rounded Shoulders
If you want to know for sure whether you have rounded shoulders, here are some easy home tests to help you check:
The Thumb Test
Stand upright and let your arms fall naturally to your sides. Are your thumbs facing forward or turning in toward each other? If they’re more inward than forward, there’s a good chance your shoulders are rounded.
The Y-Pec Stretch
Lie on your back on the floor. Then, raise your arms above your head in a “Y” shape. Your arms should be making contact with the ground at every point.
If you’re having trouble resting your arms fully on the ground, it’s a sign that your pec muscles are tight, which often goes hand-in-hand with rounded shoulders.
The Surprising Benefits of Massage for Rounded Shoulders
Wondering how massage could make a difference in the way you hold your body? By targeting the right muscle groups, here are the two major benefits it could bring for rounded shoulders (and your posture as a whole):
Soothes Excessively Tight Muscles
Over the years, rounded shoulders and forward posture can change the way your muscles work. Certain muscles (like those in the middle back) can lose strength, while others in the upper back and neck might become overactive to compensate.
Fortunately, massage can reduce tension in the muscles that tend to get strained, like the pecs and upper traps. It can also help stimulate and improve circulation in the underactive ones, like the rhomboids and serratus anterior. And thanks to these benefits, it might make it easier for your body to settle into its natural, healthy posture over time.
An added bonus? Massage can also boost your postural awareness — making it easier to recognize how your body feels when it’s aligned versus when you’re unconsciously rounding forward.
Supports a Postural Training Routine
Rounded shoulders are often rooted in muscular imbalances, and to fix them for good, you’ll likely need to spend some time training your upper body muscles. Luckily, massage can help support a postural exercise routine in a few key ways:
- When paired with stretching, its gentle pressure can warm up your muscles, encourage circulation, and boost range of motion (ROM) in tight spots.
- When used after strength training, it can help curb delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and support your overall recovery.
- As a whole, it can support mind-muscle connection, helping you to activate sleepy or underused muscles during your workouts.
Best Types of Massage for Rounded Shoulders
When it comes to supporting posture and improving rounded shoulders, here are two of the best types of massage to try:
Myofascial Release
Myofascial release is a type of manual therapy that uses moderate, slow pressure to break up tense muscle fibers. It mainly focuses on finding (and releasing) hyperirritable bands of tissue called trigger points, more commonly known as knots. But it also helps ease tension in the fascia, a web-like connective tissue that surrounds every organ and muscle in your body.
You can ask for myofascial release in a professional massage therapy session, but if you’d rather try it at home, tools like foam rolling or tennis balls make it easy to get started.
Sports Massage Therapy
It’s true that sports massage is typically used for athletes. But because it focuses on improving performance, it can be a great choice for combating rounded posture.
In a session, your therapist might mix a variety of techniques — including deep tissue work, cross-fiber massage, or even some assisted stretching. The key is that it’s highly customized to improve recovery, prevent injury, and promote healthy body mechanics. When it comes to rounded shoulders, this can mean:
- Improving range of motion
- Breaking up tension in the chest muscles, allowing you to more easily “open up” your posture
- Improving your sense of bodily awareness
- Supporting healthier movement patterns — especially when paired with corrective exercise or physical therapy
4 Self-Massage Techniques To Improve Rounded Shoulders
Seeing a pro is the most straightforward way to try massage for rounded shoulders — but if you want to support your posture in the comfort of your home, here are four simple techniques that could help:
Trapezius and Neck Self-Massage
For rounded shoulder relief, a good first step is to focus on the trapezius and back-of-neck muscles. Here’s a simple, 5-minute self-massage to help you do just that:
- Have a seat with upright posture.
- To start, use both hands and broad pressure to gently knead your back-of-neck muscles. Repeat for 30 seconds.
- Next, use your fingers to lightly massage the tiny muscles at the base of the skull — aka the suboccipital muscles. Massage in circular motions for 30 seconds.
- Then, use your fingers to splay (or gently spread) the neck muscles, starting at the base of the skull and gliding outward. Repeat up and down the neck for one minute.
- Now, focus on the trapezius muscle. Reach your right hand over your left shoulder, and grab the back muscle tissue between your neck and collarbone.
- Knead and squeeze this muscle with moderate pressure for an additional 60 seconds.
- Repeat with the right side.
Chest Self-Massage
The next step in improving rounded shoulders is to focus on the chest muscles — specifically, the pectoralis major and minor. These muscles fan out across the chest, and they tend to get stuck in their “contracted” positions when you round your shoulders.
Over time, this can lead to extreme tightness and trigger points that make it even harder to open up your posture. The good news is that a few minutes of chest massage can help. Here’s how to try it:
- Sit tall with open posture.
- Make a fist and place your knuckles on the left side of your chest, just beside your sternum. (Tip: Be sure you’re starting on the muscle tissue and avoiding any bony areas.)
- Massage outward with gentle pressure, stopping at the shoulder.
- After 30 seconds, feel free to increase the massage pressure as needed. (Just be sure to keep it soothing and comfortable rather than painful or aggravating.)
- Repeat for 1–2 minutes.
- Optionally, you can spend an additional 1–2 minutes massaging up and down across the pectorals for a cross-fiber massage.
- Repeat with the other side.
Try a Massage Gun
A massage gun like the Accuvibe Mini delivers powerful, targeted relief in just about a minute per muscle group — making it perfect for combating back and shoulder tension due to rounded shoulders.
Now, a tool like this uses strong bursts of pressure, so it’s important to avoid using it on the neck where arteries and other delicate structures are located. But for dense, strong muscles like the pecs and traps, it can be a great option. Simply:
- Attach your massage gun head of choice. The bullet head works well for knots, but the round ball attachment is perfect for everyday relief.
- Turn the massage gun to the lightest setting.
- Reach your arm up over your shoulder, and glide it at an angle over your upper trapezius muscle for a few seconds. After the muscle is warmed up, increase the pressure as needed.
- Spend 30 seconds working into the tissue, sweeping it over any especially tight or sore spots. (Just be sure to stick to muscle tissue itself, avoiding the spine or other bony areas.)
- Next, move to the chest.
- Focusing on one side of your pectoral muscles, glide the massage gun across and along the muscle fibers for 30 seconds.
- Repeat with the other side.
Massage Ball for Middle Back Muscles
Specific middle back muscles — like the rhomboids and erector spinae muscles — can sometimes form trigger points due to rounding and slouching forward. Fortunately, if you have a tennis ball (or two) and a sock at home, you can easily massage these muscles yourself. Here’s how:
- Place the tennis ball(s) inside a long sock.
- Stand with your back facing a wall.
- Sling the sock over your shoulder, aligning it with the muscles you want to work on.
- Lean back into the wall, and roll around to begin working into the muscle tissue.
- Repeat for a total of 2–3 minutes, pausing to hold the pressure on any areas that are especially tight or tender.
FAQ on Massage for Rounded Shoulders
Have questions about rounded shoulder massage? Here’s what to know about when it can help, when to hold off, and how soon you might notice a difference:
Can Massage Help With Pain Caused By Rounded Shoulders?
In many cases, yes! Massage can help relax the body, break up tension, and promote endorphins, all of which may help bring some relief from neck and back pain. Plus, its ability to promote better posture as a whole may help you reduce pain in the long run.
When Should You Avoid Using Massage for Rounded Shoulders?
Massage is relatively safe, but for those with certain health conditions, it’s best to wait and check with your doctor before trying it. Be sure to get the OK first if you:
- Are recovering from a surgery
- Have a current acute injury, like a muscle tear or broken bone
- Have a spine or nerve issue, such as thoracic outlet syndrome or a herniated disc
- Have a skin infection, wounds, or open sores near the area you’ll be working on
- Are dealing with any uncontrolled health condition, such as osteoporosis, diabetes, or high blood pressure
In addition, if the pressure of massage feels sharp or intensely painful, it’s best to stop and talk to a health professional to rule out any underlying issues.
How Long Until You Start Seeing Improvements?
If tension, stress, or trigger points have been affecting your posture, regular massage could help you see a positive difference in just a month or two. However, combining it with strength and mobility training — plus mindfully adjusting your daily posture — could help you see bigger improvements even sooner.
Other Steps for Correcting Rounded Shoulders
While massage can soothe tense muscles that might be contributing to rounded shoulders, it’s ultimately a complementary tool – meaning it works best as part of a bigger plan that includes researched-back approaches.
With that said, here are two other steps that can help you see a lasting change in the way your spine and shoulders naturally sit:
Stretches and Strengthening Movements
Research suggests that stretching and strengthening are some of the most effective approaches you can take toward un-rounding your shoulders. A bonus is that the right movements can also play a role in fixing forward head posture and improving kyphosis (hunchback).
Here are some simple, beginner-friendly exercises to consider adding to your routine:
- Chest-opening doorway stretch: Stand in front of a doorway. Lift your hands and place them on either side of the doorframe. Lean forward to feel a deep stretch in the pectoral muscles.
- Scapular wall slides: Stand with your back against a wall. Be sure that your head, middle back, and glutes are all making contact with it. Then, slowly raise your arms above your head to make a “Y” shape, and lower them back down. Repeat 10–15 times, up to a couple of times per day.
Revamp Your Postural Habits
If your rounded shoulders are largely due to habit, the next (and arguably most crucial) step in fixing them is to target the issue at the source. In other words, you’ll need to retrain your mind and body to sit and stand with healthier posture.
It can start with simply noticing your spine and shoulders more often. A few times per day, check in with yourself: “Is my head in line with my hips, or am I curving forward? Is my chest open, or are my shoulders hunched and rounding in?”
If you spend a lot of time at a desk, adjusting your setup can also help. Try raising your monitor screen so that it’s at eye level (or above), and pull your keyboard a little closer so that you don’t have to extend your arms as far to reach it.
The Takeaway
If you’ve been working on fixing rounded shoulders, regular massage could certainly be worth adding to your routine. From reducing muscle tension to soothing pain and boosting bodily awareness, its benefits can make it a great complementary tool for nearly anyone looking to support their posture.
With that said, massage on its own isn’t the best (or only) way to combat rounded shoulders. Instead, you’ll want to follow a comprehensive plan full of the right stretches, exercises, and changes to your daily postural habits to see long-term results.
Looking for easier ways to support your posture with home massage? Pick up the Accuvibe Mini massage gun today, or explore MedMassager’s full line of trusted home tools here.
